Nicaragua is marking Holy Week with a mix of religious devotion, family travel and local customs that give Semana Santa in the country a character all its own. As churches hold Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter observances, tourism officials have also rolled out a nationwide holiday agenda that includes more than 60 recreational, cultural, religious and beach events.
For many Nicaraguans, the season is split between faith and vacation. Beach destinations and tourism centers draw heavy traffic during the holiday period, with San Juan del Sur, Granada, León, Ometepe and other popular spots expected to see strong demand. Government-linked tourism coverage has projected national hotel occupancy between 60% and 70%, with some destinations reaching 80% to 100% during the week.
One of Nicaragua’s most distinctive Semana Santa traditions actually comes just before Holy Week begins. In Monimbó, Masaya, hundreds gather at the Magdalena church for the Saint Lazarus celebration, where residents bring dogs dressed in costumes to be blessed. The custom is tied to the biblical image of dogs licking the wounds of Lazarus, and reporting on the tradition says it also reflects deeper local and Indigenous roots.
Another tradition that stands out takes place on the water. In Granada, the aquatic Stations of the Cross brings small boats together in prayer as a central vessel carries an image of Christ through the Isletas on Lake Nicaragua. Catholic reporting on the procession says the event has been observed for more than four decades and includes 14 stations represented across the islets, turning one of the country’s best-known landscapes into a moving act of devotion.
In León, the indigenous community of Sutiaba prepares the alfombras pasionarias, or passion carpets, for Good Friday. Families and artisans create elaborate designs from dyed sawdust, grains and other materials along the street used for the Santo Entierro procession. Local tourism sources trace the tradition back to 1910, when the Rojas family created the first carpet, a practice that later spread through the neighborhood and became one of Nicaragua’s most recognized Holy Week expressions.
Beyond the religious calendar, Nicaragua’s tourism institute has promoted Holy Week as one of the country’s biggest domestic travel periods. This year’s official agenda includes beach festivals, food fairs, sports events and family activities around the country, including Caribbean Summer Fest events and Good Friday programming in Sutiaba tied to the passion carpets.
The result is a Holy Week that moves in two directions at once. In some parts of Nicaragua, the days are marked by solemn processions, prayer and centuries-old rituals. In others, families head to the coast, lakes and tourism centers for a long holiday break. Together, those traditions make Semana Santa one of the country’s most important religious and travel seasons of the year.
