Tourism in Nicaragua
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has stated his intention to use tourism to combat poverty throughout the country.
The results for Nicaragua's tourism-driven economy have been significant, with the nation welcoming one million tourists in a calendar year for the first time in its history in 2010.
[6] According to the Nicaraguan news program Canal 2 TV Noticias, the country's main tourist attractions are beaches, scenic routes, the architecture of cities such as León and Granada, and most recently ecotourism and agritourism, particularly in Northern Nicaragua.
[8] Venturing outside of the city limits, one can explore the verdant islets of Granada by a relaxing guided boat ride or by kayak.
[9] The islets also have hotels for those that wish to take in the sunrise from the Mombacho Volcano, a common day destination for those interested in climbing into a cloud forest.
Another popular destination are the Corn Islands located about 70 km east off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua near Bluefields.
[11] Cruise ships have been docking in San Juan del Sur since January 2000 and average 50,000 tourists alone every year, some who partake in tours to nearby Lake Cocibolca and the colonial city of Granada.
[14] Nicaragua also holds the largest lake in Central America, about 700 species of birds, and unspoiled natural beauty.
CECOCAFEN is an organization of coffee cooperatives in Northern Nicaragua that manage a rural and community-based tourism project, which has been developed with support from Lutheran World Relief.
Nicaragua's eco-tourism grows every year,[18] as the country boasts a number of eco-tourist tours and perfect places for adventurers.
Nicaragua's rich biodiversity also attracts many tourists to protected areas such as the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve, which holds a higher number in species of trees, birds, and insects than all of Europe.
Tourists from Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Ghana, Haiti, India, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, the Palestinian National Authority, Romania, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen require a visa to enter Nicaragua.
Many of these volcanoes offer some great possibilities for tourists with activities such as hiking, climbing, camping, and swimming in crater lakes.
Many visitors take boat rides along the islets, which are abundant with many different species of birds and fish [31] such as cormorants, herons, kingfisher, oropendola, hawks and many more.
