A Land of Smoking Volcanoes, Freshwater Lakes, and Pounding Surf

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Dear Reader,

This is a majestic land of smoking volcanoes, pounding surf, and freshwater lakes...and some of the most spectacular fiery sunsets we've ever seen. The Pacific coastline boasts miles of soft sand beaches, towering cliffs and incredible ocean views. Some compare it to Southern California--but we think it's much more dramatically beautiful. Better yet, beachfront properties here cost significantly less than those in California. Welcome to Nicaragua...

This sounds like the type of place that should attract a frenzy of foreign buyers. Political concerns about Daniel Ortega (which haven't played out to date) and the slowdown in the US economy meant that foreign buyers faded away. Nicaragua's stayed out of the limelight in the last three years. But today, Nicaragua's taking center stage again...

UNESCO just declared Ometepe Island a biosphere reserve. The island sits in the largest freshwater reserve in Nicaragua (Lake Cocibolca), and boasts two volcanoes. Volcán Concepción remains active, while Volcán Maderas' extinct crater houses a beautiful, misty lake. Early islanders considered Ometepe sacred ground, and today you can still sense a mysterious vibe here. You'll see pre-Columbian ceramics, statues and petro glyphs--carved stone eagles, crosses, and sundials--dating back thousands of years.

The UNESCO biosphere ranking should preserve the island, which retains much of its original tropical forest, filled with monkeys, and jewel-bright tropical birds. The lake itself is home to freshwater sawfish and sharks. Publicity for the new biosphere should attract the attention of up market tourists, too.

Nicaragua's tourism figures continue to grow. In 2009, despite the world slowdown, tourist arrivals grew 8.9% in Nicaragua, and the amount spent by tourists increased 22.5% to $345.2 million. This year, tourist numbers carry on growing. Sixty cruise ships docked in the country last year, and 28 in the first four months of this year. An average of 700 passengers per cruise comes ashore...so more than 19,000 cruise passengers visited in the first quarter of 2010. In October, Aeroflot starts twice-weekly flights to Managua from Moscow, which opens Nicaragua up to Russia's wealthy travelers and their spending power.

The spotlight will definitely be on Nicaragua when the latest Survivor series starts filming around San Juan del Sur on the southern Pacific coast. For a country with only a $2m annual budget for promoting tourism, this is huge: they couldn't afford to pay for the exposure they'll now get for free. The program will highlight Nicaragua's natural beauty, wildlife and culture, and bring it direct to 13 million weekly viewers. That's a lot more potential tourists who would otherwise not know about this country's quiet charm...and a lot more tourists who'll come, see this exotic country, and want to grab a slice of it for themselves...

As usual, we're ahead of the game. We've already figured out the best development in Nicaragua. This 2700-acre private reserve is the jewel in Nicaragua's real estate crown. Five beaches wrap around lush hills, nature trails and rainforest. Luxury homes dot the rich rolling landscape. The roads, water, electricity, cable TV, internet and cell coverage are already in place...along with a clubhouse, restaurant and spa. Forbes described it as "simply stunning" in their 2009 Retirement Guide.

The developer's just added beachfront condos to the mix of home sites and houses. A new planned clubhouse includes a convention center. The luxury condos make the perfect rental when you're not in residence...and adding conference attendees to the current tourist and surfer renters should give the rental market here another boost. Until June 15th, the developer's offering discounts of 15%, along with generous developer financing, on the condos. There are only six condos left--so inquire today and find out how to lock down your discount.

Margaret Summerfield

P.S. To see Nicaragua's quaint colonial city, Granada...lush green forests...pounding surf...and miles and miles of unspoiled beaches, check out our Nicaragua chill weekend, here.