Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in Nicaragua or I have to give them cash
Nicaragua is beautiful but definitely cash-heavy. I stayed in León and Estelí and both hostels took cash only. They were upfront about it, but still a bit of a scramble since I arrived late and had to run to a Banpro ATM. Bring both córdobas and USD, since many hostels are happy with either.
My experience: in San Juan del Sur, the hostel near Maderas Beach said their card machine was out of service. I had to pay in cash. This happened a couple of times in different cities. Nicaragua is not yet very card-friendly, especially at hostels.
When I stayed at Paradiso Hostel near Laguna de Apoyo, they told me upfront it was cash only. Some upscale eco-lodges do accept cards, but backpacker hostels in Managua and San Juan del Sur almost always want córdobas or USD. Keep in mind there are transaction fees if you withdraw often, so plan ahead.
In Granada, my hostel accepted only cash, even though the website said cards were fine. Same thing in León. Nicaragua is still very cash-based when it comes to budget accommodation. I had to find an ATM in Granada’s central park to pay. Don’t trust the online listing blindly.