Nicaragua is a safe and beautiful place to visit, either adventuring on your own or travelling with a group. We at LPD.com can help you organize your own trip and also invite you to come along on our annual group trip in August. Our trips are designed around giving you a chance to meet many local Nicaraguans as well become acquainted with expatriated Gringos who have settled in Nicaragua to try to make a difference. It is uncommon for travelers with us to not return again and again.
A typical itinerary might last 7 to 10 days. During that time we have our base in San Juan del Sur, a lovely fishing village turned tourist and backpacker destination. The beaches in the area are well known for their excellent surfing, drawing surfers from around the world. On almost every trip we make a half day visit to one of the orphanages run by Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos. We make a point of bringing clothing donations and a pi? for the children. It is hard to say who gets more out of the visits, the orphans or us. In addition to visiting an orphanage we typically visit one or two schools to bring donations of school uniforms, shoes and school supplies. In anticipation of our arrival students in the classrooms prepare a brief show highlighting traditional Nicaraguan dances and songs.
There are a number of other worthwhile places to visit in the San Juan del Sur vicinity. Finca las Nubes is an organic farm located a mile or so outside of town atop a hill. The farm supports many Nicaraguan families by producing food and furniture for sale. Additionally, the farm supports a free diabetes clinic. There are wonderful recreational activities in and around town including Zip-line tours, horseback riding, ATV rentals, sailing, fishing, and hiking volcanoes and caves. There are several nearby beaches where surfing ranges from beginners to expert. Lessons and surfboards for rent are available.
it is easy to arrange for excursions out of San Jan del Sur. Some favorite spots include visiting Granda, the oldest city in the Americas and Masaya, the crafts center of Nicaragua. Each is within a 90 minute drive from San Juan. Other favorite trips include ferrying to Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua for hiking one of the two volcanoes or driving to Masaya Volcano to peer down into what was once believed to be Hell's gate. A worthwhile overnight trip is to visit Leon, the intellectual capital of Nicaragua. A great variety of accommodations are available in San Juan to accommodate all budgets. You might decide to rent Casa de Flores, the base camp for LPD.com. If you are interested in visiting Nicaragua please send us a message on the Contact Us page.
