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Beach at San Juan del sur, Nicaragua. Photo By Biomedeng –

15 Best Facts About Nicaragua

Dotted with plenty of lakes, tropical forests, wetlands, volcanoes, and savannas, the Nicaraguan landscape is nothing short of breathtaking. This country in Central America has a lot to offer and its deeply cultured people are a plus!

 Nicaragua also known as The Land of Lakes and Volcanoes is partly bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is a popular tourist destination site and is one of the safest countries in Central America.

Nicaragua and its people are quite an interesting bunch. Some of the country’s best facts include:

1. They Have Plenty Of Delicacies To Try

Gallo pinto. Photo By Legendre –

Foodie or not, the Nicaraguan dishes are definitely worth a try. Its culinary art was influenced by its indigenous communities from the pre-Columbian era. Nicaragua maintained a majority of the ancient delicacies which are still enjoyed today.  

Its most common foods are nacatamal, sopa de albondiga, and Indio vieje. All these meals use corn as their main ingredient. Other popular cuisines are chicharron, vigoron, quesillo and gallo pinot (its national symbol).

These communities don’t shy away from using tropical ingredients in their food. Oregano, achiote, jocote, tamarind, bananas, and pipian are also often part of Nicaraguan meals.  

2. Nicaragua Has The Perfect Spots For Vacation

The coastal town of San Juan del Sur is a great place to go surfing. Its sandy beach and blue waters attract thousands of foreigners, especially during the peak season.

The Corn Islands of Nicaragua have a variety of marine life to see. Snorkeling and scuba diving are also very popular. Moreover, the Solentiname Islands in Lake Nicaragua has several archeological sites.

Fun Fact: The popular U.S. series Survivor was shot twice (in 2014 and 2015) in San Juan del Sur.

3. It Is A Historically Rich Country

Old Cathedral in Managua. Photo By Victor Pinchuk –

Before Nicaragua gained its independence less than 200 years ago, it was one of the countries in the Americas ruled by the Spanish. Its history dates back to the pre-Columbian era 500 AD.

Nicaragua has preserved most of its cultural practices. It has also maintained historic landmarks and buildings from the Spanish conquest and American invasion. Some of its historical sites are Iglesia de La Merced, Guadalupe Church, and Santiago of Managua Cathedral.  

Want to learn some interesting factors about Spain, click this link to read the article.

4. Nicaragua Has Great Weather

Because Nicaragua is located between the tropics, its weather conditions are favorable throughout the year. The country has two rainy seasons that begin in May & October, and its average temperature ranges between 21⁰c and 27⁰c.

Though there has been a significant decrease in destructive hurricanes and tropical storms, its coastal regions still remain susceptible to these natural calamities during the months of July and October.

5. Dancing Is Part Of Their Events

Toro Huaco dancers. Photo By Jorge Mejía Peralta –

The vibrant culture in Nicaragua doesn’t stop at cuisine or historic sites. It is encompassed in other forms of art such as dancing.

According to Nicaraguan history, dancing was first used as a form of protest by minority groups. Since these groups were mainly immigrants, dance became a way of communicating and connecting with ancestral lands.

Over time, parts of the Native, Spanish, and Caribbean dances were merged to form six main routines namely, El Gueguense, Palo De Mayo, El Viejo y La Vieja, Toro Huaco, and Baile de Los Zompopos.

The dances are performed during specific festivals to commemorate and celebrate culture and historical figures. El Gueguense is the most distinctive of all the dances.

6. Nicaragua Has High-Quality Coffee

Cup of coffee. Photo By Devin Avery –

Nicaragua is one of the largest growers of coffee in the world. Its rich soil and great climate are favorable for growing this well-loved beverage. That’s not all, the Nicaraguan coffee has plenty of flavors too.  

A cup of Nicaraguan coffee will hit your taste buds with a sweet and mild citrus flavor. Others may have a vanilla overtone, bittersweet, or a bit of chocolate taste.

Since coffee is one of the country’s export earners, it is grown in most parts of the region. Popular coffee brands include Matagalpa, Jinotega, Organic Nicaragua, and Segovia. The National Coffee Museum in Matagalpa gives visitors an in-depth history of coffee and its production process.

Interesting Fact: Nicaragua’s coffee arabica var. typica has the largest coffee bean in world.

Find out the ten most expensive coffee in the world here.

7. It Uses Landmarks Instead Of Street Names As It Addresses System

Imagine having no street names or street numbers and using only landmarks to locate different parts of a city. Frustrating, right? This is the addressing system used in Nicaragua.

Places are described using cardinal directions and distances from common reference points. These points range from churches, squares, statutes, and other physical features. Other places use distances of major highways.

The most common reference points in Managua and Granada are their lakes. It is important to note that not all reference points are easy to identify, especially if you are unfamiliar with the towns

However complex it seems, Nicaraguans take pride in having this as their addressing system.  

8. Naragua Is A Multiethnic Republic

Flag of Nicaragua. Photo By Luis Pastran

Nicaragua is Central America’s largest city. With a population of about 6 million, the country has diverse cultures and various ethnicities.

The Europeans and Native Americans make up the highest demographic percentage. Africans are the third most populous race and a remaining 11% is spread across other ethnicities.

Over the years, the country’s major cities San Juan del Sur, Managua, and Granada became hotspots for investors, therefore, attracting an expatriate community.  

Nicaraguans mainly speak Spanish, the country’s official language in all parts except the east coast.

 Read about the most famous people from Nicaragua on the Discover Walks Website.

9. Nicaragua Is A State With No Religion

Nicaragua is a secular state despite it being a predominantly Christian country. It does, however, promote Christian values on small community levels. Religious subjects are also taught as part of the civic curriculum.

In Nicaragua, it is against the law to discriminate the religion one chooses to partake in. Its government and constitution both acknowledge freedom of religion and religious tolerance.   

10. It Has The Largest Freshwater Lake In Central America

Map of Lake Nicaragua and its vicinity. Photo By Rudyologist –

Lake Cocibolca, also known as Lake Nicaragua, is the largest lake in Nicaragua and Central America. It is located South of Nicaragua and occupies 8,200 square kilometers. It has over 400 islands including Ometepe, Zapatere, and Solentiname.

The 26-meter-deep lake drains its water into the Caribbean Sea. It supports marine life and is home to sawfish, cichlids, and tarpons. Lake Cocibolca is the only freshwater lake that hosts bull sharks.

Fun fact: The country was named Nicaragua because of its dominant tribe Nicarao and its large water features i.e Lake Cocibolca and Lake Managua.  

11. Nicaragua Is Home To Exotic Wildlife

In Nicaragua, many of the wildlife habitats are in environmentally protected areas. Toucans, sloths, manatees, and boa constrictors are just but a few of the exotic wildlife found in the country.

Manatees and sea turtles are the main attractions of the Cayos Miskitos Biological Reserve on the Caribbean Coast. The Bosawas Biosphere Reserves has about 700 bird species and over 10 species of poisonous snakes.

12. It Forms Part Of The Ring Of Fire

Nicaragua has over 40 volcanoes which are found along the Pacific Ocean. They are part of the circum-pacific belt also known as the ring of fire. Of these volcanoes, 19 are still active.

The Masaya Volcano is the most active not only in the country but also in the world. The volcano has three craters all of which can be accessed for viewing. The Santiago crater of the Masaya Volcano is the only one of its kind in North and South America. This is due to the luminous lava found right at its center.    

13. Environmental Conservation Is A Core Value Of Nicaragua

Nicaragua’s landscape has a number of environmentally sensitive areas. The country has a total of 78 protected ecosystems (a little over 16% of its landmass). This includes the Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge in Solentiname, Tiscapa Lagoon in Managua, and Bosawas Biosphere reserve in Jinotega.

Organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and UNESCO work together with other governing bodies to safeguard the country’s endangered species and ecosystems. Though it still faces environmental challenges, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has put in place environmental strategies to ensure sustainable development and promotion of ecotourism.

14. It Is An Urbanized Country

Managua. Photo By Chenanhe – Wikimedia Commons

According to the 2021 Urban Nations Population Division, 59% of the Nicaraguan population lives in urban areas. Its capital city, Managua, was estimated to have over 1.5 million residents in 2016.

The urban population has increased by 4% since 2000. In the mid-90s, rural-urban migration was influenced by agricultural development and commercialization. Today, people continue to move into cities in search of labor and other sociocultural factors.

15. Nicaragua Is Larger Than Half Of The Countries In The World

Nicaragua is Central America’s largest country. It is located between the Republic of Honduras and Costa Rica. It is bordered by two large water bodies, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

The country occupies 130,370 square kilometers, a size slightly smaller than Greece (131,957 km²). Greece is one of Europe’s largest countries.

Learn 15 cool facts about Costa Rica here.

Nicaragua has enough tourist sites to keep you on your feet and enough cultural diversity to maintain your interest. If you haven’t been to Nicaragua, then you are definitely missing out. There is almost always something new to learn and experience in The Land of Lakes and Volcanoes.