Here’s a saying that I love:

If you visit Nicaragua for a day you’ll never come back, but if you stay for a week you’ll never leave.  (source: unknown)

There’s certainly some truth in that. Nicaragua may be frustrating at times and the infrastructure can be patchy in more remote areas, but (as I mentioned in my previous post) it just feels like it’s got a bit more heart than its regional neighbors. The people are friendly and welcoming and fiercely proud of their country.

Visitors becoming locals

The fact that the country gets under your skin is something that Nicaragua real estate vendors know very well.  Slogans like; “We turn visitors into locals” play on that feeling. They know that real estate is primarily tourism driven, that people come to Nicaragua on vacation, that they tend to like what they see and then want to buy a corner of it for themselves.

It happens time and time again: Visitors become locals.

The other thing going for Nicaragua when it comes to real estate are the prices – probably the cheapest you’ll find in the region.  And the country is beautiful.

Nicaragua; plain beautiful

The southern most part of Nicaragua is where most investor interest is focused. The small fishing town of San Juan del Sur is where most tourists and investors base themselves to explore the area. The geography is dramatic – towering cliffs and rolling hills frame secluded beaches and sheltered coves. It’s very similar to the northern Guanacaste area of Costa Rica that has been a property hot-spot for decades (with prices to match).

Heading away from the ocean and into the cooler highlands you’ll find the charming areas of Matagalpa and Jinotega which many are now comparing to Panama’s Boquete region. If crisp air and rolling green vistas are what you are after, make sure you add this area to your itinerary. And one last thing you should not miss on a visit to Nicaragua is its colonial towns. Granada and Leon are the two most famous and have many examples of traditional Spanish architecture with its high adobe walls, terracotta roof tops and shady internal courtyard gardens. You’ll find the historic centers well preserved and very walkable.

There’s a lot to discover in Nicaragua. But take your time.  It’s only when you slow down that the country will start to get under your skin and you’ll find that you may never want to leave.  (The famous Nicaragua’s author Gioconda Belli said it first in her book; “Country Under My Skin.”)