Nicaragua

[mzwaag]

Is there anything in Nicaragua that is a must see or is there a good tour that would be good to go on? We are in port for several hours and have not heard of much to do there from anyone on cruise critic. Any advice? We will be going on a Panama Cruise in March.:) Thanks for any advice you can give us!

[pilotdane]

Where are you docking?

[GradUT]

I've been to Nicaragua a couple of times and have a relative that lives there. If I know where you are docking (San Juan del Sur or Puerto Corinto) and which ship you are travelling on, I can probably recommend some interesting places to visit or specific tours from your ship.

[mzwaag]

San Juan del Sur, sorry!!!:)

[Delhaven]

Hi there,

We just did the 14 day Princess Panama a few weeks ago on the Crown Princess. We docked at San Juan del Sur and it was beautiful. We made tour reservations with the ship (only one we did with the ship tour) & it was wonderful.

 

We did a photo stop of two volcanoes, then a great boat ride called the Venice of Nic. and that was very pretty.

 

After the boat we went to Granada for a city tour, time to shop and then a wonderful lunch (part of the tour cost).

 

Needless to say, I was very happy with this tour!

 

Joe

[GradUT]

I just took a look at the excursions offered by Princess Cruises from SJDS and all of them look good, depending on your interests. The one taken by Delhaven incorporates some of the best of that region--volcanoes and Granada. That's probably what I would recommend for a first-time visitor, but there's also an shopping excursion at Masaya if you are a shopper or adventure trips at Mombacho Volcano is you like an adreneline rush.

 

Personally, I don't think Granada should be missed, so try to incorporate a visit there into your travel plans.

[mzwaag]

Thank you, we booked it this morning. Now the worst part is waiting until March. Hopefully the winter will go by quickly!! Thanks again Delhaven for your good advice!

 

Shelley:)

[PKrKa]

I've been to Nicaragua a couple of times and have a relative that lives there. If I know where you are docking (San Juan del Sur or Puerto Corinto) and which ship you are travelling on, I can probably recommend some interesting places to visit or specific tours from your ship.

 

We stopping in Puerto Corintho in January. From what I can tell, it is a port town with not much to do in close proximity to the ship. Do you have any recommendations for tours?

 

Pkrka

[GradUT]

Are you going on the Holland America cruise? I took a look at their shore excursions and there are two very different ones that you might enjoy:

 

1) Cerro Negro Hike--On this tour you will hike to the top of Cerro Negro volcano and then, as they describe it, make a "spectacular descent". I am sure they are talking about "volcano surfing", sledding down the side of the volcano on special sleds. My 24 y.o. daughter did this last year and enjoyed the thrill of it. But, she told me that it was not for the "faint of heart". This tour ends with lunch in colonial Leon and a walk around the square.

 

2) Old and Colonial Leon--I have been to both of these places with my relative who lives in Managua. This HAL tour begins with a visit to Viejo Leon, the first site of Leon which was abandoned in the 1600's due to volcanic activity. The town was buried in ash, like Herculaneum (or Pompeii) in Italy, and is being excavated. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and I found the history and archeology of this place fascinating--well worth a visit. The tour then continues on to modern (colonial) Leon which is a picturesque town with some fascinating historical and political murals. I enjoyed my visit to colonial Leon as well.

[mzwaag]

No, Princess. Thanks though!!!

[GradUT]

Hmm...I didn't see Puerto Corinto listed on their "Shore Excursions" for the Panama Canal trip.

 

Anyway, if you want adventure, look for a 'volcano surfing' tour. If you want some history and archeology, look for "Viejo Leon" (the ruins of the ancient city) and/or "Colonial Leon" (the current city).

 

Also, my relative who lives in Managua told me he recently took a tour near Leon that including kayaking through crocodile-infested waters--another adventure-type tour.

[PKrKa]

We are on Cunard. The stop was added when Acapulco was cancelled. There are only five tours offered by Cunard... 1.Leon, 2.Nicaraguan Overview that goes to El Viejo and Chinandenga, 3. Old Leon and Colonial Leon UNESCO site 4. Leon and the Mudpots 5. Arts and History also to Leon with an art gallery stop.

 

The choices for tours and ports on this cruise have been slim. I am usually into cultural, ecological and historical sites. We are touring Antigua in Guatamala. Is Leon worth the trip?

[GradUT]

I would not skip a visit to Viejo Leon, the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since you say that you are into "cultural, ecological and historical sites", I don't think you'd want to miss it either.

 

However, I probably would not go out of my way to visit the current Leon (often referred to as "Colonial Leon"). I've also been to the art gallery and while the interior of the building is lovely, the art did not "wow" me.

[PKrKa]

Thanks...that was very helpful.

[SDadven]

When I was planning our Panama Canal trip I was surprised to see so little information on Nicaragua. Hope this suggestion helps others. We cruised with Holland America (11/2012) and the only day excursion offered was the one to Leon. We opted for hiring a private guide and driver with Green Pathways Tours which ended up being cheaper than what HAL would have charged us. Both guide and driver were excellent with perfect english. We went hiking Cerro Negro which ended up being the highlight of our 15 day cruise. We highly recommend it for those who can hike an easy to moderate trail. Also recommend Green Pathway Tours. Tell them what you want to see and they will tailor make your day excursion. BTW, several people who went on the HAL trip to Leon said they were disappointed.