Although you won’t find many foreign travelers there, the small town of El Rama plays a significant role in Nicaragua’s trade route as well as offering an affordable means of transport between the mainland and the Caribbean Coast.
El Rama’s location is what gives the town such national importance, although it has caused several problems as well since the town has been used as a center of military trade, devastated by a hurricane and attacked by Contras. There is a road, also called El Rama that leads from the edge of Lake Managua to the small town. The road is largely used for transport and trade.
El Rama is also situated at the mouth of three rivers, Mico, Rama and Escondido, the latter being the most significant of the three. Escondido empties into the Atlantic Ocean, which puts El Rama in the center of coast-to-coast trades as well as international ones. The town’s international port does frequent business with Panama, Tampa, Miami, New York and other countries.
During Hurricane Joan, El Rama was completely submerged under water; there have since been warning devices installed to warn residents before hurricane surges so they have a chance to evacuate. The town had already been in the center of an invasive and economically draining military trade during the Nicaraguan civil war. The Contras destroyed a large part of the Rama highway, but the Nicaraguan government was able to rebuild the route in 2000.
Despite a history of adversity, El Rama has recovered and is now a well-functioning town of over 5,000 people. Catholic missionaries from the United States contributed largely to the development of the town's church, which is called la Iglesia de Dios de la Profecía, or the Church of the Prophecy of God. They also assisted in the development of schools and several local human rights and community organizations.
Today, El Rama is a small and friendly port town with several services such as banks, tourist information centers and internet cafés, along with stores and restaurants. Local specialties include anything from $1.00 Nacatamal (a potato stuffed with meat and cheese, wrapped in a banana leaf) to lobster for $15.00.
Accommodation options vary as well, from several $3-$5 hospedajes, with a small bed and a fan in each room, to $35 hotel rooms with a double bed, air conditioning, cable TV and 24-hour running water, which is an added convenience in Nicaragua where water is known to stop running for hours, even days at a time.