Travel Alert--Remember to take passports to any of the Caribbean, Central American, Mexican, and Canadian locations. Even children traveling with their parents need passports.

Between Honduras and Costa Rica, Nicaragua is a bio-diverse country which is the poorest in Central America. However, Nicaragua is truly a tropical paradise with Lago Nicaragua, the largest freshwater lakein Central America. Visitors to Lago Nicaragua can take a boat to Isla de Ometebe where they can trek around its craggy and rocky landscape, search out the petroglyphs, and view the conical remains of twin volcanoes. While visiting the Lago Nicaragua, visitors also can explore the Archepielago de Solintename, an artisan colony, and the quaint towns of Mayasa with its market featuring Nicaraguaian handicrafts, picturesque San Carlos, and Granada, a colonial, shore-side city.

Other places to visit and sites to see in Nicaragua are:

• Leon - A city with an active student culture and colonial past;
• Corn Island (Isla de Maze)  - An island with limited tourist facilities but great, empty beaches and unmolested reefs;
• Selva Negra Nacional - A national park and coffee plantation, a place of interest for eco-tourists;
• Managua - The capital city and point of entry for flights.

Lodging varies throughout the country.

Travelers to Nicaragua need to be alert to travel advisories and have the appropriate travel documentation as well as medical preparations