With its rich tropical rainforests, pristine beaches, mysterious lagoons, and abundance of natural hot springs, Nicaragua is the Holy Land of die-hard eco-tourists. One need only glimpse Volcán Concepción rising from within the shores of Cocibola, the largest freshwater lake in Central America, to reaffirm the notion that beauty exists and to understand how this nation came to be known as the "land of lakes and volcanoes." But the term die-hard is used for a reason. Nicaragua has only recently begun to emerge from the devastation of the Contra War in the 1980s, a bloody civil war that left the country in political and economic turmoil. While Nicaragua has gained stability and travelers are again free to visit its natural wonders, the nation remains the poorest in the region and infrastructure and amenities are sparse. But a lack of development simply means more untouched wilderness to be explored! Nicaraguans, too, understand the appeal of their rugged geography, leading to small but comfortable tourist lodges popping up throughout the country, all serving up heaping plates of gallo pinto, the national dish of rice and beans, at every meal alongside top-notch Nicaraguan hospitality.