"Why are you going to Nicaragua? You must be careful. I have heard that the guerrilla is at the mountains and the Sandinistas on the streets, they kidnap foreigners, the crime and the delinquency is increasing and the poverty you can see it in each corner..."
Surely you have heard to this when you said that you are coming to Nicaragua and perhaps there is a small voice saying, "Is this truth? Is it worth it taking this risk? Why I shouldn´t go to a safe place?"
Well from all of the previous comments there is only one certain thing: there is much poverty, According to the world-wide statistics locates Nicaragua between the poorest countries of America along with Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, etc.
But the rest of the comments are false or no longer they apply to the present situation of this beautiful country of lakes and volcanoes. The guerrilla or the armed front that was created in the decade of 60´s to overthrow the Somocista dictatorship that was in the power of the country from 30´s to the 70' s no longer exists, now is a left handed political group that within certain parameters tries to obey the laws of Nicaragua, the guerrilla that later was created in the 80´s (the contras supported by the government of Ronald Reagan) to overthrow the sandinistas no longer exist now both groups either work shoulder to shoulder to be able to see the blooming of Nicaragua, Nicaragua has no longer armed confrontation, the sonorous explosions that before were listened in the streets now are replaced by the explosions of fireworks to celebrate the Catholic activities that from time to time they will wake up to you very early in the morning.
As far as the crime, Nicaragua is one of the safest countries in Central America. While the statistics of crimes in Latin America the statistics are a little bit high, Nicaragua is seconds in the world-wide ranking behind Southern Africa. Many of the neighboring countries of Nicaragua in Central America are with an index of very high crime, Nicaragua reports only 14 crimes for each 100,000 inhabitants. Countries like El Salvador with 71 in 100,000, Honduras with 67 in 100,000, Guatemala with 52 in 100,000, Panama with 24 in 100,000, Belize with 29 in 100.000, Only Costa Rica is a bit lower than Nicaragua 13 crimes for each 100,000 inhabitants.
This and other reasons as the great biodiversity of plants and animals, the great natural beauties like Masaya volcano one of most active craters of Central America, the biggest forest , Bosawas which is the second greater forest in Western Hemisphere, The Reserve of the Biosphere San Juan River, in the border with Costa Rica. This reserve protects the greatest wetlands of the region, as well as the greater rainy forests of the south of Central America. Isla Ometepe the biggest island of the world inside a fresh water eye, the Coco River. (750 km), it is the longest river of Central America, that in one of its sections serves as border between Honduras and Nicaragua and ends at the Caribbean coast, 40% of the territory is a protect land, in addition to all these beauties, Nicaragua have unique species like the bull shark the only fresh water shark in the world, all of this attractions made of Nicaragua one of the safest and complete destinations in Central American isthmus, without telling you that it is the cheapest country in Centralamerica where the beer costs less than a dollar.
So give a chance to Nicaragua.
Enjoy Nicaragua.