Posts tagged Volcano National Park

Nicaragua is one of the cheapest countries in Central America for retirement – and it’s fast becoming one of the most pleasant.

Nicaragua is virtually unknown to most people and usually misunderstood, which is why forward-thinking investors can find some of the best real-estate deals on Earth in this country. For the record, Nicaragua is not in the midst of a civil war, and it’s not a communist state.

The country has, however, suffered from a serious case of bad press, that’s all.

Nicaragua is one of the most beautiful countries in all the Americas. It boasts a dramatic Pacific coastline; long, gentle Caribbean beaches, volcanoes and freshwater lakes dot the hilly inland. Colonial cities like Granada and León offer visitors a taste of days gone by, while Managua, the capital, is rapidly becoming a real first-world city.

The country’s most famous beach destination, Barceló Playa Montelimar, is an all-inclusive resort with four restaurants, an airstrip and miles of secluded beaches.

Farther south is the popular town of San Juan del Sur, where cruise ships dock regularly. The town is quickly becoming a hot spot for North American expatriates and is one of my favorite destinations.

Masaya is home to Nicaragua’s best craft market, offering just about anything that’s hand-crafted in the country – ceramics, leather goods, iron work, hammocks, jewelry, rocking chairs, masks, clothing and many others.

There are five active volcanoes at nearby Masaya Volcano National Park offering the best volcano viewing in Central and North America. It’s the only place in the region where you can see hot magma rising from the depths of the Earth – and you can drive right to the top.

Lake Nicaragua, the 10th-largest freshwater lake in the world, is famous for its freshwater sharks, the only ones in the world. The lake has great sport-fishing and, with 350 “isletas,” there’s lots of island hopping going on.

The islands of Lake Nicaragua were created hundreds of years ago when the volcano Mombacho exploded. Today, you can explore this extinct volcano along trails in the cloud forest.

You’ll see more varieties of orchids than just about anywhere else in the world and all kinds of wildlife, including 170 counted species of birds and blue morpho butterflies. You can also take a canopy tour, shooting from treetop to treetop on harnessed zip-lines.

Safe and Stunning

Nicaragua is a nation at peace. Its government is democratically elected, committed to a free-market economy and eager to attract foreign investors. A recent study by the Inter-American Institute on Human Rights and a survey of police forces in the Americas show that Nicaragua is one of the the safest countries in Central America after Costa Rica and one of the safest countries in the world.

In September 1999, Nicaragua enacted the most attractive – and most aggressive – tourism-incentive law in Latin America. If you’ve ever toyed with the idea of owning your own B&B, running a sailboat charter, leading adventure treks into the jungle, dishing up meals in your own restaurant or operating any kind of tourism-related business, Nicaragua is the place to do it.

Law 306 is sweeping in scope and offers hard-to-beat benefits for investors who take advantage of the program. If your business qualifies, you pay no income- or real-estate taxes for up to 10 years. You can bring in (or buy locally) all the supplies you need — from furniture and boats to linens and cash registers — tax- and duty-free.

Incentives for Foreign Retirees

If you’re simply in the market for a place to relax and spend a few months a year in a quiet, safe, affordable retreat, again, Nicaragua is hard to beat. The country’s retiree incentive program is much like Costa Rica’s was in the 1980s, attracting thousands of expatriates. To be eligible, you need only be over 45 and have a monthly income of at least $400.

The benefits come mostly in the form of tax incentives. As a foreign retiree, you:

• Pay no taxes on any out-of-country earnings.

• Can bring into Nicaragua up to $10,000 of household goods for your own home, duty-free.

• Can import one automobile for personal or general use duty- and tariff-free, and sell it after five years, tax-free.

• Can import an additional vehicle every five years under the same duty exemptions.

The cost of living in Nicaragua is a fraction what you’re used to paying up north. Sources on the ground say a two-week supply of pork and beef costs about $65. For enough fresh vegetables to feed four or five people daily for a week, expect to pay about $55. A 30-minute consultation with a U.S.-trained physician will cost you about $35. You can hire a maid who will cook, clean and do your laundry for less than $120 a month; and you’ll spend just $25 on a wonderful restaurant meal of local delicacies, including with wine and dessert.