Which is best for travel? Nicaragua, Guatemala, or El Salvador?

Question

I've traveled to Mexico and South America, and would like to see Central America. There is not a lot of information available on these countries, making them more interesting to me, as I like to see something less commercialized and more unique. I am for that reason not as interested in Costa Rica because I want something less tourist dominated. I'm a young, single male, and speak fluent Spanish. Please write to me if you know anything about these countries FIRST HAND (sorry, I don't like answers that are speculative or start out with "I don't know, but..." and give an uninformed opinion).

Answer 1

Avoid Nicaragua...I live in Costa Rica and have travelled there several times....It's a nasty country and when the people see Gringo's the price always goes up.....The the up side I love the food there. I've been to El Salvador once....I did not venture far from my Hotel.....I did enjoy my 3 days there and the people seemed very friendly.....The food was good also.....I have a friend who loves Guatemala....I have no first hand knowledge of that country......Costa Rica is a great place.....You can see lots of things here and stay off the tourist path.....Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

of all 3 places im only familiar with Guatemala but also Belize, which you didnt ask about, the Pro of Guatemala over el Salvador and Nicaragua is the Beach, I thought they were awesome and they rival some of Mexico's best. plus it may be cheaper to fly there than anywhere else since they have more frequent flights from phoenix and LA.

Nicaragua would be cheaper than all 3 thats just because that country is in the bottom of the list when it comes down to economy so getting bargains wont be hard there, there is some good surfing and food.

Lastly el Salvador, I have read on it and in my eyes it wouldnt be far from Costa Rica in terms of commercialism. Many Salvadorians that come back from the US bring with them all the Mcdonalds, wendys, etc.. and they are not very uncommon.

I would Suggest Belize, its an odd Spanish/english world but you get by better with Spanish, the caribbean ocean is awesome, (true as well for Nicaragua) and as many people call it is Mexicos armpit hahaha jk i read that somewhere, seriously though I had a great time there and its some of the best scuba diving you could ever do.

btw I agree with you on Costa Rica.

Answer 3

this post is very long....to sum it up....nicaragua is what i choose....read on however............

i have been to every country in central america.  be wary of anybody having to do with costa rica who says bad things about nicaragua.  

a few of the costa ricans may  think they are better than nicaragua (and vice versa), and some of the tourists there in costa rica may prefer "the tourist route" or do not understand how real third world countries operate.  anyway as i see in your post you don't want a first world touristed place.

having said that, costa rica has plenty of non-touristed routes itself and nicaragua does occasionally have a tourist price and a local price for things because nicaraguans have little money themselves.  this is expected and sometiems even advertised.  

where i found this type of thing rampant however is honduras.  you could hardly blame them.  there economy is really bad.  even my salvadoran friends (including a priest) has confirmed what i have just said as being sometimes true.

first to nicaragua, the country was perhaps the poorest in central america.  honduras may have surpassed this in recent years tho.  some the buildings are still colonial  in some cities dispite the amount of earthquakes that hit there. (nothing much at all to see in managua. fly in and get out to the beautiful other cities.)

grenada is fabulous!!! a real lived in colonial city.  leon is a more sanitized richer colonial city.  very hot, i prefered granada, my travel partner liked leon better.

the isla omepetec (spelling) in lago nicaragua is also fabulous.  there are volcanos to climb, but what i liked was the petroglyphs.  before you get there, you can see rivas and talk to some old guys hanging out in the plaza.  nicaraguans are suprisingly worldly.

masaya is great.  if any local artisans and journeymen workers still work from their home making wood, leather, metal items etc, go see them and they will let you into their open house watch them making their craft.  avoid weekends in masaya to get the best experience as some things are closed on sunday especially.

matagalpa is the green spot of the country (aside from the carribean which i did not see)  the war stories are plentiful here, and the mounain town affords great views in the evening.  many "smiths, potters, and sullivans" live here from immigration that occured over 100 years ago.  jutigalpa is another nearby town.....

i really loved nicaragua.  i did not stay enough days there.  YOU SHOULD GO THERE, but read on about the other countries.

el salvador is the least touristed country in central america.  some pyramids and the joyas de ceren (google it) are there.  

surfing beaches abound.

lots of stories about the war abound in "chalatenango department" .  go to la montanona and stay a day or two there.  i have been to the towns and villages in chalatenango some 10 different times. hands down, the most friendly and generous people in central america.  any price gouging that MAY go on in nicaragua and WILL go on in honduras, will not go on here in chalatenango nor will it go on in most of the country.

in the department of chalatenango i liked las vueltas, el manzano, arcatao, and the like.  the town of chalatenango is hot a disorganized, but makes a good base to see the department of "chalate".

the petroglyphs are plentiful in the north.  at lago guija and in chalatenango there are many.  those in chalatenango are really not well known.  locals will take you there if you pay them (near zapoltal, near las vueltas, near petapas in honduras, near colalapa, and a few more places i cannot remember the names of right now.)

the mountain town of la palma with its art is quite a nice place to visit (google this too)

some other lakes you can take a boat ride on and in the very hot east, you can boat to some islands near the golfo de fonseca near "la union"

the most famous war museum is in "perequin" and el mozote nearby is the site of a huge massacre in 1981.  all is super peaceful in this area now.  i have no been to some of the mountain towns near santa ana, but i hear they are great.

wow, it is getting late, i will give you  an abreviated version of guatemala.  guatemala is EASILY "googlable" if you are pointed in the right direction.

"lago atitlan" AND the surounding villages across the lake (i prefer this touristy spot more than "antigua's" touristy spot.  both are VERY worthy of a visit.  panajachel is the main town on the lake.

after spending a few days at the lake, see markets in solola' and especially chichicastenango (check out which day the market is and don't miss it.  from there, head north!!

MUST SEE in the north is nebaj and/or a surrounding area.  "google" rigoberta menchu for some history.  go south then hang a right (west) to get to your next spot.  this is off the beaten path.  it was peaceful and lovely...in fact quite awesome, but some have said there is unrest there.

todos santos (get there the day before the market day to guarentee that you will even have a bed to stay in.  this town is near huehuetenango.

of course there is tikal, perhaps the greatest of all archeological places.  while i have not been to northern africa or middle east.  i have been to most all of the ones in latin america......wow.....only machu picho rivals it.  not even uxmal or palenque is as good.

i have not been to livingston, but many people say it is great and adds variety to the trop.  the garifuna people live near there.

guatemala has MANY MANY tourists just like costa rica and mexico, but they are the tourists that like to be called the "off the beaten track" ones.  still, some places can be quite heavily touristed.  avoid xela (quetzaltenango) and see the many places across the lago atitlan instead of only staying at panajachel.

guatemala is fabulous.

so....to sum it up.  el salvador is the most difficult to travel, the leat infrastructure for tourism, but has many rewards.  you meet the greatest people there.  the food is best there (although that is not saying much as it is far inferior to meixco)

guatemala has the most obvious awesome places.  so many beautiul places and world famous places that have their fame for a reason....they are fabulous.  colorful and awesome is guatemala!

nicaragua....just is really a great place to go.  i would chose that one  (sorry el salvador, i love you, but nicaragua gets the nod this time.

sorry for the long post......have fun wherever you go.

Answer 4

Nicaragua is great country it has nice beach there alot of stuff to do there i am going there july13 good luck

Answer 5

nicargua doug