Discover the Best Cities to Digital Nomad in Nicaragua

Do You Need a Visa to Digital Nomad in Nicaragua?

The short answer here is no.

There is no special digital nomad visa for Nicaragua, however, the typical tourist visa you get on arrival allows you to stay in the country for 90 days.

Nicaragua is joined by Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador in the CA-4 Group; so the 90 day tourist visa applies to this entire group.

Once the 90 days is up, all you have to do to renew it is leave the country – Costa Rica, Belize, and Mexico have their own separate visa’s – and come back in.

Where to Digital Nomad in Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur

San Juan del Sur is a super fun spot to be a digital nomad, and probably the best place to digital nomad in Nicaragua. I absolutely love this little beach town.

It has gained notoriety as an ultimate backpacker destination and surf hub. And I know it soon will be known as a Digital Nomad hub. It’s the perfect mix of laid back and chill, with a lot to offer when you’re not working.

This is definitely the type of place people get ‘stuck in’ – where they plan to only stay a short time, but end up staying much longer. And we met many people who left and came back.

There’s enough to keep you entertained in San Juan, but it’s also a great home-base to take weekend trips to Granada or Ometepe (two places I don’t recommend nomad-ing in, but still worth a visit).

The WiFi is overall pretty good, although really depends on the specific café or hotel; we had both great experiences, and times we wanted to pull our hair out. Read more about the best cowork spaces in San Juan del Sur.

Things to do in San Juan del Sur

San Juan is not a big town by any means, but you definitely wont get bored. From beach days to nights out, you’ll quickly fall in love with the relaxed vibe of this digital nomad destination.

Some things you wont want to miss:

Find out more: A Digital Nomad’s Guide to San Juan del Sur

León

Most people make a stop in Granada when they visit Nicaragua. But in my opinion, León is like a bigger, cooler version of Granada. It has a lot of the same colorful charm and colonial architecture, but with more energy. There are many universities in León, and it is sometimes considered the “Cultural Capital” of Nicaragua.

I really liked León because its a real Nicaraguan city, where people live, work, and go to school. It’s not really geared towards tourists at all.

León also makes a great home-base if you wish to explore more of Central America. Shuttles heading to El Tunco, El Salvador and Antigua, Guatemala start in León.

Check out the Digital Nomad Guide to León

Things to do in León

Whether you want to get an adrenaline rush sliding down a volcano, or chill at a nearby beach, you wont run out of things to do in León.

Some things you’ll want to add to your bucket list:

Where NOT to Digital Nomad in Nicaragua

Ometepe

Ometepe is an island in the expansive Lake Nicaragua, known for its twin volcanos (Maderas and Concepción). You can easily get to it from San Juan del Sur by taxing a 45 minute taxi to the ferry terminal in Rivas (around $30), then taking the hour ferry to Moyogalpa.

It’s nice for a little weekend trip. However, I would not stay here for an extended amount of time. The internet on the island is not reliable enough to work, or even browse TikTok.

There isn’t much to do either besides a short list of tourist attractions. And what there is to do is spread out all over the island, requiring some type of vehicle to get around. So if you work most of the day, you may get ‘stuck’ hanging out wherever you are staying all the time.

Things to do on Ometepe

I do think its worth going for a short weekend trip. On Ometepe, you can go on hikes, swim in the natural pools, rent motorbikes and explore the island, kayak through mangroves, eat delicious vegan chocolate, and more.

If you visit Ometepe, don’t miss these:

Keep reading: A Weekend on Ometepe: What to See and Do

Granada

Granada is a cute little city. And technically you can digital nomad here; but staying here long-term might prove to be kind of boring. The city seems to get a influx of tourists each day, but besides that remains relatively sleepy.

I don’t think it would be a bad place to live and work, but for me, it doesn’t have enough going on to warrant making it my home-base. I would almost argue not to come here at all – not because there’s anything wrong with it – but because León is just a more interesting version of the same thing.

If you’re deciding between León or Granada, I’d choose León.

Things to do in Granada

There isn’t a ton to do here, but if you end up in Granada, here are some things you wont want to miss:

Corn Islands

The jury is still out on this one, but I’m putting it in the ‘no’ category just to be safe.

The Corn Islands (Big Corn and Little Corn) are located off Nicaragua’s east coast in the Caribbean. It is known for amazing marine life and coral reefs, making it a top dive destination.

Big Corn Island is the safest bet between the two in terms of faster and more reliable internet. There is internet on both islands however, it really comes down to the accommodation you choose as to your internet speed.

There are occasional, short periods of no internet or slower internet, so if your job depends on consistent internet, you might want to skip the islands. And in stormy weather or high winds, the internet is barely usable.

Its a beautiful place and amazing for diving and snorkeling, so maybe just take some time off work and come here for a little vacation.

The easiest way to get to the Corns is to take a daily flight from Managua. Flights can be very early so you’ll probably want to spend the night in Managua the night before.

Managua

Unless you are coming or going from the airport, skip Managua altogether. It’s not worth even a day trip. It’s kind of a weird city with nothing going on.

The only reason it’s even the capital is because there was too much beef between León and Granada over who would be the capital city, so the government said, fine neither of you get it.

Lastly, Managua is the only city on this list I would say is a bit sketchy, and has a higher crime rate than anywhere else in the country. However, if you’re going to the Corn Islands, you will want to stay the night here depending on flight times.

Make Nicaragua Your Next Digital Nomad Destination

Now you know the best places in Nicaragua to digital nomad, and which ones to avoid. With this knowledge I hope you add Nicaragua to your list of nomad destinations! Nicaragua is a great starting point to continue exploring the rest of Central America.

Are you planning to work remote from Nicaragua? Let me know if you have any questions below!