places to visit in nicaragua

Mount Pleasant nonprofit developing sustainable orphanage in Haiti
Eleven orphans sat down to eat earlier this month at a table recently built by volunteers and covered their eyes to thank God for their food.But it wasn’t in Mount Pleasant. In fact, this happened about 1,900 miles away in Haiti.

'I'm always looking for trouble': Why Dom Joly heads for the planet’s more difficult destinations
I think that deep down I’m a coward. I’m not sure if I was actually born “yella” or whether growing up in Lebanon during the Civil War made it inevitable. But I can remember being constantly terrified for periods of my childhood as the noise of fighting from Beirut permeated our entire house.

Immigration activist targets evangelicals
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - A handwritten sign on the church door announces the event where Matthew Soerens, fluent in Spanish, the Bible and the nation's immigration laws, will try to win converts.

Picturesque forests grow in the crater of the dormant Barva in Heredia. Arenal, a young volcano in the northern part of the country is constantly active (and is the site of a spa with natural hot springs). The country's highest peak, Mount Chirripó, is not volcanic; it measures 12.412 feet. On a clear day one can see both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans from atop Mt. Chirripo.

A number of the principal mountain ranges are volcanic, and visitors can easily visit many of these areas. In the province of Cartago, for example, which is not far from the capital of San José, you will find Irazú volcano, which erupted in the early sixties. Poás volcano, located in the province of Alajuela, has one of the largest active craters in the world. In addition, Arenal volcano, in the northwestern region, delights thousands of visitors each year to a constant stream of red, hot lava rocks tumbling down its slopes.

Although a relatively small area, about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined, it has everything one could want in a vacation. Beautiful white sand beaches, great surf, active volcanoes, natural hot springs, and towering rain forests are just some of the sites in Costa Rica. Site seeing in the area is relatively simple via rental car or public bus.

In Central America, just south of Nicaragua and north of Panama is Costa Rica. Costa Rica has the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west side. Therefore, the majority of Costa Rica's borders, sixty-five percent, are coastline.

San José is located in the Central Valley region of the country. Evenings in San José can be cool do to the high altitude, but you will not forget that you are in a tropical place even in this bustling city. The city itself is busy and filed with traffic. There are many things to do, but travelers often miss these sites choosing instead to head straight from the airport to beaches or rainforests. Although San José is not the most beautiful city in the world, it is generally safe and has a lot to offer tourists.

The capital of Costa Rica is San José and is a good starting place for exploring the country. It is conveniently located in the center of the country and all the bus lines stop here. The port of Limon on the Caribbean Coast has quite a different atmosphere from the capital. Life is easy going on the Caribbean coast compared to the city life in San Jose.

PLACES TO VISIT Esteli-Cigars, cowboy boots, murals and reputedly the most beautiful women in Nicaragua