As of October 2026, Horizon's Nicaragua eSIM plans name one partner network, Tigo Nicaragua, with 3G/4G where available. The page lists five plans, from 1 GB for 7 days to 25.6 GB for 30 days. Each one is data-only, so the eSIM runs beside your own SIM: install it at home over Wi-Fi and switch the line on once you are in Nicaragua.
Below are the network, the plan sizes, the setup, the arrival in Managua and the parts of a typical route where the signal comes and goes.
The network the Nicaragua plans name
Horizon's Nicaragua page names Tigo Nicaragua as the partner network, listed with 3G/4G where available. It is not listed with 5G. The badge describes what the network supports, not what a lake ferry, a volcano slope or a surf beach will give you: which generation your phone shows depends on the device, the location and local conditions. Reception may vary by area.
The Nicaragua data plans
As of October 2026, the page lists these plans:
| Data | Validity |
|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 days |
| 3 GB | 15 days |
| 10 GB | 7 days |
| 10 GB | 30 days |
| 25.6 GB | 30 days |
The largest plan holds 25,600 MB, which the page shows as 25.6 GB. Current prices are on the destination page, because they follow the live catalogue.
Count the days first. A short stay split between Granada and León fits a small plan. The usual longer loop adds Ometepe and the Pacific coast around San Juan del Sur, and with it ferry times, shuttle bookings, maps on dirt roads and photos from every stop. For ten days or more of that, compare the 10 GB plan for 30 days with the 7-day plans, and size up if a laptop will share the connection.
Set it up before you fly
Check that your phone supports eSIM on the supported devices page, and that it is not locked to your home carrier. Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, following how to install an eSIM for iPhone or Android. Your installation details are in My eSIMs. Give the line a clear name, such as "Nicaragua data", and keep it switched off until you arrive.
Save the QR code and installation instructions securely, somewhere you can access without this phone. Keep the eSIM installed. If you delete it or change phones, contact support before trying to reinstall; reuse of the QR code is not guaranteed.
Validity does not start until your eSIM first connects to a supported mobile network at your destination. Installing the eSIM does not start its validity, so there is no need to wait until the last evening.
Landing in Managua
International flights arrive at Augusto C. Sandino International Airport, east of central Managua. Granada and León are both reached by road from the capital, so the first map you need is often the one for the drive out of Managua. Once you are in Nicaragua:
- Turn the Horizon line on.
- Choose it as the line for mobile data.
- Turn on data roaming for the Horizon line only.
- Keep mobile data off on your home SIM, unless you accept your home operator's charges.
Keep the shuttle booking, the first address and an offline map on the phone before you board.
Hotspot, calls and your own number
Hotspot sharing is free on every Horizon plan. A laptop or a friend's phone on your hotspot uses the same data allowance as your own apps.
The plans include no Nicaraguan number. Your home SIM can stay in the phone, so your usual number remains with you; whether it can make calls or receive texts in Nicaragua, and the cost, is decided by your home operator. That is worth checking before the trip if your bank sends one-time codes by text.
Lake crossings, volcanoes and surf beaches
Ometepe is an island in Lake Nicaragua, reached by ferry from San Jorge, and the crossing is open water. Volcano walks such as Mombacho or Cerro Negro and the beaches north and south of San Juan del Sur, several of them down rough access roads, are where reception tends to thin out. The Corn Islands lie far off the Caribbean coast and are usually reached by plane from Managua. Save ferry times, the lodge's directions and offline maps before you set off.
Nicaragua borders Honduras and Costa Rica. A Nicaragua plan covers Nicaragua only, so a route that continues south through Peñas Blancas needs a plan for Costa Rica.
Short answers
Which network do the Nicaragua plans name? Tigo Nicaragua, with 3G/4G where available.
Can I install the eSIM before I travel? Yes. Install it at home over Wi-Fi and keep the line off until you arrive. Installing the eSIM does not start its validity.
Do I get a Nicaraguan phone number? No. The plans are data-only, and internet calls and messaging apps use the data allowance.
Can I share the connection with a laptop? Yes. Hotspot sharing is free on every Horizon plan, and the laptop uses the same data allowance.
What if the data runs out before I leave? A top-up adds a plan to the eSIM already on your phone, so there is no new QR code to scan. If the data has already run out, buy it over Wi-Fi. The top-up page explains how it works.
