FESTIVALS IN NICARAGUA

Consider scheduling your trip to coincide with one of Nicaragua's many holidays and festivals. Festivals, on the other hand, may be avoided because of the pyrotechnics, inebriated throngs, disrupted transportation schedules, and increased accommodation expenses. Furthermore, airlines are well aware of when expatriate Nicas living in the United States like to come home for family time and celebration, and you can expect prices to virtually treble around these times. Here are a few times of the year when celebrations have an impact on services.

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a bigger celebration than Christmas. The week preceding Easter Sunday is a significant and well-loved holiday, when every Nica can get to the beach (or lake, river, waterfall, etc.) for some fun in the sun. At the absolute least, the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before Easter are utterly lost days, but many Nicas also take off Monday and Tuesday to take a long holiday. During this time, bus service is reduced, banks' hours are reduced, and government officials, if you can find them, will deal with you with clenched teeth. You are keeping them from the beach and will be made to suffer for it.