More About Nicaragua and Carazo, Location of Abundance Farm

Nicaragua at a Glance...

After decades of US-sponsored dictatorship and civil war, ending in the late 1970s, and after the Sandinista Revolution restored democracy in Nicaragua, which included the party stepping down from power after losing the elections in 1990, Nicaragua has become one of the most peaceful and pleasant destinations in Central America. The largest country in Central America, it is also one of the least populated and poorest. Nicaraguans are known for their openness in sharing their personal lives and country with all comers, and their strong religious faith. Nicaragua has one of the strongest people’s-rights constitutions anywhere, abolishing the death penalty, and providing workers’ rights. Free speech is considered vital, and every Nicaraguan is considered a poet (by self and others) until proven otherwise.

Location

Abundance Farm is located in Nicaragua, part of Central America. On the following map, you can see that Abundance Farm is only 1000 miles from Miami. If you fly from New York to Managua through Miami or Houston, the flight inside the US will be longer than the flight from the US to Nicaragua! The purple arrow shows you the location of Abundance Farm.

Here is a map of just Central America. Follow the Purple Arrow to Abundance Farm.

Prices in Carazo, Nicaragua

(1 USD = 18 Cordobas)

ITEM

PRICE
Rental of 2BR House, (Normal monthly price for Nicaraguans) 600-1500 Cordobas 
Bus from Nandaime to Mangua (1 hour) 20 Cordobas each way
Local Buses 2-5 Cordobas each way
Tomato, medium cucumber, medium pepper 1 Cordoba each
Small watermelon 2-10 Cordobas
Cheese 14 Cordobas/lb
Bananas 4 Cordobas/dozen
Night in a Cheap Dormitory Hostel in Nicaragua 2-5 USD
Express Bus from Managua to San Jose, Costa Rica 11 USD
Stool Sample Analysis (if you encounter intestinal problems) 20-50 Cordobas
1 Acre of farmland 50-5000 USD
Internet Use in Town 10-12 Cordobas/hr
Phone Call in Nicaragua (more expensive than calling the USA)

2-5 Cordobas/min
Phone Call to USA (using the internet through an internet cafe) 1-2 Cordobas/min
Phone Call to USA (direct) 25-100 Cordobas/min
Also see a reference from Central America Forum on the cost of living in Nicaragua.

Visiting and Living as a Foreigner in Nicaragua

One of the reasons we chose Nicaragua as the location for Abundance Farm is the ease of visiting and residency for foreigners. Citizens of almost any country in the world can visit Nicaragua with no visa for 90 days. There is a trivial fee of less than 10 USD at the airport to get a "tourist card." After the 90 days, a 90 day extension can easily be obtained in Managua (less than an hour from Carazo by public bus). As an alternative to getting an extension in Managua, a person can cross the border into Costa Rica (only 100km away) and spend a few days there and cross the border back into Nicaragua for another 90 days here. We have friends who have been here for 10 years with this arrangement. The government wants foreigners here. The US driver's license even allows a person to drive here.

Those persons who want to easily open a local bank account or who do not want the trouble of getting extensions to their passports can apply for residency, by showing how they will support themselves here and providing a clean criminal record check in their home country and a birth certificate.

ATMs are available in Carazo for all the major ATM networks so the local bank account isn't a major issue for most persons.

For your information, you can see (in Spanish) the official Nicaraguan governement documentation about visa requirements. Everybody not on the following list can enter with no visa whatsoever, just a passport! This is the list of the countries whose citizens require visas: (Note that in 2009 it has been proposed to no longer require visas from any country.)

1.- CUBA

21.-COLOMBIA

2.- LIBIA

22.-JORDANIA

3.-AFGANISTAN

23.-BOSNIA-HERSEGOVINA

4.-REPUBLICA POPULAR DE CHINA

24.-YUGOSLAVIA

5.-IRAN

25.-PAKISTAN

6.-IRAK

26.-HAITI

7.-ALBANIA

27.-INDIA

8.-SRILANKA

28.-SOMALIA

9.-REPUBLICA POPULAR DE COREA

29.-LIBANO

10.-NEPAL

30.-ARMENIA

11.-VIETNAM.

 31.- SIRIA

12.- PERU

 32.- KENIA

13.-NIGERIA

 33.- GHANA

14.- SIERRA LEONA

 34.- ANGOLA

15.- UCRANIA

35.- MALI

16.- LIBERIA

 36.- CAMERÚN

17.- MOZAMBIQUE

 37.- RUMANIA

18.- ECUADOR

 38.- EGIPTO

19.- REPUBLICA DOMINICANA

 39.- YEMEN

20.- SUDAN

 40.- PALESTINA

Other Resources:

gotonicaragua.com - A forum for many types of information about Nicaragua