500 Adrenaline Adventures (Frommer's) - Lois Friedland [73]
Most of the best surfing spots are found on the country’s southern Pacific coast, about 3 hours’ drive from the capital city of Managua, home to the country’s largest airport. Unlike more developed countries, surf lodges here are fewer in number and most are simple affairs with friendly staff but few amenities. It’s not unheard of, for example, to find a lizard in your bedroom, or discover that the camp’s lounge is a thatched hut with a dirt floor and a cooler full of beer. (In other words, if you’re looking for a four-star luxury vacation, keep looking.) Travelers should also be aware that some places calling themselves “surf camps” don’t offer lessons; call or check your destination’s website to confirm that lessons are available.
A surfer learns to ride the waves in Nicaragua.
Fortunately for newbies, surfing is one of the few sports where you can have a blasting good time on your first day out, and most surf instructors tend to be relaxed folks who are happy to spend time getting you up on your board. No surfboard to call your own? No worries—surfboard rentals are available at just about every surf camp.
Nicaragua has earned its newfound reputation as a primo surf destination. A steady offshore wind keeps the waves high, and there is a variety of reef and beach breaks to keep beginners and pros happy. For non-surfers, Nicaragua has a number of other attractions like kayaking, snorkeling, horseback riding, deep-sea fishing, and touring coffee plantations. And if the waves start to get a little too crowded for your “taste,” just think like the adventurous surf god you now are and cast your eyes to the next destination up the shore—in this case, El Salvador. —ML
Tours: Monty’s Jiquilillo Surf Camp ( 505/8884-4461;www.nicaraguasurfbeach.com). Chica Brava All-Girls Surf Camp ( 832/519-0253 or 505/8894-2842; www.chicabrava.com). The Surf Sanctuary ( 505/8894-6260;www.thesurfsanctuary.com). Tours Nicaragua ( 505/2252-4035;www.toursnicaragua.com).
When to Go: The biggest surf is usually found from Apr–Sept, and smaller swells (perfect for beginners) can be found from Dec–Feb.
Managua.
Previous: Heli-hiking in Banff.
Chapter 3: Mountains & Canyons
156
Hiking Perito Moreno Glacier
Ice, Ice, Baby
Santa Cruz, Argentina
At over 29km (18 miles) long and 5km (3 miles) wide, Perito Moreno glacier is often described as one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. Glistening castles of ice tower 45m (150 ft.) over the surface of Lake Argentino, where ice calves the size of apartment buildings go crashing into the lake every few hours. The entire glacier is an enormous shifting mass of creaking, groaning ice that can move and crack without notice; hikers are strongly advised to seek out an experienced guide before trekking across this beautiful but dangerous icescape.
The town of El Calafate (a 3-hr. flight from Buenos Aires) is most visitors’ first stop before taking the 2-hour bus journey into Los Glaciares National Park (www.losglaciares.com), a 607,028-hectare (1.5 million-acre) wonderland of mountains, forests, glaciers, and lakes that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. Tours of the glacier can take up to five hours on a full tour, which often includes a surprise break of chocolates and whiskey chilled by—what else?—fresh-chipped glacial ice. There’s also a shorter “mini-trek” that takes roughly 90 minutes. Hikers on either tour can expect to wear crampons, or metal spikes that attach to their hiking boots, when traversing the ice. There are also boat tours that glide across Lake Argentino, giving visitors close-up views of calving icebergs and the lofty clifflike face of the glacier.
Every few years, the glacier advances far enough to form a natural dam across part of the lake; as a result, one side of the lake rises up to 30m (100 ft.) above the other. When this happens, pressure builds up in the higher part of the lake until the ice barrier explodes in a