Imagine waking to a symphony of tropical birds and brilliant sunshine. You walk into the open-air, center courtyard of your colonial home and pour yourself a rich cup of locally grown coffee.

You might start the day with a dip in your pool…or perhaps walk the narrow, cobblestoned streets to a nearby café to enjoy the company of your friends and neighbors.

Maybe you’ll spend the afternoon on Lake Nicaragua or exploring the countryside…or just relaxing in town, in one of the best and oldest colonial environments in the Americas.

There is graceful, Old World living to be enjoyed today in Nicaragua’s two best colonial cities—and at bargain prices…

So says Lee Harrison in the July issue of International Living magazine.

Lee was in Nicaragua to find out how time has changed it. The answer, he writes, is that it’s now better than ever, with expat and tourist traffic rising sharply.

First up, it’s hard to find a city with a better lifestyle or a better expat infrastructure than colonial Granada. It offers most everything you could want as an expat. Everything’s close at hand, and the town is completely walkable.

And Granada doesn’t feel phony or artificial; you’ll know you’re in the heart of Latin America. Just check out this short video Lee made and you’ll see what I mean.

In the heart of this beautiful city Lee found amazing deals on genuine colonial homes. In fact, Lee writes in the July issue  that in all his travels he has found no better place than Granada to buy a classic, Spanish-colonial courtyard home.

He found a dozen such homes here for less than $200,000. And if a fixer-upper suits your style you’ll find details on homes for as little as $50,000 in this month’s issue of International Living magazine.

Lee’s second stop, León, is the heart and soul of Nicaragua, a university town and the country’s cultural and intellectual capital.

And Lee found significant changes to the city on this latest trip. Just check out this short video.

There aren’t many places left where you can live in old-fashioned colonial splendor. And the time to act is now—prices are already rising and inventory is limited.

The opportunities here will soon be a thing of the past.

Lee’s comprehensive report appears in the July issue of IL magazine, get your copy now.