Nicaragua & El Salvador
These 2 Central American lands are lesser travelled than their neighbours, yet they have a rich and colourful history and fabulous scenery.
NICARAGUA, located in the heart of Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, Costa Rica to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean to the east, is the largest country in Central America. It’s 130,000 km2 are home to mountains, 50 volcanoes, crater lakes, lush rain forests, beautiful beaches and Central America's two biggest lakes: Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. The latter is home to over 450 volcanic origin islands, including the world's largest volcanic lake island, Isla Ometepe and 5 distinct archipelagos. Lake Nicaragua's western-most point is only 18 km from the Pacific Ocean, but drains into the Caribbean Sea by means of the San Juan River. Nicaragua also boasts grazing and farm lands with scattered villages and colonial cities. Nicaragua has around 5.3 million inhabitants mostly concentrated on the Pacific coast. The official language is Spanish and English is common within the Creole population located on the Caribbean coast While Managua has been the capital since 1852, some of its other cities are true colonial gems, such as Granada (the oldest city in Central America) and Leon.Nicaragua’s roads are scenic, the Nicaraguenses are friendly and warm and the country truly is full of surprises.
EL SALVADOR is located strategically in the heart of Central America, with an area of around 21,000 sq km, bordering the North Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. Its population is near 7 million, making it the most densely populated nation on the American continent. 90% of Salvadorans are mestizo (a mix of Amerindian and Spanish) with 9% European, mostly of Spanish descent. El Salvador is the only Central American country that has no visible African population because of its relative inaccessibility to the Atlantic slave trade. El Salvador has had a turbulent past and a history of struggle, but these days, it invites you to enjoy its cities, archaeological sites, picturesque lakes and rivers, beaches, and to discover its culture and traditions. All of this in a warm tropical climate with the hospitality of the Salvadoreños.