Why Retire in Granada, Nicaragua
Picture waking up on a warm, sunny Sunday morning in Granada, Nicaragua. The scent of strong Nicaraguan coffee drifts through your open window with the breeze. You enjoy a mango from your garden for breakfast and then head out into town. You pass beautiful brick roads, colorful doors, intricate and poetic street art, open plazas, stunning cathedrals, and plenty of friendly faces.Maybe you stop by the market to pick up some organic produce or perhaps you drop in for a ceramics class at the local studio. In the afternoon, you pack it up and head to Laguna de Apoyo for an afternoon yoga session, or travel a bit further to the beaches on the Pacific, where crashing waves are a gentle, afternoon lullaby.
If this dream day sounds right up your alley, you may want to consider retiring in Nicaragua. More and more couples are taking the leap and escaping the cold winters to luxuriate in Nicaragua’s scenic and affordable splendor. Learn why!
Granada, Nicaragua is a top retirement destination for couples.
Nicaragua has Year-Round Gardening, Exquisite Birding, and Abundant Natural Reserves:
Nicaragua is a gardener’s paradise. Blessed with seven types of forest and millions of plant species, including 800 species of orchids alone, there are plenty of opportunities to explore exquisite gardens and grow your own produce year-round.
Bananas, mangoes, avocados, lemons, coconuts, and guava are just a few of the delicious tropical fruits grown in the region. If gardening isn’t your speed, you can still enjoy freshly-grown tropical fruits, organic coffee, soups, sauces, meats, spices, and more at Granada’s colorful Central Market and visit food trucks in the city’s old world plazas.
For those looking to explore Nicaragua’s 80 protected reserves, we recommend El Chocoyero and Montibelli Natural Reserves. These reserves are full of diverse flora and fauna including brilliant parakeets, guardabarrancos, sloths, monkeys, and butterflies. For a list of recommended parks and gardens, check out Lonely Planet’s hot list here. Be sure to bring your binoculars, birding books, and more to this bio-hotspot.
Mangoes ripen at the market.
Nicaragua has an Intellectual and Vibrant Art Scene:
Nicaragua is famous for its art scene. Nicknamed the “City of Doors,” Granada is renowned for its colorful intricate doors, vibrant street art, colonial architecture, and poetry celebrations. Every year, Granada hosts the International Poetry Festival, which draws hundreds of award-winning poets from across the globe and contributes to the city’s intellectual and artistic vibe. Granada is a wonderful town for walking or biking. Horse-drawn carriage rides are also offered for those looking to take an architectural tour of the city’s most beautiful churches and museums.
There are a number of activities outside of Granada for those wishing to experience Nicaraguan art at a community level. Visit the Pueblos Blancos for a chance to discover the tradition and talent behind Nicaraguan craftwork. Artisans in the Pueblos Blancos are famous for their woven hammocks, colorful ceramics, paintings, basket weaving, carpentry, and more. These artisans make use of traditional materials such as locally grown bamboo, wood, banana fibers, and clay. The locals here are incredibly friendly and many will invite you into their studios and workshops to see the process. They also offer a variety of classes and educational opportunities.
Nicaragua’s intellectual splendor, vibrant artisan communities, and architectural prowess combine to make the country the perfect place to retire.
An beautiful and colorful door in Granada, Nicaragua.
Nicaragua has Affordable Health Care and a Low Cost-of-Living:
Not only is Nicaragua the safest country in Central America, it is also one of the most affordable places to live right now. In 2015, Nicaragua tied for first as the least expensive place to live in International Living’s cost-of-living 2015 index. Although electricity and gasoline are more expensive than in other countries, housing, help, services, food, and health care cost significantly less in Nicaragua. Another major bonus is that household help is relatively inexpensive so retirees can receive daily assistance if needed. Several reports suggest that couples can get by comfortably on $1,200 a month and live in luxury for fractions more.
Another perk of retiring in Nicaragua is that the government offers a comprehensive benefit package to international retirees which includes no taxes paid on out-of-country earnings and a variety of other benefits listed here.
Furthermore, Nicaragua’s private health care costs significantly less than in the U.S. or Canada. A visit to the doctor in Nicaragua costs roughly $20-$40, and doctors provide longer, more individualalized attention to patients. Many will even make house calls for the same cost.
Nicaragua’s walkable towns, affordable healthcare, friendly doctors, and kind locals make Nicaragua an ideal place to retire. The affordability of the country comes with another perk: you can retire earlier!
Pacaya Lodge & Spa is the Perfect Place to Relax:
Laguna de Apoyo’s first luxury resort offers a number of excursions, spa experiences, and yoga retreats that retirees won’t want to miss. Take a dip in the refreshing waters of the crater lake, enjoy a world-class meal at Restaurante Guardabarranco, rent a private casita, handicap-accessible room, or take advantage of our tours and excursions to local natural reserves, city centers, and art workshops. Bask in the glory of retirement and treat yourself to a massage with our certified therapists. This boutique luxury resort is the perfect place to test out retirement in Nicaragua or take an overnight or day trip to once you make the move.
View of the crater lake from Pacaya Lodge & Spa’s relaxing infinity pool.
Follow these links to discover the variety of services, excursion packages, and fabulous dining options we offer. We’d love to hear from you or help you plan your stay in Nicaragua.
