Nicaragua is the Central American country travellers from Quebec know least, and the reason is simple: only one beach address there is really served as an all-inclusive. The rest of the country is travelled another way, on a tour or under your own steam.

Where you actually go

Montelimar beach, on the Pacific coast, in the department of Managua. Three kilometres of pale sand, one large resort, and a history worth knowing: the estate belonged to the Somoza family, and the family residence is now the hotel casino. You watch the Pacific from a room that was built for something else.

The Nicaraguan Pacific is not the Caribbean Sea. The water is cooler, the swell stronger, the sand darker. The sunsets, on the other hand, come straight at you, which the Caribbean coast never gives you.

When to go

The dry season runs from December to April. That is when people leave Quebec for it, and for good reason: clear skies and dry heat.

The rainy season runs from May to November, with October the wettest month. Pacific hurricane season runs from mid-May to the end of November. A September or October trip is planned with cancellation insurance, not on impulse.

What to settle before booking

Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your planned departure date from Nicaragua. No visa is required for a stay under ninety days, but the stamp given on arrival decides the length actually granted, and ninety days is never guaranteed in advance.

Yellow fever vaccination is not recommended for Nicaragua itself. Proof becomes required if you arrive from a country where the virus circulates, which mainly concerns travellers continuing on to South America.

Who Nicaragua suits

The traveller who has already done Cuba, Mexico and the Dominican Republic and wants a beach without crowds. The surfer, because the Pacific swell is steady. Anyone drawn to volcanoes, since a whole chain of them sits less than two hours from the coast.

Far less so a family heading south for the first time with young children: the choice of hotels is thin, the sea is strong, and the travel advisory deserves a careful read.

For the resort area itself, see our Managua and Montelimar page. To compare with the neighbours, there are Honduras and El Salvador. Every sun destination sits in the All-inclusive vacations section.