Food

Staples

A typical meal in Nicaragua, like you’ll find all over Central America, includes rice, beans and grilled chicken or beef. It’s all cooked in lots of oil — not great for your waistline after several weeks on the trot.

Corn is used in many of the widely consumed dishes, such as the nacatamal, and indio viejo.

Seafood

In coastal parts seafood is a tasty feature on menus — and cheap too. This is the place to indulge in fresh snapper, sea bass, prawns and lobster.

Caribbean flavours

On the Caribbean coast the flavours change, becoming sweeter and spicier and altogether more tasty and innovative, with rice cooked in coconut milk and delicious coconut bread on offer.

Drink

Beer

There are two local beers, Tona and Victoria. Both are lagers.

Spirits

Nicaragua is famous for its delicious Flor de Cana rum, which is both a good drop and cheap at around US$5 a bottle.

Water

Like much of Central America, the tap water quality can be poor so it is recommended to drink bottled water, which is cheap and available everywhere.