This book interrogates the impact of tourism on local lives and environments along the southern Pacific Coast of Nicaragua. Nicaragua has turned to tourism to earn needed foreign exchange and to provide jobs. The unplanned boom, however, has come with costs to local environments. Using an in-depth case study of the community of Gigante and nearby tourism developments, the chapters delve into the impact of recent unregulated booms in tourism on groundwater, household water security, local economies, culture, land ownership, and artisanal fisheries.

Prof. Taylor is Professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment at the University of Denver. He is a highly accomplished geographer who has been studying and teaching about international development and conducting research in Central America for many years. His work is rigorous, theoretically significant, and well respected. The other authors also work at the same institute. Prof. Taylor focuses on human-environment relationships in Latin America.

Chapter 1. Background to Tourism in Nicaragua with a focus on the Pacific Coast.- Chapter 2. When the Wells Run Dry Tourisms Demand for Water and Responses to Water Insecurity.- Chapter 3. The Elitization of Space.- Chapter 4. When Tourism Collides with Local Livelihoods Artisanal Fisheries and Ownership of Sea Space.- Chapter 5. Nicaraguas Surfing Revolution Bringing Radical Changes to the Coast.- Chapter 6. Tourism and Conflict along Nicaraguas Pacific Coast What is in Store for the Future?.