Canada Day in San Juan del Sur

San Juan del Sur is full of Canadians. A few Canadian own bars, a Canadian owns the bilingual weekly newsletter called Del Sur, Canadians own the new gym and yoga centre, some Canadian tend bar, while others sell real estate. One Canadian is the go to girl for the nicest hair cuts in the village. Given the critical mass of Canadians in this little beach town, it is no surprise that Canada Day is celebrated in a significant way.

For the second year in a row, most of the Canadians gathered at the sports park to take part in a massive road hockey game. Those Canadians that did not play provided support from the sidelines. And like last year it was a memorable day.

Over the past 12 months, on trips home to Canada, Canadians have been bringing back road hockey equipment in their luggage. The inaugural 2008 Canada Day game saw the goalie wearing cookie sheets as leg pads. This year both goalies were fully equipped.

For pictures see Canada Day Road Hockey.

Nicaragua Real Estate: Sea Turtles

An enormous benefit of investing in Nicaragua real estate and choosing Nicaragua as a retirement destination is the opportunity to witness natural events that simply do not exist in North America. Nicaragua beaches, on both the Pacific and the Caribbean Coasts, are among the few beaches in the world where sea turtles arrive to lay their eggs. And when they arrive they come with friends. Sometimes up to one thousand arrive at once. This interesting event is called arribadas and occurs several times per year.

Along with sea turtles the Nicaragua real estate experience can give access to volcanoes, whale watching, exotic birds and monkeys, and world class surfing and sport fishing

Throughout the whole world, there are only seven species of sea turtles in existence. Five of those seven species are present in Nicaragua including the the Leatherback Turtle, the Loggerhead Turtle, Green Turtle, the Hawksbill Turtle, and the Olive Ridley Turtle. Each of these turtles has been placed on the endangered species list or the critically endangered species list. It is a real shame but positive steps to protect the turtles are getting traction. For example, it is now illegal to eat turtle eggs even though they were once considered a Nicaraguan delicacy.

The most common turtle on the Pacific beaches of Nicaragua is the Olive Ridley Turtle. The Leatherback Turtle and the Hawksbill Turtle can also be found here in much smaller numbers.

A significant problem threatening sea turtles on the Pacific Coast is the consumption of and commercial activitiy surrounding turtle eggs (as mentioned above) . The coastal dwellers have found an additional food source in the eggs and more significantly they found there was a very high demand for the eggs. The turtle eggs are easily sold to seafood restaurants or simply for people to eat on the street.

At the beaches of La Flor and Chacocente there is regulated protection of the turtles and turtle eggs. These protective services are managed by organizations like the Cocibolca Foundation and the Nicaraguan Army. At these sites agreements have been made with the local residents that allow the residents can take a certain number of eggs per season in exchange for their help regarding the protection of the sea turtle nests.

Environmentally sensitive tours to La Flor to watch the arribadas can be easily arranged in colourful and charming fishing village of San Juan del Sur. These tours will arrange transportation and a guide to take you to the nesting sites. Sea turtles are just one more reason that San Juan del Sur real estate is rapidly becoming the most ppopular Nicaragua real estate investment destination amongst retiring American baby boomers.

The Land of Volcanoes

Investing in Nicaragua real estate or buying a retirement property in Nicaragua allows you the opportunity to experience nature in a way that would be impossible in North America. Nicaragua is often referred to as 'the country of Lakes and Volcanoes' and that is for a very good reason. An awesome string of volcanoes also runs the length of the country.

You can climb both active and dormant volcanoes, walk through the forested slopes, swim in the crystal blue crater lakes, or take a peek over the rim into the crater of an active volcano. There are over a dozen volcanoes in Nicaragua with six being within an easy day trip of the real estate hot spot of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.

The Masaya Volcano (635m) is an active volcano located in Masaya Volcano National Park and is located approximately 80 miles from San Juan del Sur. A national park has been set up around the volcanoes. Within the park there is a paved road that leads directly to the crater. The park includes two volcanoes, the Masaya Volcano and the Nindirí Volcano, and five craters. The park setting is a wonderful place to wander or hike. Hiking through the reserve allows you to observe spectacular landscape which was formed by past eruptions.

The Masaya Volcano is the most easily accessible volcano in Nicaragua. There is also a small visitor center with a little museum.

When the Apoyo Volcano (468m) last erupted, it left a huge 7 km-wide crater that gradually filled with fresh water. This lake, located between Masaya and Granada, is surrounded by the old crater wall. The village of Katarina is perched high above the crater and has a great view of the lake. This wonderful laguna can be reached by car from San Juan del Sur in 1.5 hours. It is the perfect spot for a day of swimming and relaxing.

The Mombacho Volcano (1,345m) is a huge dormant volcano bordering Lake Nicaragua and just south of the colonial city of Granada. Currently, the Mombacho Volcano is quiet and today a dense forest covers the slopes. The Mombacho Volcano is a very accessible volcano and there is a shuttle to take you to the top. The biodiversity of the Mombacho Volcano provides a wide selection of animals and plant species endemic to the volcano. Well maintained hiking trails have been set up and their are a number of hiking options. In addition to awesome natural vegetation you can also find spectacular look out points along the trails.

Zapatera Island (629m) is an extinct volcano which forms a island within Lake Nicaragua. Zapatera Island was inhabited by indigenous tribes and has many important archaeological sites. Ancient statues and artifacts have been found in great quantities on the island, and it is thought that many are still buried there. Although Zapatera offers some interesting archaeological sites, the island is not frequently visited. Some of the uncovered artifacts are housed in the Convent Museum in nearby Granada

Concepcion Volcano (1,610m) is a giant among the volcanoes in Nicaragua. The Concepción Volcano dominates the western side of Ometepe Island. Ometepe Island is the largest island in Lake Nicaragua. Concepción is a cone-shaped stratovolcano. The most recent violent eruption occurred in 1986. However, the volcano continues to emit gases and ash on a regular basis. Climbing the Concepción is challenging but is well worth the effort. Beautiful vegetation and spectacular views great hikers on the way up. If you are lucky enough to climb on a clear day, you will be treated to a number or wonderful vistas. Ometepe Island a short drive and then a short ferry ride from San Juan del Sur. If you intend to climb the volcano you should make plans to stay overnight on the Island.

Concepción Volcano shares the island of Ometepe with it's quieter sister, the Maderas Volcano (1,394m). Maderas is a dormant volcano covered in a wet tropical rain forest similar to the Mombacho Volcano. On the top of Madera you will discover a refreshing crater lake. There is no paved road to the crater. To visit the lake you will have to hike. The trail to the top of Maderas is much less steep than the trail on Concepción, but it is still a substantial hike. The round trip with a short swim should take approximately eight hours. Ascending the Maderas volcano is a once in a lifetime experience as it is likely the most beautiful of the all the volcanoes in Nicaragua.

When you chose to retire in Nicaragua or buy Nicaragua real estate you can count on seeing some volcanoes.

Nicaragua Real Estate

The Nicaragua real estate market has been maturing over the last decade and it is ready to explode into the sights of savvy investors and retiring baby boomers. Nicaragua is located in the heart of Central America and direct flights into the capital city of Managua are available from a number of U.S. airports.

The tourism industry in Nicaragua has experienced impressive double digit growth in the past 5 or 6 years. Nicaragua's unsurpassed natural beauty and exciting tourism related activities are just two factors contributing to the boom. Such attractions and activities include world class surfing and sport fishing, golf, volcano snowboarding, exploring enchanting colonial cities, relaxing on one of the a gorgeous and pristine beaches, bird watching, turtle watching, shopping for handicrafts in the local markets or visiting a coffee plantation in the cooler northern mountainous regions.

Nicaragua's rich and compelling cultural history and an incredibly friendly population only make things better. It is no surprise that Nicaraguan property has become wildly popular amongst baby boomers looking for retirement homes or vacation homes, or to those seeking to diversify a real estate investment portfolio.

Foreigner investors are entitled to hold fee simple title to Nicaragua property in their own names. You may also be eligible to receive some compelling tax incentives as an investor or developer under Nicaragua Law 306. To further ensure your peace of mind, title insurance is also available from some of the most reputable American names.

Because the Nicaragua real estate market remains relatively untapped, compared to other Latin American markets, many great opportunities still exist. As an example here are a handful of opportunities to purchase complete vacations homes for less than $150,000.00US. The cost of living in Nicaragua is roughly 50% less than the cost of living in North America. With all factors in mind the case for buying Nicaraguan Real Estate is very compelling.

For more information please visit Nicaragua Real Estate .