If you’re looking for excellent views and a bit of a “Pirates of the Caribbean” feel—you should visit the small town of Puerto Diaz, just 28 kilometres from Juigalpa. There is no beach in Puerto Diaz but you can swim in stone pools at the top of the city’s highest hill, where you’ll be served fresh fish and can get an excellent view of Isla de Ometepe, the crater of Volcán Concepción and the Nancital Archipelago. The port has several excellent restaurants and bars, where you’ll meet dozens of fishermen and be served up pirate-worthy rum and fish dishes. You can hire a boat to take you out to the archipelago so you can lie on the sandy beaches, or you can enjoy the view from one of the resort-style bargain priced hotels in the city.

Getting there
There are five daily buses between Juigalpa and Puerto Diaz and you’ll need to go back to Juigalpa to make certain connections to other cities.