Nicaragua Fast Facts

Nicaragua Nicaragua

Population: 5,966,798

Capital City: Managua

Climate: Tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Time Zone: GMT-6

Language: Spanish (official)

Country Code: 505

Coastline: 910km

Nicaragua: Beautiful and Affordable

Along Central America’s Pacific coast you’ll find rocky outcrops, world-class surf, and some of the most jaw-dropping views in the world. If it’s natural beauty you are after, Nicaragua is the jewel of this stretch of coast.

Today’s Nicaragua is like a newborn child, eyes bright with hope with a smile promising a great future. The country stuns with its physical beauty, something that surprises every newcomer. Majestic volcanoes pepper the horizon along the Pacific Ring of Fire, some with billows of white smoke, proclaiming the life within, while others sleep, protecting their sparkling crater lakes for you to enjoy.

Lake Colcibolca, the 19th largest lake in the world, houses Ometepe Island, a magical place that soothes the soul with its own lakes, volcanoes and verdant green forests. White sand beaches and turquoise water with low-hanging palms greet you on the Caribbean side of Nicaragua. Bosawas National Reserve offers a dense rainforest, second only to the Amazon in the Western Hemisphere. Hiking, rock climbing, floating down crystal clear rivers, surfing a volcano and more are only some of the adventures in Nicaragua.

Pacific Coast, Nicaragua
Pacific Coast, Nicaragua

Because Nicaragua is just emerging as a tourist and retirement destination, many take advantage of the economical real estate and rental prices to retire early. Ocean-view condos for under $100,000 still exist, as do fully-furnished apartments to rent for $400 to $500 a month with all amenities and a block’s walk to the beach. Don’t despair if you want “more” of a house, as upscale mansions with a 240-degree view of the ocean exist for those with deeper pockets. The truth is, you can easily build your dream house and your dream life in Nicaragua, for about an 8th of the price of what it would cost you back home.

Still lacking a strong infrastructure, Nicaragua, like Costa Rica maybe 40 years ago, offers people from the U.S. and Canada and elsewhere the role of true pioneers. These expats are helping to shape Nicaragua into the tourist mecca it will become. New government laws with unparalleled tax benefits help expats form corporations and open businesses with ease.

Nicaragua is not for everyone. It’s more primitive and wild than its Central American neighbors. It’s for the young-at-heart, who don’t worry if the electricity goes off, who don’t stress over guests arriving late, and who don’t want to sit around just watching TV when they retire. It’s for those with vision, who want adventure, want to feel young again, and who want to create their ideal retirement. Don’t wait any longer. Let Nicaragua surprise you.

Find Out More From Our Nicaragua Correspondent

From the Archives of Nicaragua

The Top Towns and Cities in Latin America for Healthy Living

The Top Towns and Cities in Latin America for Healthy Living

PR
By |
May 19, 2019

In many of the world’s best retirement havens, embracing a healthier lifestyle just comes naturally. And it’s easy to see why. With warm weather year-round, it’s easy to get out and about whenever you feel like it. Abundant fresh air fills your lungs with each breath. With everything you need within walking distance, many expats can get by just fine without a car. And those extra yards you walk each day add up to a shrinking waistline over time. Lower costs make it much easier to eat healthily, too.

Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Countries
By |
February 7, 2019

The cool-weather mountain city of Matagalpa is one of Nicaragua’s undiscovered gems. This affordable expat haven, in the heart of coffee country, is home to 300 to 400 expats—mostly American and Canadian. A couple can live here for $1,200 a month. For $300 a month you can find a three-bedroom, two-bath house with garage and backyard. For $400 you’ll feed a family for a month, and $75 will cover your utilities for a month.

Where is Nicaragua?

Where is Nicaragua?

Countries
By |
August 2, 2018

Nicaragua is located in the Western hemisphere, and is the largest of the seven Central American nations by land area—covering approximately 50,000 square miles. Nicaragua shares borders on the north with Honduras and the south with Costa Rica, and the country has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea...