Nicaragua is the “destination of the future”, according to this new Footprint guide. That may well be so, given that the country has some of the finest old colonial cities in Central America, a splendid, “laid‐back” Caribbean coastline, and extensive primary rain forest abounding with subtropical wildlife. The considerable coverage given to the rain forest is indeed a distinctive feature of this volume. The publisher’s blurb proudly claims: “No major guide series has penetrated the Nicaraguan jungles … until now”. Be warned, the many interesting itineraries suggested are physically challenging! Managua, Granada and, especially, León offer a wealth of more traditional attractions, for older visitors.
Spanish and several Amerindian languages are widely spoken, but Bluefields and the Caribbean coastal areas (La Costa) have a distinctive linguistic character, with Creole English as the lingua franca. Historical links here are with Jamaica and St Vincent. The regions described in realistic detail are: Managua; Masaya and Los Pueblos; Granada; Ometepe Island and Rivas Isthmus; Río San Juan; León and the Occident; Northern Highlands; Caribbean Coast and Islands. First‐hand acquaintance is everywhere apparent.
The wealth of essential guidance, and the background information which Footprint Handbooks always provide, are well up to standard. The colour photographs, by Richard Leonardi himself, nimbly capture the romance and the rigours of Nicaraguan life and work. The dream of an equitable society lives on in the mural (p. 8) of Augusto César Sandino (1895‐1934), an exemplary national hero.
The brief essays boxed throughout the text are as informative and lively as ever. They include Hablando Nica – Nicaraguan Spanish, Hotel prices and facilities, Iguana soup, The art of taxi hire, The Contra War. Nicaragua’s twentieth‐century history, tragic and controversial, is outlined dispassionately and fairly. The blurb on the outer back cover, however, verges on fantasy: “Once synonymous with Marxist revolution, Nicaragua is now a paradigm of peace and democracy”.
The admirable quality of the Footprint guides is continued in this new addition to the series. It is highly recommended to all aficionados of “real travel”, and to all reference libraries.
