Ricardo Maya’s work is described as “Showing the influence of realism without leaving realism, with a symbolic language to evoke a connection between memories and the present, playing the atemporal.” Maya, from Camaguey, Cuba, came to Nicaragua ten years ago because “the situation there was complicated. There is no freedom of expression. All I could have done in Cuba is teach.”

Maya, 36, lives in Granada where he has a gallery, ClaroOscuro. He is married with a daughter.

He paints in oil on canvas or paper, and sculpts in clay. “My works are stories told with symbols with meaning to me.” Women’s torsos, mixed with other images, are often an image in his work. “It’s not for sensuality. It represents the earth, because it is the part of the body that gives life. This also reflects the influence of Roman culture that has survived.” Maya also paints landscapes, which he says, “is a way to touch base.”

Are you considering buying real estate in Nicaragua? Here are some comments about the experiences of people who have.

Q. What type of property purchase did you make, and why?

A1. The first property we purchased was on Mombacho, and we intended to eventually build and retire there. The next purchase was a colonial house we purchased in Granada with the idea of
remodeling it into a small hotel with living area for us when we were in town. Later we found a parcel on Apoyo Lagoon that we liked even more than the lot on Mombacho for our retirement.  We will probably build on both lots and maybe sell one.

A2. I bought a large quiet lot about 3 blocks from the town square. It had several buildings on it. I bought it because it felt good the moment I stepped into it and the price was low.

A3. I bought a condominium near the beach, partly for investment, but also for a place to spend the winter. Someday I might retire here permanently, I don’t know yet.

by Rachel Lewis

One of the delightful things about Granada is the spirit of hope and creativity one can sense in the busy streets and parks.  People from all walks of life pass through the Parque Central in the center of the town. Here lovers stroll, children play, vendors sell their wares, locals and tourists alike enjoy the food and fresh juices in the cafes and old folk sit on the shady benches greeting passing friends.

One of the many handicraft stalls is selling truly local wares. A group of women in the small pueblo of La Prussia on the outskirts of Granada has banded together to help solve some of their problems, both economic and social. What started as a simple chat one morning between five young mothers has rapidly grown into the basis for a successful co-operative micro business.

by Richard Leonardi

I was riding shotgun in a burgundy 1984 Lada, gripping the Russian car’s rattling door with my right hand and a sweaty black vinyl seat with my left. We approached an intersection with its signal changing to red. Traffic around us came to a grinding halt. Not to be deterred, the taxi driver wrestled the old Lada into the vacant left turn lane, floored the pedal and swerved hard right, crashing through the red light at full speed. I tightened my grip on the door and seat and held my breath as we knifed through cross traffic. For the driver it was just another day at the office. He grumbled something about the increase in city traffic; his thick left arm dangling out of the Lada’s window and the other busy sawing away at its big black steering wheel. He spied me out of the corner of his eye and a small grin of satisfaction crept across his mouth.

by Mike Sabine

Just a couple years ago, Nicaragua’s sport fishing business consisted of a few hobbyists offering basic panga trips. Times have changed; the industry has firmly established itself with a variety of professionally run charter services available at destinations around the country. Charter operators out of San Juan del Sur, the Caribbean basin and the Rio San Juan now offer trips with professional captains, fully equipped sport fishing boats and modern tackle. 

Some, like Local Treasure International, offer all-inclusive package deals, with airport pickup, lodging and transportation included. Their secluded lodges near El Ostional, are situated among tropical forest and boast a private beach. “We offer a totally private, complete experience with nature,” said LTI’s Ryan Stockton.