A visit to Nicaragua will uncover a land of volcanoes and lakes, with a population who values a good song and a cold beer. It's now one of the safest and most peaceful countries in Central America; go now before the property developers get there. The capital, Managua, can be disorientating so go east for the colonial architecture and colourful neighbourhoods of Grenada and north to admire the bullet-scarred Sandinista murals in Leon. You can sample local coffee in the hill town of Jinotega and brush up on revolutionary history in the high-walled city of Esteli. Learn to surf in San Juan del Sur and go wildlife watching from the deck of a riverboat on Rio San Juan. To climb the volcanoes on Isla de Ometepe, cross the immense inland lake Lago de Nicaragua. The remote Corn Islands are superb for relaxing Caribbean style and on Isla Juan Venado you can see turtles in their natural habitat.
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