Author: Mel

Living aboard a sailboat, blogging about the places we visit and the adventures we have. Love hiking, cycling, scuba, animals and adventure.

A Managua Night Out in Puerto Salvador Allende

One reason the layover in El Salvador was a positive surprise is one of my new friends gave me a tip on a safe place to go near my hotel in Managua, Nicaragua. He recommended Puerto Salvador Allende so I went there for a few hours last night. Read on about my night out in Puerto Salvador Allende.

Why Am I In Managua?

Since I am going to San Juan del Sur for Spanish classes, Managua is the nearest airport. Managua’s Augusto Sandino Airport is the largest airport in Nicaragua, with flights from the U.S. daily. Many travel guides recommend flying into Managua and leaving right away, but I like to see for myself, so I decided to spend a couple nights in Managua. This was my big night out in the city, but because Managua is considered so unsafe, I took lots of precautions. I left Managua with bad memories, but not because of my night out in Puerto Salvador Allende.

About Puerto Salvador Allende

The Puerto is a new resort along Lake Managua. Lake Managua is a very polluted lake so for a long time nobody even used the lakeshore. Hence the newness of this spot. It is an extension of the malecón, which is a walking path along the lake.

Managua Night Out
The lake and malecon of Puerto Salvador Allende
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One Saturday in Managua: Tiscapa and Zip lining

Today is my only day in Managua. I did a lot of research and everything told me that traveling around the city on my own was not safe. I didn’t want to come to Managua without seeing any of it though, so tried a number of tour operators but no luck as a singleton. So, I came up with another plan and spent my one Saturday in Managua zip lining at Tiscapa Lagoon.

tiscapa lagoon

This morning, after check-in, breakfast and a short nap, I hired a taxi to take me to Tiscapa Lagoon. A volcanic lake on a mountain, this preserve offers views of the sprawling capitol city, and a canopy tour of the lake itself. So a visit to the lagoon offers views and adventure, which sounded good to me. The taxi driver waited for me while I enjoyed the activities at Tiscapa.

Managua view
View of Managua and Lake Managua from Tiscapa
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Surprise Layover in San Salvador

I’m supposed to be in Managua right now. I am not in Managua though, I am at a Quality Hotel near the El Salvador airport, outside of San Salvador. I was only supposed to be in that airport for 50 minutes but plans change. My flight was cancelled. The airline did right by us, however, and bussed us to this very decent hotel, gave us dinner and are bussing us back, albeit at 3 am (!),  for our early morning flight to Managua. Fingers crossed!

The Positives About the Surprise Layover in San Salvador

Some good things came of this unexpected stop: I got a new stamp in my passport, tried the local beer (not that good), watched some Americans do karaoke in the bar, and met two Nicaraguans who were sooo nice and made me more excited to live there! In fact, one of the people I met over dinner runs a small hostel in San Juan del Sur with his wife, who is American and is in DC right now to do the Women’s March. Small world!  So the surprise layover worked out fine. Just wish I could have used the pool – it looks nice.

school bus
Our transport to the hotel
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