Where do the expats in Nicaragua meet? Where are the Nicaragua expat communities?
Mike Cobb - ECI Development
The largest expat community in Nicaragua is Granada, a 500-year-old colonial city. The city attracts expats who like an urban environment, yet with charm and history abounding. Several beach communities cater to expats, some with golf as well. Guacalito and Gran Pacifica are two of the most established and well-known beach and golf communities for expats in Nicaragua.
The largest expat community in Nicaragua is Granada, a 500-year-old colonial city. The city attracts expats who like an urban environment, yet with charm and history abounding. Several beach communities cater to expats, some with golf as well. Guacalito and Gran Pacifica are two of the most established and well-known beach and golf communities for expats in Nicaragua.
Posted January 19, 2014
Lucy Valenti - Liv Nicaragua
In the 1990s and 2000s when many people 
started to come to Nicaragua, the first place that many expats arrived was San Juan del Sur.
started to come to Nicaragua, the first place that many expats arrived was San Juan del Sur. They fell in love with that little town and the beaches around it, and as a result, we can find significant groups of expats in San Juan del Sur and in the adjacent area of Tolla, which is also a beach area in the Rivas Department in the southern part of the country.
We also you have little communities being...
In the 1990s and 2000s when many people started to come to Nicaragua, the first place that many expats arrived was San Juan del Sur.
started to come to Nicaragua, the first place that many expats arrived was San Juan del Sur. They fell in love with that little town and the beaches around it, and as a result, we can find significant groups of expats in San Juan del Sur and in the adjacent area of Tolla, which is also a beach area in the Rivas Department in the southern part of the country.
We also you have little communities being formed in other .jpg)
beach areas, for example, Gran Pacifica, which is also designed for retirees.
beach areas, for example, Gran Pacifica, which is also designed for retirees. And then of course, Granada is one of the most important places where expats come to live in Nicaragua.
Posted July 9, 2014
Juan Carlos Espinosa - Hacienda Puerta del Cielo Ecolodge & Spa
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There is a large community of expats in Granada and Leon, which are the colonial cities in Nicaragua. (The picture above is of Parque Central, in Granada, Nicaragua.)
There are some expats in Nicaragua living in the Managua area, and there are quite a few down south by the beaches around San Juan del Sur.
There is a large community of expats in Granada and Leon, which are the colonial cities in Nicaragua. (The picture above is of Parque Central, in Granada, Nicaragua.)
There are some expats in Nicaragua living in the Managua area, and there are quite a few down south by the beaches around San Juan del Sur.
Posted August 7, 2014
David Smith - Farmland Assets
For the most part, the expats in Nicaragua live 
and meet in Granada and San Juan del Sur.
and meet in Granada and San Juan del Sur. Leon is probably becoming a little more popular in recent years, as well as the areas along the Pacific coast north of San Juan del Sur, what they call The Emerald Coast; places like Rancho Santana. Those are the main areas for foreigners to be here in Nicaragua. I would say 80% to 90% of expats in Nicaragua live in the western portion of the...
For the most part, the expats in Nicaragua live and meet in Granada and San Juan del Sur.
and meet in Granada and San Juan del Sur. Leon is probably becoming a little more popular in recent years, as well as the areas along the Pacific coast north of San Juan del Sur, what they call The Emerald Coast; places like Rancho Santana. Those are the main areas for foreigners to be here in Nicaragua. I would say 80% to 90% of expats in Nicaragua live in the western portion of the Pacific Coast, with Granada being the anchor.
In the northern area of Nicaragua, you do have a fair amount of Europeans living, mainly Germans. It’s a colder climate, and there’s a lot of coffee grown up there. In fact, they call it Nicaragua’s Black Forest.
Posted August 9, 2014
Indiana Siu - Operation Smile Nicaragua
Most of the expats in Nicaragua seem to live in Granada. 
Other than that, another favorite place is Estelí, which is a mountainous area north of Managua and east northeast of Leon.
In Estelí, the climate is much more moderate than in other parts of Nicaragua. Estelí is an area where they grow tobacco and coffee farms. If you didn’t like the beach and wanted more moderate weather, Estelí is a good...
Most of the expats in Nicaragua seem to live in Granada.
Other than that, another favorite place is Estelí, which is a mountainous area north of Managua and east northeast of Leon.
In Estelí, the climate is much more moderate than in other parts of Nicaragua. Estelí is an area where they grow tobacco and coffee farms. If you didn’t like the beach and wanted more moderate weather, Estelí is a good place. It’s not hot and it’s not cold, but it is a bit breezy.
Posted August 12, 2014
Daniel Snider - Snider's Realty Nicaragua
There are times when the expats here decide to meet up, have some beers, or just chill out. Just walking down the streets of San Juan Del Sur, you will meet a lot of expats going to bars or just randomly in other places here and there. There are no expat communities in Nicaragua that I know of, but San Juan Del Sur and Granada are small enough towns that the average expat would bump into other expats all the time. There are beach...
There are times when the expats here decide to meet up, have some beers, or just chill out. Just walking down the streets of San Juan Del Sur, you will meet a lot of expats going to bars or just randomly in other places here and there. There are no expat communities in Nicaragua that I know of, but San Juan Del Sur and Granada are small enough towns that the average expat would bump into other expats all the time. There are beach developments that a populated mostly by expats such as Rancho Santana, and Iguana Beach in Tola, where I have been working in the last 18 years. Over 90% of the real estate in these places were bought by expats. Most of them bought there for investment purpose,s but more and more of them are buying for the purpose of having something to live in once they retire.
Posted December 6, 2014
Eugenio Cortez - Hacienda & Ecolodge Morgan´s Rock
The expat communities in Nicaragua are mostly in the towns and cities that are very close to the beach. For example, you will find tons of Americans in the Tola Region. You will find them in the San Juan del Sur area, too, because it is the center of everything. You’ll find a lot of Americans on the beaches south of San Juan. There are a few who live in Managua, obviously, because it is the capital. I want to say that there are a good amount of...
The expat communities in Nicaragua are mostly in the towns and cities that are very close to the beach. For example, you will find tons of Americans in the Tola Region. You will find them in the San Juan del Sur area, too, because it is the center of everything. You’ll find a lot of Americans on the beaches south of San Juan. There are a few who live in Managua, obviously, because it is the capital. I want to say that there are a good amount of expats in Leon, which is north of Managua about 90 kilometers (about 56 miles) and very close to the beaches.
As far as expat communities in Nicaragua go, Granada is number one.
As far as expat communities in Nicaragua go, Granada is number one.
Posted December 8, 2014
David Smith - Nicaragua Sotheby's International Realty
In San Juan del Sur, where I live, there is the expat market on a Saturday morning where you’ll find only expats, but in San Juan del Sur in particular it is so very integrated. There are one or two restaurants in which you’ll find mostly expats hanging out but in general, it’s very mixed here. There’s a big expat community in San Juan del Sur. There are a lot of Canadians here. There’s a growing number of Brits and Europeans...
In San Juan del Sur, where I live, there is the expat market on a Saturday morning where you’ll find only expats, but in San Juan del Sur in particular it is so very integrated. There are one or two restaurants in which you’ll find mostly expats hanging out but in general, it’s very mixed here. There’s a big expat community in San Juan del Sur. There are a lot of Canadians here. There’s a growing number of Brits and Europeans here and of course a lot of Americans, so it’s up to you to build your networks and stay in touch with people and arrange. There’s an expat trivia night on a Tuesday. There are a lot of events where you’ll meet other expats.
In addition to San Juan del Sur, in Nicaragua, Granada has a very big expat community. There is not that large a percentage of expats in Managua, the capital city. Managua is like many big cities with a population with a couple million people and is very diverse.
(Expats volcano exploring, Nicaragua, pictured.)
Posted September 19, 2016
Carlos Roman Gutierrez Solis - Casa Granada Properties
Every city in Nicaragua has its own expat community. For example, León is different than Granada. Expats in Granada try to do every kind of activity such as set up their own market, get together to play poker, attend parties of friends, go to bars, and try to go to every social event. When an expat has a new house in Granada and meets people on the street, they say, "Hey, I just came from Canada or the United States. I'm going to have a party....
Every city in Nicaragua has its own expat community. For example, León is different than Granada. Expats in Granada try to do every kind of activity such as set up their own market, get together to play poker, attend parties of friends, go to bars, and try to go to every social event. When an expat has a new house in Granada and meets people on the street, they say, "Hey, I just came from Canada or the United States. I'm going to have a party. Would you like to come?" This is how expats start talking and working together.
I just attended a meeting where I met new expats who already bought a property in Granada. Now, they're mingling with other people.
It's very easy to get to know everyone in Granada because it's a small city. León is also a small city. If an expat lives in cities like León, Granada, Rivas, and Matagalpa, they most probably already have contacts and social groups.
In Managua, it's more difficult to get to know everyone because it's a very big and spread out city.
Matagalpa is a countryside city where the weather is great because it is about 3,000 feet above sea level. They have vast coffee farms and supply some of the best coffee from Nicaragua. People from Matagalpa are friendly. The city is a nice place to be in, upcoming, progressing really well, and is very upscale. There are a lot of rich Nicaraguan families who are into coffee farming and own about 500 to 1,000 acres of land. Some rich local families own cattle. A lot of the richest families in Nicaragua live in Matagalpa.
There are a lot of families in Matagalpa whose roots are from Germany. This is why it would not be surprising to meet lots of fair-skinned and blue or gray-eyed Nicaraguans in this city. They also have some Dutch and European roots.
Back in the 1800s, Managua wasn't the biggest city in Nicaragua, as it is today. The biggest cities then were Granada, León, and Matagalpa because these cities are the coffee producers.
Rivas (the province where San Juan del Sur is located) is the opposite of Matagalpa. It is the biggest producer of plantain, papaya, and watermelon in Nicaragua. The city of San Juan del Sur is close to the lake, ocean, and Costa Rica. Families who own farmlands in Rivas are also rich, but the people are less sophisticated than those from Matagalpa.
(Colonial home, Granada, Nicaragua, pictured.)
Posted July 24, 2017