Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America and is completely unlike its neighbors Costa Rica to the south and Honduras to the northwest. I went for a month and stayed for a year and a half. Despite the relentless heat, the poor infrastructure, and the lack of things we often take for granted I was pulled in by the beauty of the country and its people both. As a cultural photographer, Nicaragua gave itself to me and this is why.

More info: theculturalphotographer.net

Looking deep into the maw of Volcán Masaya to see and hear it gurgle, growl, and groan

Nicaragua is called the land of lakes and volcanoes. I love volcanos. Like watching a glacier calf, watching a volcano erupt is experiencing geological time right before your eyes. You can observe active volcanoes all over Nicaragua. You can also climb them, ride high-speed boards back down, or you can even drive up to the crater of Masaya, the active volcano outside of Managua.

Some visitors inch up to the edge of the volcano’s cone

Incredibly you can walk or take a taxi to the top of the volcano, park, and look down into the great maw of a beast growling and spewing lava right before your eyes. Five or ten minutes is enough because the sulphuric fumes can punch you in the lungs.

A vendor smiles in a market in León, Nicaragua. Always friendly and always willing to pose for a photographer

Nicaraguans are quick to smile and ask you to take their picture. They are not camera shy. Often I heard “foto, foto, foto” from people begging me to take their picture. I always complied and received a heartfelt gracias. A street photographer’s dream really.

A horse-drawn dray makes its way to the hardware market

Nicaragua is old and incredibly picturesque. Horses clop down cobblestone streets built in the early part of the 16th century. León itself was founded in 1524. Colonial style homes abound and the sightlines of local streets make for interesting cityscape photography. Picturesque towns dot the higher elevations where coffee plantations grace the landscape. Not modern in many regards, but always beautiful and engaging.

Granada: colorful, colonial imagery abounds

Nicaragua’s churches are stunning and colorful. Every town has one. Every town’s pride is reflected in their love for their church buildings. Sitting on the lesser of two enormous lakes that make up much of the country’s surface area, Granada, also known as La Sultana, has a church that is the picture postcard for Nicaraguan tourism. León’s cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site and vies for attention in a city known for its beautiful churches. The Basilica in El Viejo has an incredible story behind its patroness La Virgen del Trono.

Nicaragua is colorful churches like this one, El Calvario

A pretty smile from the shoe vendor in the market

Nicaraguans are simpático, warm, and genuine. I have been invited into homes, many of them humble. People are interested in me, a gringo who spends his days walking the streets, riding the rutas (pickup trucks repurposed as buses), going to baseball games, or just sitting on a corner always with his camera. It’s a good feeling in a world that is jaded and where photography is taken for granted.

Two favorites of mine: the beautiful La Recolección church and a local bus

When I lived in Nicaragua I passed by this 300-year-old gem every day

The glorious cathedral of León, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

An old house. A quiet corner

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