Nevertheless, visitors need have no fears about visiting this fascinating land. Warm Nicaraguan welcomes are virtually assured wherever one ventures. And the variety of appealing destinations is tremendous.
The Pacific side is home to most of the population, major cities and prime tourist attractions. The territory stretching east of the volcanoes to the Caribbean coast is primarily a vast rain forest. Increasingly it is visited by the ecologically focused or serious seekers of solitude.
Granada is Nicaragua's most appealing city for tourists. Founded in 1524, it's the oldest continuously occupied town in the Western Hemisphere. The heart of the action is the central plaza, complete with a gazebo, musicians, candy and souvenir sellers, shoeshine dispensers and crowds of mingling and socializing locals. Facing the plaza are the city council building, La Casa de los Leones and the cathedral that was rebuilt after having been burned - like much of the rest of Granada - by the notorious William Walker.
Walker was the most infamous 19th century U.S. practitioner of filibustering - causing insurrections, usually in underdeveloped countries. In 1856, refusing to withdraw gracefully following his overthrow, Walker ordered the town destroyed. The original cathedral was burned to the ground, and many other buildings still bear scorch marks from Walker's conflagration.
Nearby is the Iglesia de San Francisco, founded in the 16th century, and the adjacent convent featuring an impressive collection of pre-Columbian statuary, ceramics, examples of corn-grinding millstones and exhibits depicting Indian religious ceremonial and daily life. There are also dozens of photographs, many depicting 19th century political leaders and ordinary citizens.
Artistically speaking, even more impressive is the relatively new Mi Museo Coleccion Granada on Atravezada Street in front of Bancentro. Danish owner Peder Kolind operates this amazingly extensive collection of beautifully displayed ancient pottery. Indeed, there are more than 5,000 pieces, allowing one to perceive the subtle design differences that evolved over centuries of work. Located in what was once a colonial home, it is open Monday through Friday 8 to 5, and 8 to noon on Saturdays.
Most popular are one-hour tours that wend through hundreds of islets, quite close to the city shoreline. Patrolling mangroves and swamps, boaters see dozens of egrets, plus herons, cormorants and other bird life on display. Many of the tiny islands are privately owned with palatial homes, while others are sites for restaurants and a hotel. One is populated by spider monkeys, descendants of pets of a child whose parents could no longer cope with them.
Nevertheless, what you still can see is quite impressive, just as it's been for centuries. In fact, prior to the Spanish invasion, indigenous people tried to keep the volcano quiet by throwing virgins into its mouth. Spanish priests - convinced this is the front porch of hell where the devil lives - erected a giant cross at the volcano's mouth to keep him at bay. Subsequently, neither effort has proven to be very successful.
Also founded in 1524, Leon - which for centuries competed with Granada for dominance in Nicaragua - began life about an hour from today's modern namesake. Archaeological remnants of this great city are still visible, and the layout of grand avenues and bits and pieces of churches, commercial structures and homes indicate this was meant to be a major center for Spain's American efforts.
However, there was one critical problem: The rumbling, nearby Momotombo volcano seemed to be always on the verge of a massive eruption. Acting before it ultimately happened in 1610 (burying the site for three and half centuries until its rediscovery during the 1960s), the town was moved 20 miles to the west. Today, like an extraordinary Roman ruin (think of Ostia Antica, once Rome's prime port), visitors can easily spend an hour or more exploring this U.N. World Heritage-protected site.
First and foremost is the cathedral, Central America's largest. Inside, stately columns, expansive areas and the lovely lion-bedecked tomb of Nicaragua's favorite poet, Rubin Dario (1865-1916), are standouts. And it's definitely worthwhile climbing several flights of narrow stairs to the Cathedral roof for an extraordinary town view.
Other major churches include La Recolecion, La Merced and San Francisco. Also worth exploring are the house where Rubin Dario spent his childhood, a simple Spanish colonial structure with some original furniture, personal belongings, photographs and memorabilia of his life, career and travels.
And quite nearby are the Museum Casa de Cultura and the Centro de Arta Fundacion Ortiz-Guardian. Spread over two structures, they house impressive collections of pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial art, two rooms with small Rembrandt etchings, and a broad collection of Central American contemporary work.
Almost 60 miles to the south lies Managua, Nicaragua's capital. It's still recovering from the devastating 1972 earthquake that flattened vast swaths of the city. Indeed, many portions remain unrebuilt, since architects have determined that these sites remain unstable.
Incidentally, Managua was founded in 1851 as a compromise solution about where to site Nicaragua's capital, since neither Granada nor Leon would let the other take the prize.
The InterContinental Metrocenter is Managua's best hotel. And its location next to a sizable shopping center complete with an appeal coffee shop, a multiplex cinema, and an El Churrasco steakhouse makes it an ideal base for an overnight visit.
IF YOU GO
Nicaragua Tourism information: www.visit-nicaragua.com.
Call toll-free 888-733-6422.
Robert Selwitz is a freelance travel writer.
