INTUR Central (505-2-222-3333, www.intur.gob.ni), one block west and one south of Crowne Plaza, can provide a list of Managuan-based tour operators as well as maps, brochures and other information.
The INTUR list of 24 tour operators cover every sort of excursion: from Nicaraguan safaris to lake tours and trips around the country’s volcanoes. If you’d rather explore on your own, a good first stop is the distant Marena Central (Ministry of the Environment & Natural Resources, 505-2-263-2830, www.marena.gob.ni) office. The officials there are extremely helpful and generous with both their time and maps of Nicaragua’s protected areas, possibly because no one ever makes the jaunt out to their office. If you’d like to get copies of all of their maps, carry a memory card with you.