Why Nicaragua?

"Why Nicaragua?" You ask. What about the Sandinistas?"
"Isn't it dangerous?"...There is no civil war in Nicaragua,
and no, it is not a communist country. However, Nicaragua
does remain one of the most misunderstood countries in
the world. It has a lot to do with the media, largely opinions
formed during the Iran-contra affair nearly 20 years ago.

Today Nicaragua is a democratic, peaceful country. The
political climate stable due to 3 successful turnovers of
democratically elected power in the last 12 years.
Throughout the countryside there are early signs of
capitalism beginning to take hold. Traveling through the
countryside last summer we found the people to extremely
friendly. "Unlike Costa Rica where every third person is an
American, there are very few gringos outside Managua.

Economically, Nicaragua is like Costa Rica 15-20 years
ago. But Nicaragua is almost totally undeveloped."
Nicaragua's economy is one of the most dynamic things
about the country. Growth has exceeded all expectations
and foreign investment has jumped from almost nothing to
700 million dollars. When Nicaragua passed the Tourism
Industry Incentive Law (Law 306) in May 1999, it modeled
the law after a similar law passed in Costa Rica in the 1970's.
That is why today there are so many foreign owned
"eco-hotels"in Costa Rica. Nicaragua's Law 306 eliminates
or significantly reduces a number of taxes for those
investors interested in developing tourism and tourism
related projects in Nicaragua.

The Nicaraguan Ministry of Tourism has recorded double-
digit growth in tourist arrivals through the late 1990's. The
tourism industry appears to be poised for for strong growth
over the next decade. Every time I head back to Nicaragua,
especially Granada and the San Juan de Sur region, there
are new restaurants, hospedajes and tourism services.
Developers are hurrying to build along the Pacific coast, and
the government is improving the local infrastructure. "The mis-
understood country is now poised to emerge as a travel
hot spot, a potential haven for expatriates and a place
where unlimited opportunities await the energetic
entrepreneur.

A 1998 U.S. News and World Report article touted
Nicaragua as a hot new retirement destination, with Central
America's lowest crime rate. Nicaragua can
perhaps be the most seriously considered the land of
opportunity, of all the countries in Central America."

But for most of us who have experienced Nicaragua, it is the
300 days of sunshine spent in a land of lakes and volcanoes,
lush rainforests and sun swept beaches. A country whose
biological diversity, rivaling that of Costa Rica, is virtually
unstudied and untapped that attracts us.

Any even more amazing are the people of Nicaragua,
whose easy going hospitality, rooted opinions and charm
are probably their nations greatest attraction.

Nicaragua has undergone tremendous change in the last
decade. The fabric of what makes Nicaragua a unique
land has just begun to be woven throughout the world.

It's ecological attractions, democratic government and
flourishing economy make it the ideal place to build a
community like Parque Maderas. The opportunity
that you are about to discover is one that most people
will probably look over and it will be too late. Don't be
left behind. Nicaragua is the last sandy frontier in the
America's and it won't be that way for long.