On July 25th of each year Costa Ricans celebrate the annexation of the territory of Nicoya, the area that now makes up the majority of the province of Guanacaste, which was once under the control of Nicaragua.
On the aforementioned date in 1824, the residents of the “partido de Nicoya” decided for themselves to become part of Costa Rica.
For that and other more modern reasons, Costa Rica and Nicaragua have not always been cozy neighbors. But neighbors they are and their proximity provides some interesting tourism benefits.
Many in the U.S., especially those around my age, have memories of a time when things were less than peaceful in Nicaragua. There was a civil war raging and the U.S., under Reagan’s leadership, stuck its big fat nose right in the middle of it. But that’s history and the Nicaragua of today is peaceful and welcoming to tourists from the country that once meddled in their affairs.
And Costa Rica provides a great launching pad for excursions into the tropical paradise of lakes and volcanoes.
I’m no stranger to Nicaragua. Before I was regaled with the holy grail of Costa Rican residency, I was a “perpetual tourist” who crossed the border every 90 days (a so-called “border-run“) to renew the visa extended by my U.S. passport for another 3 months. Three days out of the country would do the trick and the best place to spend it was Nicaragua. At least, that was my opinion.
I’d usually make the circuit of border to Granada, then to Ometepe or San Juan del Sur, and back across the border for another 3 months of Costa Rican bliss. If you’d like to have a Costa Rica and Nicaragua combo vacation, I would recommend something similar to my old border run.
First you fly into Liberia airport in the Guanacaste region, since that airport is much closer to the border than San Jose. You can spend a few nights in Tamarindo on the Costa Rican “gold coast.” If you want to see a Costa Rican volcano, try Rincon de la Vieja, which is going in the direction of the border, so you’re not losing time.
From there you head to the border, where you will have the delightful experience of crossing the old-fashioned way, by foot. That will surely be a cultural event you’ll likely never forget.
Once across the border I suggest making a b-line to Granada, a beautiful historic town on Lake Nicaragua. It’ll be a good 2.5 hour drive from the border. There you can take in the history, explore the isletas (a series of small islands formed when the Mombacho volcano exploded about a billion years ago), and take a tour to the summit of Mombacho itself. Also, I should mention that the food is excellent and my favorite rum, a Nicaraguan distilled delight called Flor de Caña, always tastes better in the homeland. My favorite hotel is Hotel Colonial.
After, Granada I highly recommend you check out Ometepe island, the largest island in Lake Nicaragua. It’s a figure-eight shaped island formed by two volcanoes joined together by a small isthmus. One of them, Concepcion, is still quite active and closely resembles Arenal in Costa Rica, both in appearance and height. The other, Maderas, is covered with lush jungle and is a great place to hike and explore nature. And then there’s the lake itself, one of the largest in the world and a great place to take a late afternoon plunge. You get there by ferry from San Jorge, which is about 1.5 hours from Granada. Places I recommend to stay are either Villa Paraiso, or Totoco Eco-lodge, the latter being a super sustainable, off-the-grid lodge on the slopes of Volcan Maderas.
After your Ometepe experience you can take in a night or two at San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua’s version of Tamarindo. It’s a funky little beach town with a long and wide white sand beach, tranquil waves and laid-back ambiance. I highly recommend that you check out Morgan’s Rock Eco-lodge, the coolest and most sustainable hotel in the area.
There you have it, the makings of a great Costa Rica and Nicaragua combo vacation. Wait a minute, I almost forgot, we have a Costa Rica-Nicaragua combo vacation design that closely resembles the above.
Who would have figured?
Photo Set from a Costa Rica to Nicaragua Border Run
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