During the 2017 Easter break, we decided to spend one week in Nicaragua. Even if it was a long flight for such a short holiday, we couldn’t say no to a 390€ return flight BRU-MGA with United! I found this precious deal on GoVoyages. Our flight itineraries was as follow:
BRU – LHR (1H25 layover) – IAH (1H35 layover) – MGA
MGA – IAH (1H25 layover) – YUL (2H layover) – BRU
Unfortunately our first flight BRU-LHR was delayed and we missed our connection in London, so we had to catch the next flight to IAH and spend a night in Houston. As the plane from LHR to IAH was almost empty, we were able to seat for free in the premium economy cabin, plenty of legroom!
As our time in Nicaragua was limited, we decided to only visited two places close to Managua, to avoid losing too much time in a bus. We thus decided to focus on Leon (1 night) and Las Peñitas (4 nights).
#1. Leon
After a 1h30 bus ride from UCA to Leon, we arrived in our first hotel in Nicaragua. We decided to stay at Hotel Azul ($56, breakfast included). Even if there was some issue with the pool when we arrived, our room was very clean and ultra spacious, and the pool (when fixed) was the perfect place to relax after visiting the city (it was very, very hot!).
Leon is a very authentic city, with the magnificent Our Lady of Grace Cathedral. Leon is definitely worth a visit just for a climb to the top of the Cathedral, but we enjoyed walking around the city and visiting some museum. You’ll also find some nice places to eat and/or drink cocktails, and we can personally recommend El Bodegon and Nicaraguita Cafe and Restaurante.
#2. Las Peñitas
After one day in Leon, we headed to our next and final destination: Las Peñitas. We chose Las Peñitas rather than other places like San Juan del Sur because it seemed to be more quiet and more authentic, and we don’t particularly like being surrounded by hundreds of tourists.
We stayed four nights at El Belga Loco ($30/night, Breakfast +$2). This place was amazing, one of the best guesthouse we have ever stayed in. Everything was super clean, well decorated, the food (snacks only) was very tasty (try the burritos!), the hosts were very friendly and gave us a lot of tips about restaurants and activities! Price/quality seems to be the best in Las Peñitas, so don’t hesitate one second!
As our trip in Nicaragua was mainly to discover a new culture but also to take some rest, we spend long hours on the beach or reading books next to the pool. While in Las Peñitas, we also visited the Juan Venado Island Reserve, which I definitely recommend! The guide did not speak English (and we do not speak Spanish), but we were able to understand parts of what he wanted to show us. And we also had the chance to see some baby turtles :-). I do recommend to visit the Reserve if you’re in Las Peñitas or Leon, it’s really worth it!
Las Peñitas is also a very popular surfing spot, so I couldn’t leave this place without trying! Even though I looked quite confident before my first lesson (ever), I was exhausted after one hour! It was as difficult as I could imagine, but a very nice experience!
Based on our hosts’ recommendations, we tried several restaurants in Las Peñitas. The best one was undoubtedly Comedor Bertha, where you’ll have the chance to taste some delicious and fresh lobsters for $10 only! They don’t serve alcohol but you can grab some beers/coktails in the restaurant next to it, and as you’ll see a lot of people actually do that. Another nice restaurant we tried was Sua Grill&Chill, where you’ll enjoy different kinds of tapas (both local and more European ones). Overall it’s pretty good and not too expensive.
Another thing that makes Las Peñitas a very special place is the sunset. We saw some of the nicest sunsets we’ve ever seen there, and when you can enjoy it with a $2 Mojito or a Nica Libre, it’s just amazing! FYI, the picture below is 100% authentic and filter-free 🙂
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Enjoy Your Flight! 