These habitats range from savanna-like plains to dry tropical forest, submontane tropical forest, rain forest, cloud forest, a variety of aquatic habitats on both Caribbean and Pacific Coasts, volcanic crater lakes, and the largest bodies of fresh water in Latin America. The combination makes the country a diverse and fascinating destination for nature lovers and professional biologists alike. All of the biomes offer rich rewards for those who find wonder and fascination in the details of nature. The tourism industry in Nicaragua has long suffered from Nicaragua's poor reputation brought about by instability, revolution, and civil war. Even after the general security situation calmed following the peaceful transition to democratic rule in 1990, many of the remote areas that would be of interest to ecotourists remained dangerous.
Today there remain some remote areas, extremely high in biodiversity, that are still dangerous.
However, most of Nicaragua is now quite safe. The problem is a lingering negative perception of the country, especially in the prime ecotourism markets of North America. This presents a serious obstacle to the establishment of broad-based ecotourism. Another problem that continues to cripple tourism development, and by extension, ecotourism, is the critical lack of developed tourism infrastructure outside of Managua and a very few places along the Pacific coast. Even in these locations, the choices are extremely limited.