Being Digital Nomad in Nicaragua (Managua, Granada, Leon): Reviews & Speedtests

If you have followed us on the blog, you can see that this year we have chosen the two “dangerous” (in the collective imagination) of Central America to spend the fall: Nicaragua and El Salvador. These two countries are often avoided by tourists crisscrossing Central America (who visit Guatemala and then hop, hop, hop, go directly to Costa Rica).

I admit (and I wish to be honest with you), the idea of going there scared me too. I already imagined blocked roads, stray bullets, civil war. Without the very reassuring advice and feedback from Lauriane, an expat who has been living in Central America for 2 years, I wouldn’t even have made a stopover in those two countries. Thank you for the alarmist news from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!

Not only did she reassure us a lot about the real security situation in these two countries, but she also gave us so many good plans and arguments (see her interview) that we immediately bought our ticket to Nicaragua.

Our itinerary

In all, we spent a month in Nicaragua. We saw lava from an active volcano, swam in a crater in the largest lake in Central America, observed birds, stayed in two colonial cities, and spent 40 hours learning Spanish.

Here is our itinerary:

We didn’t go to San Juan del Sur, but it’s an easily accessible destination and popular with backpackers & nomads. They have access to the beach (Pacific side). It’s the ideal destination for surfers, just like Las Penitas. There used to be a nomadic hub, but it is now closed because the owner left for Costa Rica after last year’s events, but you will surely find other accommodations in the area.

You can see a summary of our journey here :

What we thought of Nicaragua

If the locals are still suffering from the current situation, there is absolutely no impact for tourists. And since we believe that we should not punish a whole people for the decision of a few leaders, we are careful to spend our money on small comedors, local markets, and/or expats who run Airbnb/hostels and who have decided to stay in Nicaragua despite the political crisis, without fleeing to Costa Rica or returning to the US, and who continue to employ Nicaraguans.

We have spent time in Nicaragua’s largest cities, and frankly, I feel much safer than in South America. There is a sweetness of life that comes from it, and it makes me feel good not having to think about my safety and watch out for my things constantly. On the one hand, it comes from the cities’ size: they are tiny, there are very few people. Even in Leon, a much more lively city, you don’t feel overwhelmed either, with lots of people around and “danger” on all sides.

Not to mention the kindness of the Nicaraguans. I thought that the Colombians were too nice, but we reach another level with the Nicaraguans (and we exceed this level with the Salvadorians, but that’s another story). I think that at the base, they are adorable, but there, with the financial difficulty and the tourists who disappear from the country, they are pleased to see the tourists coming back. It’s sporadic to get ripped off on prices. Well, we speak a little bit of Spanish too, it can help, I think. Anyway, every time I ask the price (whether it’s for the bus, fruit, or at the restaurant), I pay the same thing as the locals. Some sellers (2 sellers, to be precise) have tried to scratch a bit, but this is specific to Granada, a city that lives mainly on tourism. In other cities, we don’t have the same problem at all.

As soon as I arrived from Nicaragua, I was marked by their accent, very different from Colombia. I couldn’t understand anything, and it really bothered me. I felt like I spent 2 months in Colombia without making any progress. I had a level even worse than my first trip to South America in 2016 (and my first classes in Bolivia). I took advantage of Nicaragua’s cheap rates (one of the lowest in America) to take Spanish lessons: between 6$ and 7,5$/hour for a private lesson. Let’s say that the quality varies from one school to another. I really liked my Granada classes (see my detailed review here), while those in Leon seemed more of a chore than anything else. As I work 2.5 days/week, I had to fit the classes in my agenda’s empty spaces and make 2 days of visits per week, which isn’t much. The classes are quite intense (4 hours in a row), and after 40 hours of classes in just one month, I understand Spanish much better, but I am washed out. That’s why I haven’t been writing much on the blog these last few weeks. I was busy conjugating hundreds of irregular verbs in the simple past tense. The Nicaraguans aren’t used to tourists, so, from the 1st sentence, if they realize that I understand Spanish, they become more and more confident and speak faster and faster. They omit some “s” at the end of the word, so you have to listen to the Nicaraguan Spanish often to get used to the sound and the accent. The indigenous culture isn’t very present in Nicaragua, so they use basic Spanish vocabulary without mixing with indigenous languages (unlike El Salvador or Chile).

The –

I was astonished at how green the country is and its forests and plants. We are coming to the end of the rainy season, and everything is beautiful! So far, it’s an advantage, but the disadvantage is the presence of ferocious mosquitoes all the time. We recommend Calamania, a pink liquid to buy in pharmacies to soothe the itching. It is very effective! Fortunately, as soon as the rainy season ends, the mosquitoes are gone and only come back in the evening.

The 2nd thing I don’t like is having to take cold/warm showers every day. Let’s say that it is so hot all year round (and electricity is expensive) that cheap housing doesn’t offer hot water. The same is true for the air conditioning, which is non-existent (unless you pay double the price). Fortunately, colonial houses are well built, and there are always small gardens with refreshing drafts. If you get too hot, go to the central beach, sit under a tree, it’s always cool there.

Internet connection

As for work, what we were afraid of before we came was the speed of the Internet connection and the power cuts. In reality, the Internet connection is fast compared to South America (especially in Managua). There are fiber optics, even if it isn’t as fast as in France. With fiber, you get a maximum of 20Mbps down, which is more than enough to work efficiently. Not all accommodations are equipped with fiber optics, so the trick is to go through the places made for it: either the owner is an expat and knows that Wifi is life – or he designed the hotel or the Airbnb so that it is for nomads. We can recommend the following addresses (use our Airbnb link to get a 35€ off).

• In Managua: 34€ / night (Booking link), fiber optics, more than 100m² but a little isolated location, either you order your meals by home delivery or pay costly restaurants for rich people next door.
• In Granada: Casa Carina, 10€/day (Booking link): well located. There are only private rooms with shared toilets (it’s a bit hot inside) but there are plenty of tables to work at, and the internet connection is the fastest in town. To have air conditioning, you can pay double (electricity is expensive)

• In Ometepe: La Bambouseraie (Booking link) has a connection that disconnects while we are in the middle of nature (fiber optics). It’s a bit isolated at night (no light), but two partner restaurants deliver in front of your door. For nomads who can afford it, it’s ULTIMATE LUXURY!

• In Leon: this Airbnb (Airbnb link) is so beautiful that it allows sedentary people to become nomadic on the spot. For only 23€/night, you have access to this haven of peace, a great Internet connection, swimming pool. The internet connection is the fastest in town; I let you read the description and look at our Facebook pictures. Click here to get a 35€ discount for your first reservation

Power outage

As for power outages, yes, it happens from time to time, but it doesn’t last long. There are a few power outages in case of big thunderstorms, it happened to us a few times in Leon in the evening, and it only lasts 10 to 20 minutes. In Granada, only once. However, it can happen that when the electricity starts again, it is so strong that it generates a huge voltage variation, and it screws up some machines. So to be safe, I would advise you to (1) come right after the rainy season, i.e., from mid-November, no thunderstorms, it’s cool, and the whole country is green (2) unplug the plugs as soon as the electricity is off (3) don’t permanently plug your expensive appliances.

Connection speeds in Nicaragua: the Speedtests

I’m a bit lazy to separate the speed tests made in Managua, Granada, Ometepe and Leon so if you are really interested, here are the dates of stay, you can match the speed tests with the places (the speed tests are made everywhere, at our Airbnb, at the cafes, restaurants or with the 4G)

• Managua: October 27 to November 1
• Granada: November 1 to November 14
• Ometepe: November 14 to November 16
• Granada: November 16
• Leon: November 17 to November 27

Cafes to work from in Nicaragua

All these cafes have connections at around 1-2Mbps downstream and upstream, have tables and outlets. Then, you will have to complete with a 4G connection if you need to make calls, the wifi being a bit tight.

• Granada :
  • Mansion Chocolate
  • Café next to Mi Museo
  • Garden Café
• Leon :
  • Pan y Paz (the French bakery)
  • Manana Manana Cafe
  • Paz de Luna

Feel free to check my favorite addresses on this Google Map available here too

Transport

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We alternated between local transport and shuttles for tourists. Local transportation costs are 10 times less than tourist shuttles. Comfort is hardly better in the shuttle. The disadvantage of local buses is that they often stop to pick up passengers on the way – and there is no trunk for luggage. So you have to put the suitcases or bags on a seat and pay the ticket for that occupied seat. Most of our departures and destinations are terminals, so getting on and off the bus isn’t complicated. We also noticed that the locals had more respect for other travelers than the backpackers.

Lauriane has written a long article on the transport available in Nicaragua here. Check it out!

Silver

Two currencies circulate in Nicaragua: the Cordoba and the U.S. dollar. The local rates for the U.S. dollar are correct. If you come only with dollars, it is possible to pay in dollars. Restaurants will give your change back in cordobas. However, it is a bit more difficult for local buses, comedors, street vendors… who use cordobas instead. Some stores refuse to take 50US$ or 100US$ bills.

We have withdrawn from BAC distributors at no charge with a MasterCard (N26). You can choose to withdraw in cordobas or dollars. At the same distributor, VISA cards (Revolut, Ultim) are charged $4/withdrawal.

For BANPRO distributors, the withdrawal fee is 1.5% of the amount withdrawn. Similarly, you can withdraw in cordobas or dollars.

Expenses

Expenses depend on the city.

• For the accommodation, we do well between 10€ and 30€ per day for two people.
• Low transportation costs because you can visit the cities of Granada and Leon on foot. Inter-city travel costs between 1$ and 3$/person by local bus and 15$ by tourist shuttle.
• Food
  • In Managua: we were in a neighborhood for the rich, so it was impossible to find something to eat for less than 10$/person
  • In Granada: as it is a tourist city, the comedors are only open at noon (between 80 and 120 cordobas), we are obliged to dine in tourist restaurants, and it becomes expensive (12$/person on average with a very average quality/price ratio). Cook in the evening if you aren’t lazy like us. Our best addresses in Granada are listed here.
  • In Leon: as it is a city for students, you can find comedors anytime. Count about 120 cordobas/meals. Our best addresses in Granada are listed here
• Visits :
  • Day trip with David, a Nicaraguan tourist guide: 60$ / person.
  • Access to the roof of Leon Cathedral: 3$
  • Ometepe : 5$ for Ojo de Agua; 3$ for the Hacienda; 5$ at the Charco Verde; 25$ for the zipline

Detailed expenses in each city are listed at the end of the corresponding travel books. Feel free to take a look at them.

Conclusion

• Nicaragua is really a small treasure to be discovered before the return of the tourists.
• The country is small, in 1 hour we go from a volcano to the beach, which is very pleasant, it’s a change from South America and its interminable displacements.
• The prices are still low, and the security is at the top for the tourists (of course it is always necessary to pay attention to the pickpockets, as we would do in France)
• Depending on your level of Spanish, you can opt for local or tourist solutions. Not speaking Spanish isn’t a barrier.
• The conditions are right for digital nomadism: good Internet connection (Wifi), cheap 3G/4G just in case. The cafes are empty. You can sit down for a long time without being bothered.
• We recommend you to come just after the rainy season (from November), the temperatures will be more pleasant, the country will be all green, and it is still the low season.