Nicaragua in the News

It's time to forget everything you thought you knew about Nicaragua, a country that's historically been dogged by disaster and despair, and discover the new Nicaragua, one that's garnering favorable comparisons to its neighbor to the south, Costa Rica.

Today's Nicaragua reveals an unspoiled paradise that is being discovered by thousands of visitors each year and embraced by adventurous investors and adventure seekers alike. Over the last two decades, Nicaragua has transformed itself into one of the safest and fastest-growing countries in Latin America, with a strong and stable democratic government. As a result, it now possesses one of the most dynamic economies in Central America, experiencing substantial increases in private investment and exports.

We're covering the best new developments along Nicaragua's Pacific coast and will be providing the latest news and media coverage here. Nicaragua's come a long way since its troubled past. It's still a tremendous value for entrepreneurs and property investors but it won't last as the media starts catching on and more tourists make the discovery. Find out the latest for yourself by viewing the articles below. Then to learn more about how you can capitalize on the explosive growth potential of this up and coming country, visit our section on Nicaragua for in-depth details.

The Latest News!

Pacific Coast Highway Progress - details provided courtesy of Rancho Santana

The proposed Pacific Coast Highway, known as "La Costanera" will be a paved road stretching from Montelimar in the north to the Costa Rican border to the south, a total of approximately 131.5 kilometers running close to the coast line, following most of the existing dirt road. It is divided into three sectors:

1. Costa Rica to San Juan del Sur, 37 km
2. San Juan del Sur to El Astillero, 32 km
3. El Astillero to Pochomil, 63 km

The new design will retain many of the existing dirt roads’ curves, which means a slower speed limit than originally planned, but it will still provide a much faster and more comfortable trip for visitors coming to Nicaragua’s Pacific coast. Cargo trucks, 18 wheelers and other heavy vehicles have been restricted to reduce the costs.

The plan now calls for the road to be built, managed and maintained by the contractor who is awarded the construction bid for a period of 20 years. The contractor will charge tolls along the highway and the government expects that this revenue will pay for the highway within 12 years. Three companies--one Italian, one Mexican and one Columbian--have already expressed serious interest in the project.

There is no firm completion date for the highway project yet, but the new, less expensive design and the public-private partnership should shave years off the best estimates for previous proposals, and it promises to have an explosive effect on coastal tourism and real estate values. Watch this space for future related announcements!

• The Seattle Times, August 2007 - "Tourism is growing fast, thanks to Nicaragua's dramatic landscape of verdant jungle, steaming volcanoes, white-sand beaches and Spanish-colonial cities dotted with centuries-old churches." Read full article >>
• Financial Times, June 2007 - "People often say about Nicaragua that if you come for a day you’ll never return but if you stay for a month you’ll never leave..." Read full article >>
• Chicago Tribune, June 2007 - "Astonishingly, it wasn't that long ago that the travel world considered Central America's largest country either too dangerous or too underdeveloped to include on any must-see list. Now, after 20 years of relative stability, it's hard to find any "hot destinations" guide that omits Nicaragua's two coasts, volcanoes and lush jungles..." Read full article >>
• Forbes, Jan 2007 - Where We Want to Go in 2007 Read full article >>
• The New York Times, Dec 2006 - "This is Nicaragua as the next Costa Rica, the sort of hopeful real estate appellation signaling that gentrification may now begin in earnest. In the last few years, as Americans on the prowl for second homes, or just an investment, have found places like the Last Costa Rica already overrun by their own kind, a boom has started in the country just to its north..." Read full article >>
• 2nd Home Journal, 2006 - "Savvy buyers of second homes are looking and falling in love with what is shaping up as Central America´s next great destination, Nicaragua."
• The Surfer´s Journal, 2006 - "Type 'Nicaragua Real Estate' into Google and some six million results come up. This is telling, for while low prices, easy access, and Latin charm all factor into the equation, it is the Internet that has truly fueled the Nica land grab, as well as the burgeoning surf tour industry."
• Money Magazine, May 2005 - Voyages of Rediscovery. "Yes, Nicaragua shares Costa Rica's natural beauty, from volcanoes to cloud forests, but it's less crowded than its trendy neighbor."
• The New York Times, January 2005 – A Crowded Field of Contenders Vying to Be the Next Costa Rica. "After years of political turbulence, Nicaragua is beginning to emerge as a popular eco-tourist destination, as word gets out about its pristine beaches, six active volcanoes and what has been called the largest area of primary-growth rain forest north of the Amazon."
• The Wall Street Journal, June 2004 - Retirement Havens For the Intrepid: Nicaragua, Honduras and Panama Vie to Be the Next Florida...Bring Your Own Horseradish. "As legions of baby boomers prepare to retire and relocate to warmer climates, a widening range of Central American countries are vying to be their new home. While places like Costa Rica, Mexico and Belize have long lured U.S. retirees with pristine beaches and cheap living, prices in those countries have risen sharply during recent years. As a result, a new breed of intrepid retirees is branching out to countries including Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua."
• The New York Times - The Sophisticated Traveler Magazine, May 2004 - Granada, Nicaragua: Its Fall and Rise. "I love Nicaragua. I love the poetry of its pace, ox carts slowing traffic, shoeless boys playing baseball in vacant lots, men riding their lovers double on bicycles and the silhouettes of women reposed in doorways. I love its rum and cigars, rice and beans and green volcanoes towering over red-tile roofs and blue lakes."
• Travel World News, April 2004 – “Nicaragua is experiencing a hotel growth spurt. New hotels are opening, older ones are being refurbished and anchoring the new commercial area south of the original downtown."
• Conde Nast Traveler, Feb 2002 - Nicaragua's New Wave. "A world-class lake, 25 volcanoes, miles of empty beaches...And Americans, it seems, are buying up the place.
• U.S. News & World Report, 2001 - "Nicaragua is a hot new travel destination and expatriate haven."
• USA Today - "Almost 10,000 Americans have already discovered Nicaragua and call it their home."