|
From steaming lowland jungles to towering volcanoes and colonial towns, Dale Morris explores the offbeat destination that is Nicaragua.
Thick clouds of acrid smoke billowed from the volcano’s cavernous maw, engulfing me and my companion in sulphurous gas. We spluttered and clawed at our throats theatrically, wiped the stinging mist from our eyes, then doggedly crawled onwards towards the crater’s steaming edge.
Oh, what a jolly time we were having…
An assault on Nicaragua’s Concepción Volcano, a 1600-metre-high, upturned ice-cream cone, is no stroll in the park, but the views from the top are ample reward. Far below us, the gunmetal waters of Lake Nicaragua stretched towards the horizon, pitted with myriad little islands and, in the distance, yet more ominous-looking volcanoes.
The wind at the top of Concepción howled as if in torment, raging in symphony with the rumbling crater upon which we were precariously balanced. The air had a chill, even though we were in the tropics but, beneath our feet, the very stone itself was warm to the touch. Further down still, on the floor of this sheer-sided cauldron, it was hot beyond belief. Tentatively, I peered over the edge, where steam hissed and toxic gases swirled.
“Shall we go now?” asked Sasha anxiously, coughing on a noxious cloud. “I’m not sure it’s wise for us to linger.”
My nose was dry, my eyes were red and my lungs felt fit to burst. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” I wheezed in reply. And so Jack and Jill went down the hill.
It was dark by the time we arrived in Altagracia, a little fishing village nestled at the foot of the volcano, and I was so tired from the arduous hike that my legs had turned to jelly. Never before had a hotel bed felt so comfortable, and I slept soundly, dreaming of dragons and a gateway to hell.
Nicaragua, nestled between Costa Rica and Honduras, has not traditionally been a traveller’s destination, beset as it has been by bloody civil wars and frequent natural disasters. But things have changed for the better in recent years and tourists are now flocking here.
The biggest of Central America’s seven countries, Nicaragua boasts the largest freshwater lake, the densest jungles and the highest density of volcanoes anywhere in the region. There are two oceans – the Pacific and Caribbean – in which to swim, dive and fish; numerous rivers to explore; and a wealth of colonial towns and cities where Spanish architecture has been lovingly preserved.
Close to the shores of Lake Nicaragua, one such colonial town, Granada, stands out for its elegant buildings and peaceful, lazy ambience. Its streets literally ooze with a sense of history, and on every corner stands a beautiful house, church or cathedral. Ancient, horse-drawn carriages are still the preferred method of transport.
The Spanish founded Granada in 1524, converting the local Indian tribes to Catholicism shortly thereafter. But whereas their motivations (pilfering gold, trading in slaves and the forceful subjugation of a native populace) may have been suspect, there can be no denying that the colonials knew how to build a beautiful city. Nicaraguans are fiercely proud of their colonial cities. That’s why, over the centuries, almost every building has been lovingly maintained.
We stopped for a while at an old gunpowder fort where battles had been waged between conquerors and pirates; and we visited the blackened façade of an ancient church, its smoky exterior a monument to tumultuous times. Throughout Nicaragua’s history, places of worship were frequently used as military bases – often with the full consent of the holy men.
Nicaraguans have also been flooded by hurricanes and starved by droughts; they have lost their houses to earthquakes and their lives to political turmoil. Yet still, they smile easily and are quick to welcome strangers – perhaps, in part, because tourism is proving their salvation.
Nicaragua’s political situation is now very stable and, as a result, visitor numbers have increased by about 15 percent every year for the past seven.
In Granada, we relaxed in pretty plazas and strolled along the lakeside promenade. We even took a kayak trip among the myriad inhabited islands we had seen from atop Concepción Volcano. Here, bare-footed women with shiny black hair laundered while their children splashed and played in waters that giant sharks are known to frequent. Lake Nicaragua is the only place on Earth where bull sharks reside permanently in a lake.
We paddled over to ancient island forts, from which cannons once fired upon the infamous pirate, Captain Morgan; we explored shallow channels and swampy lagoons with surfaces pierced by slick black fins.
The following day, we moved on to the market town of Masaya, where colourful clutter could be purchased at a snip. But the real draw, as it so often is in Nicaragua, was the highly active volcano on the outskirts of town. Masaya Volcano has had an outstandingly large history. The founding eruption, many thousands of years ago, was one of the largest the world has ever seen.
When the Spanish first arrived here, they assumed the crater to be a gateway into hell, so a crucifix was erected to keep the devil from crawling out. It’s still there today, doing a remarkably efficient job. To date, not one single demon has been reported!
After exploring the Pacific lowland regions, it was time to take a trip over to the Atlantic seaboard and the Mosquito Coast: a place of towering jungles and meandering rivers. It’s an enormous province but almost uninhabited, except for monkeys, parrots and boa constrictors. There aren’t too many options for exploring these tangled forests, but along the coast, there are human populations.
The true oases in this semi-deserted region are the beautiful, tropical Corn Islands, an idyllic archipelago of coconuts, cocktails and scuba diving.
There were no crowds when we arrived, courtesy of a rickety ferry, so we ended our sometimes strenuous but seriously rewarding Nicaraguan adventure in a hammock, under the shade of a palm tree, sipping Margaritas on our own private beach.
Best visit now, before the crowds cotton on.
Photography by Dale Morris
Travel Facts
Getting there
- The following airlines all offer connections on partner airlines to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua.
- LAN has a daily service from Australia to Santiago. For bookings, phone 1800 221 572 or go to www.lan.com
- Aerolineas Argentinas flies from Sydney to Buenos Aires seven times a week. Phone 02 9234 9000 or visit www.aerolineas.com.au
- United Airlines offers a daily direct service departing Sydney, or from Melbourne via Sydney, to Los Angeles. Phone 13 1777 or visit www.unitedairlines.com
Getting around
- BFirst Travel, phone 1300 763 338 or visit www.bfirsttravel.com
- Contours Travel, phone 03 9328 8488 or visit www.contourstravel.com.au
- YTcan Travel, phone 02 9326 6633 or visit www.tucantravel.com
- Nicaragua has an exceptionally good public bus service. Among other companies, Tica runs express services between major destinations and into neighboring countries. Visit www.ticabus.com
- La Costena is a domestic airline with very good-value daily flights from most major destinations within Nicaragua. Phone +505 263 1228 or visit www.tacaregional.com/costena
Tips
- At the time of writing, AU$1 = 19 Nicaraguan cordobas (NIO).
- Australian travellers are issued 90-day tourist visas upon arrival.
- The dry season is between November and May but, for turtle-watching, the wetter months between May and October are the time to go.
Further information
|
|
|
V&T Takeoff
Updates from our editors and writers
 |
The team from the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau were in town last week to update Australia on some of the BIG things happening in the Texan state. |
 |
V&T mag dropped into Bali last month and helped the W Retreat & Spa celebrate their 2nd anniversary and what a splash it was. With local and international fashion designers on display, the W Lounge was transformed into a catwalk party zone. 2500 people flowed through the resort late into the night, moving to NYC DJ Sandy Rivera. This was the biggest ticket in Bali for some time and the resorts pulling power is a testament to just how hot this property and international hotel brand actually is.www.vacationsandtravelmag.com/Mca/874/765/3/0/0/#takeoff1 How did we cope the next day? Poolside. Don’t wait until their 3rd anniversary as the vibe, sound and style of this resort makes for a very cool holiday. In the heart of Seminyak and right on the beach, Bali beckons. |
 |
Thanks to our friends at Air France we got out of the office for the day and enjoyed a great round of golf at the annual Financial Markets Charity Golf Day and Gala Dinner. Held annually in February, this event as well as the Financial and Media Markets Charity Sailing Regatta in October raises AU$1.2 million for a wide range of charities.The ASX Group and Thomson Reuters Australia (formerly Reuters) joined forces in 1999 to form a Charity Foundation with the objective of helping Australian-based children, disability and medical research charities by organising fundraising events in conjunction with the Financial Markets. Pictured here: Thomas Reeves Air France, Middle, Patrick Benhamou, Atout France; Anthony Gallagher Vacations & Travel magazine. |
 |
Vacations & Travel magazine rubbed shoulders with local and international buyers and sellers of travel from around the globe at 2013 AIME (Asia Pacific's Incentive Meeting Expo). This is the biggest event on the Australian travel industry calendar, where key decision makers congregate to network over a three-day event of hosted parties, trade and leisure travel meetings and press conferences. |
 |
The who's who of Sydney's entertainment industry turned up for the recent opening of the city's newest hotel to receive a makeover, The Parkroyal. Located in Darling Harbour, the property has just emerged from a milt million-dollar makeover to reveal striking rooms and seriously sexy public spaces. Speaking of sexy, some of the celebs on hand to celebrate the re-launch included Casey Burgess, Danielle Blakey and Amy Milne, not to mention Timomatic who entertained the crowds into the witching hours… |
 |
 |
|
