Taking a one-day trip to explore a new country might seem like too much to do in too little time but being that we spent our honeymoon in Costa Rica, we couldn’t pass the opportunity of crossing over to Nicaragua! Here’s a rundown of what we did to help you create your own Nicaragua Bucket List.

When we visited Puerto Rico, my husband’s natal country, we did everything on our own and we loved it! We were able to experience everything on our time and actually explore the country like we wanted to. Being that we would only be spending about 12 hours in Nicaragua though, we went the travel guide way. Everything was previously scheduled and planned out for us and our Nicaraguan guide was beyond exceptional!

DIACACHIMBA!

Ok, so Diacachimba! isn’t a place but if you learn one word while in Nicaragua, this is it! Whenever anything is cool or just F*ing Awesome, put a little energy into it and proudly say Diacachimba!

MASAYA MARKET

After crossing the border and getting our passports stamped, our first official stop in Nicaragua was the Masaya Market. We eagerly strolled into the colorful market as our travel guide had promised us a shot of their Ron de Caña. I’m not big on shots but trying out the coffee flavored version, it was actually really good and smooth!

When traveling to a new country, I’m always wondering what the best souvenirs and goodies to get are. In Nicaragua, go for their Ron de Caña, leather goods, and their T-Shirts which at the market were super cute and only $4.00!

MASAYA VOLCANO

No words can describe the emotions of seeing an active volcano for yourself so I’m just going to leave you with a few images and hope this gives you a slight idea of the breathtaking experience we had.

GRANADA

Arriving at Granada, one of Nicaragua’s most important cities, we headed straight to the restaurant where they had taken our orders before we even arrived because they knew we would be starving!

GALLO PINTO

If you enjoy steak, go for the carne! One of their traditional dishes of Gallo pinto (rice and beans), carne, crunchyplantains chips and sweet plantains with a little coleslaw… just heavenly! Something about home-cooked Latino style food that brings me such comfort, even when I am in a country that’s not home.

GRANADA CENTRAL PARK

After lunch, we walked down to Granada’s Central Park which I highly enjoyed because it is where we got to mingle a bit more with the locals. To see as much as possible in our little time there, we took a horse carriage ride around the city. That was actually my first horse carriage ride ever.

The park had a couple of local vendors which was perfect because it was where I found all the artisanal souvenirs and goodies I wanted to bring back home.

ISLETS OF GRANADA

After the Mombacho Volcano blew much of its cone into Lake Nicaragua, 365 islets of volcanic origin were created. The boat ride down the lake was so relaxing as we got to see how some of these islets are habituated by single families. How cool (or should I say Diacachimba) that they can say they live on their own little island?! Party venues and hotels, mansions, small homes and even one islet which three hanging monkeys now call home after being rescued.

Not just another country we got to explore, Nicaragua turned out being one of our highlights during our Costa Rica honeymoon! Plus, a really good friend of mine is a Nica (how female Nicaraguans call themselves) so it was pretty awesome to visit the country she is so proud of!

Have you been to Central America? If yes, which was your favorite country?

You may also enjoy: Hidden Gem- Islote, Puerto Rico and Riviera Maya, Mexico: Travel Guide.