Physical Description

Language

The official languages of RAAN are Spanish, Miskitu, Sumo, and English. Spanish is predominately spoken however there is a very large segment of the population who speak Miskitu. However, in all communities, Miskitu is by far the predominant language.

Food

Costeña food is known for its vast use of coconut with rice and beans and fish, of course coconut bread. The majority of the vegetables found in Puerto are transported from the Pacific via land. However, yucca, platanos, and seasonal fruits such as mangos and oranges are brought in from the communities on a daily basis. Fresh fish and sometimes lobster and shrimp can be found on the pier or in the Miskitu market (bring your own plastic bag).

There are a plethora of restaurants and comedores in Puerto Cabezas. Most restaurants have the same menu with very little variation. There are two restaurants with beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean: Malecon and Kabu Payaska. The restaurants are sometimes notorious for bad service and long wait (often more than an hour), but the food can sometimes be well worth the wait. Fisherman's Snack Bar and supermarket both Puerto's trendiest restaurant with good vegetarian pizza and the city's only supermarket. A wide variety of, often expired, US products can sometimes be found here. Comedores are a great lunch option for reasonable priced, good food. I recommend Comedor de MINSA (I don't think this is its real name, but it is often referred to this by many MINSA employees that eat there) across from Casa Anden. There is one popular fritanga that is open every night and at lunch. At lunch, there are buffet meals and in the evening are a fritanga - La Casona. Buffet lunches can also be found at Crisfa's; however, this is a much pricier option.

Lodging

A reasonably priced clean, and safe place to stay would be the Hospedaje El Viajante. They offer rooms at different price ranges.

Shopping

There are two markets in town. San Jeronimo is located on the south side of town and is often referred to as the Masaya market - as many of its shop owners are from the Pacific. This market can sometimes be a little pricier. The second market is located in the center of town and is referred to as the Mercado Municipal or the Miskitu Market, since the vast majority of its occupants are Miskitu. The cheapest and freshest vegetables in town can sometimes be found in trucks that are parked in front or near the park and have just arrived from Managua.

Transportation

Peace Corps volunteers are only allowed to travel to Managua via air (1 hour and 20 minutes). There are two airlines that provide service: La Costena and Atlantic Airlines. Each has at least two daily flights with a round trip cost of 885 cordobas. After the purchase of 10 round trip tickets, to the same destination, La Costena will give you a free ticket (so save your receipts!). Transportation from the airport to the Peace Corps office is usually around 30 cordobas. As of this writing, Peace Corps volunteers are not authorized to travel by land between Managua and Puerto Cabezas because of violent incidents that have taken place on the road.

Education

There are two universities in the Puerto Cabezas municipality: CIUM BICCU and URACAAN. CIUM BICCU is religiously affiliated to the Moravian Church and is located in Bilwi. URACAAN is located a short bus ride away in Kamla. In Bilwi there are approximately 12,300 school aged children that comprise more than 45% of its total population.

Outings

The Carribean Sea is just a short walk away from just about any place in town. Follow general safety precautions as there have been incidents of assault in the past. The beaches are fairly abandoned during the year - except during Semana Santa when the Vocana area is miraculously transformed into a party scene. Visiting the surrounding Miskitu communities is both enjoyable and relaxing. However transportation can often be a problem. Tuapi is a Miskitu community located 17 kilometers northeast of Puerto Cabezas and is probably the most easily assessable. There is a popular swimming hole located in Tuapi. Baseball is proudly the sport of choice for most Costeños and games can be watched on most weekends in the stadium. There are also softball and soccer leagues for women.

There are four discos in town that are open most days of the week. They include Miramar (known as Hongo Jack), Midnight, Atlantico, and by far the most popular, Jumbo.