Viva Spanish School is a gay-owned Spanish language school in the capital of Nicaragua. The school was muy buena and the owner has all of the scoop on gay activities in Nicaragua.
www.vivaspanishschool.com
505-270-2339
On the NW Pacific coast Cosiguina is an extinct volcano with high biodiversity.
Chinandega Department, Nicaragua
A hostel close to the centre of Granada, the Bearded Monkey is friendly and lively without being dominated by hard-partying backpackers.
Arranged around a central courtyard lit with twinkling lights, the (public) bar sells local beers, decent food and its own compilation CDs, as well as running DVD nights from the owner's great selection, for a small donation.
Check the noticeboard for good value Spanish lessons by local teachers (Anjelica is recommended) and trips to the nearby Lago de Apoyo, where the Bearded Monkey has a cabin, the Monkey Hut, with terraces running down to the lake - an excellent swimming spot.
Avenida 14 de Septiembre, opposite the bomberos (fire station).
A locally produced, high-quality rum sold almost everywhere in Nicaragua.
It's more like whiskey in taste and comes aged up to 21 years or directly from the still.
Definitely worth buying at Duty Free as it's still hard to find outside Nicaragua and much more expensive.
Any large shop or supermarket in Nicaragua.
Still wonderfully remote border river between Nicaragua and Costa Rica connecting vast freshwater Lake Nicaragua to Atlantic Ocean. A long slow river journey through the jungle. Place to overnight is at the Eco Hotel in tranquil El Castillo about a third of the way to the Atlantic; no cars, only river traffic. They organise jungle trips and used to serve great tropical lunches.
Fly to San Carlos from Managua and pick up boat down river from there to El Castillo.
Alternatively a long uncomfortable overland journey by bus on un made up road round northern tip of the lake via Jinotepe - or cross the lake on a ferry from Granada to San Carlos
It's a lovely tin roofed village stuck to the base of the best preserved colonial fort about a third way down the river San Juan. You can organise boat trips into the surrounding rain forest and there is an attractive (but very simple) eco-hotel in the village. Solentiname is a group of islands in the lake, near San Carlos. Fabulous painters and artisans and glorious setting.
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