BIG CORN If possible, spend all of your time at Little Corn. Stay on Big Corn only if you have late or early flights, and stay at Club Paraiso. The rooms are good, but not great (built for a dry climate and not the islands, so they smell like mold and don't let the air through), but I really enjoyed my time there. The owner is extremely knowledgeable about all the affairs of both islands and can take you on a wonderful snorkeling tour of Little Corn. He is expensive but he knows what he is doing. The restaurant has some excellent meals and some good ones and the beach by the hotel has more texture and variety than others on the island. I ran along the beaches for a few miles, and though some are ... read more

Matagalpa, like Esteli, is a nice relief from the heat and a good base to explore cloud forests, ecolodges, or even the seldom-visited national parks of northeastern Nicaragua. The city sits in a bowl of mountains, all of which apparently Admittedly, I didn't get to see too much of the city, as I was very sick during my stay here. I mostly watched TV in my hotel room and went for short walks around the city. There must be more tourism here during other times of year, but I get more stares and glares here than anywhere else I have visited in Nicaragua. As always, people are very friendly once I smile and talk to them, but I get the feeling that they are not used to tourists at all. I haven't seen another tourist in ... read more

I took this 30 km trek with Quetzal Trekkers (http://www.quetzaltrekkers.com/) , a non-profit organization located in Leon (and that originated in Guatemala). The $69 cost is pretty expensive by Nicaragua standards, but it included everything: food, transportation, volcano-boarding tents, guides, park entry, a free t-shirt, and any equipment you need. Besides, the money goes to a good cause. There are a some other similar organizations in Leon that conduct tours for other causes. CERRO NEGRO HIKE AND VOLCANO-BOARDING (45 minutes hiking up the hill, 45 seconds down) We began the trip with breakfast at the Quetzal Trekkers headquarters in Leon. From there we piled into a camioneta for a bumpy one-hour ride to Cerro Negro. My first glimpse of the volcano was disconcerting -- picturing myself sliding down the steep 700 meters (around 2200 feet) of ... read more

Leon is a must-see in Central America and so far my favorite city in Nicaragua. If you are only visiting Nicaragua, I recommend using it as a hub to visit Las Penitas beaches, Matagalpa and Esteli in the mountains, and nearby volcanoes. While it is similar to Granada, Leon doesn't seem to have any areas set up exclusively for tourists; instead, gringo-living is gracefully woven into the local threads. It is hotter here, but the difference is negligible and the beach is only a half an hour away. The drive here from Managua was a terrifying ordeal. My legs are far too long to fit comfortable in one of the intercity vans and I was sure of death nearly every moment. Our driver was actually pretty good and responsible, but everyone on the road insisted on ... read more

This is my account of my 5-day, 90 km walk around the island of Ometepe, the iconic twin-volcano island in Lake Nicaragua (aka Cocibolca). My distances are estimates (based on my 4-5 km per hour pace) and include any tangent hikes off of the main roads. The guidebook maps are misleading, as the dirt roads in particular wind throughout the island, making the distances longer than they appear. Here is a basic map of the island: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/central-america/nicaragua/isla-de-ometepe/map_of_isla-de-ometepe.jpg Day 1 - Moyogalpa to Altagacia (16 km), both on the western side (the Concepcion side) of Isla de Ometepe. I arrived on the island from Rivas midday and was pleasantly surprised to see that, being late June and the rainy season, the island (or at least Moyogalpa) was more or less devoid of tourists. There were plenty of ... read more