Hispanic Heritage Month 2013: How Nicaragua is Quickly Becoming Latin America's Hottest Vacation Destination

Summer may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean that allotted vacation time has passed. In fact, it’s more permissible to escape the dark depths of winter, especially when seeking a brief yet drastic change in climate. Summer vacation caters to time spent with family, large communal gatherings of relatives far and wide at a shared summer home. Winter vacations, however, are meant to break away from the pack, separate yourself and your dearest loved one on a faraway island or a quiet ski slope. So don’t be dismayed. The daunting winter months can be averted. Granted, perhaps only for a week or two, yet those golden sunny days amidst howling winds and billowing snow shine bright in an otherwise cloudy night sky.

For those enticed by the beach bum ways, mark Nicaragua as your next destination. The tiny Central American country, generally associated with a struggling economy and drug trafficking, now hosts one of the world’s finest luxury hotels. The Mukul Luxury Resort and Spa sits on 675 hectares of oceanfront land on the country’s Emerald coast and includes private pools, butler service and delectable gourmet cuisine. Travel Agent credited the resort with the major boost in tourism since 2012 and marked it as the “hottest getaway in all of Latin America.”

But of course, you can say that about most all luxury resorts. What makes Mukul special is that it represents a beacon of light in an otherwise faltering economy. Sure, it’s unattainable without a six-figure salary, but it still boosts revenue from tourism that will eventually trickle down into the economy.

Don Carlos Pellas, a Nicaraguan native sometimes dubbed the Donald Trump of Latin America, donated $250 million to build Mukul Luxury Resort to improve the lives of locals by providing employment and investing in local infrastructure. More importantly, it introduces Nicaragua to the rest of the world. Nicaragua is pulling itself up by the bootstraps and redirecting its social and economic trajectory.

Say goodbye to summer, and hello to Nicaragua.