Nicaragua ecoadventure

What do the Boston Globe, Travel and Leisure, Men’s Journal, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Huffington Post all have in common? They have all named Nicaragua as a must see travel destination in 2015.

In “Where to go in 2015” the Boston Globe says, “Forget Costa Rica — old news. Industry experts are calling Nicaragua the hottest destination in Central America, and one of its best bargains…making it one of the world’s top 10 emerging destinations.” Travel + Leisure listed Nicaragua as 21st on their Best Places to Travel in 2015. The Huffington Post urges travelers to visit Nicaragua and “Discover the Paris of Central America.”

1. Beaches/Surf

Nicaragua is blessed with bountiful beaches and ideal surf conditions boasting more than 300 days per year of offshore winds.   Nicaragua, and San Juan del Sur, in particular, provides beach goers a variety of sandy options from the adventurous surfer (Playas Yankee and Maderas, named by Men’s Journal as one of the “20 Most Adventurous Beaches” in the world) to the lazy hazy book in a hammock days (Playa Coco and Marsella). CBS’s Survivor can’t seem to get enough of Nicaragua, having hosted not 1, but 4 seasons of the hit show on San Juan del Sur’s beaches.

2. Eco Adventures and Wildlife

Adventurers are quickly replacing Costa Rica with its neighbor to the north, Nicaragua, as an eco travel destination. After all, it is known as the “Land of Lakes and Volcanoes.” Nicaragua boasts diversity in its climate and geography – offering tours of volcanoes, beaches, lakes, islets, rainforests, and reefs.

Nicaragua is home to nearly 5 million acres of protected parks and preserves, filled with wildlife, including exotic birds, howler monkeys, turtles, and giant iguanas.  Zip lines, canopy and rappelling, volcano boarding, boat trips, surf, SUP, kayak and more all make exploring the beauty of Nicaragua accessible and sustainable, without disrupting the biodiversity of the area.

3. Yoga/Wellness

Thanks to its laid-back vibe, vibrant culture, and soothing waves, Nicaragua is attracting a growing community of wellness practitioners. International Yoga Instructor, Vanessa Pattison opened the popular Zen Yoga Studios in San Juan del Sur. Peter Sterios, an internationally recognized yoga teacher from California, and James Bailey, a renowned Ayurveda and Oriental Medicine practitioner, yoga educator and yoga teacher trainer, are now offering annual yoga teacher trainings with Nicaragua Yoga Institute in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. YogaGlo’s own Jo Tastula is joining forces with Nicaragua Yoga Institute to offer an exclusive yoga retreat next May and Moksha Yoga International recently announced a 200 hour yoga teacher training in collaboration with the Nicaragua Yoga Institute for early 2016.

4. Safety

A recently published study by Gallup highlighted Nicaragua as the safest country in Latin America and the Caribbean. The once shaky political climate has long since calmed and the country is dusting off the welcome mat to visitors, investing in infrastructure and facilities. According to the economist, confidence in the police is the highest in Latin America after Chile and Nicaragua is less violent than booming Panama, and may soon be safer than Costa Rica, a tourist haven. The Nicaraguan government has also allocated more than $6 billion towards infrastructure in recent years, all of which add to the safety and security of the country.

5. Accessibility

Airlines are catching on, too! Due to its increasing popularity as a travel destination, major airlines are adding seasonal non-stop routes to Managua, Nicaragua’s capitol city.   Delta is offering a weekly nonstop service from Los Angeles to Managua during the summer months. Spirit Airlines recently added 3 new flight times from Houston to Managua and American Airlines recently added weekly flights from Dallas/Fort Worth to Managua. As of March 2015, Nicaragua is served by a total of 11 airlines and there are a combined total of 56 weekly flights operated by American, Delta, Spirit, Avianca El Salvador and United Airlines to Managua. Ground transport from Managua to San Juan del Sur is growing too, with safe, reliable, air conditioned vehicles ready to comfortably transport you to your Nicaragua Yoga Retreat.

There is no better time than the present to come and explore Nicaragua. As the Huffington Post noted, you will want to “Get To Nicaragua Before Everyone Discovers It!”

Contact Sarah at scrosley@nicaraguayogainstitute.com to book your travel!