Survivor: Nicaragua will be the twenty-first season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. It is set to air during the 2010–2011 fall television season and will move back to its 8 pm Wednesday slot for the first time since Survivor: Borneo.

The location of Nicaragua was announced at the conclusion of the finale of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. It has been reported that the 22nd season will also take place in Nicaragua, and both seasons will be filmed near San Juan del Sur.

Survivor host, Jeff Probst, has also announced that the "Hidden Immunity Idol" will be reintroduced this season. However, the Idol will be hidden according to the "Russell Factor", after Russell Hantz easily found the Idol multiple times in the previous two seasons. Just what the "Russell Factor" really is remains to be announced.

Some of the factors taken into consideration when assessing Nicaragua’s potential as a host were the country’s climatic conditions, the ability to accommodate the show´s crew, access to filming areas and the existence of spectacular natural beauties. Another key decision factor was the support received from the Government of Nicaragua and other local institutions involved during the process.

The show consists of filming the daily lives of 20 contestants who will compete to survive in the beaches of San Juan del Sur, in the department of Rivas, for almost 40 days without food or shelter. Contestants will be divided into two tribes to compete for rewards or immunity; the challenges can be games of skills, strategy and endurance. The last remaining contestant will earn the title of Sole Survivor and will win a US$1 million prize.

The show will have a big impact on Nicaragua’s tourism sector and its economy, generating approximately 200 jobs during the six month period in which it will be produced. “The show marks the arrival of Nicaragua as the emerging tourism destination in the region, we have become a point of reference for vacation and retirement and we’ll now gain international recognition as a shooting location too” said Javier Chamorro, Executive Director of PRONicaragua.

A season of Survivor produces 15 hours of television that are watched by 15 million American viewers per week on primetime television over a 14-week period. Survivor also airs in 154 countries around the world, reaching an international audience of 100 million.

Survivor has been named the best non-script drama of all times, winning two Emmy Awards in 2001. The Survivor format has been adapted for numerous international versions of the show, including Italy’s “Celebrity Island” and Spain’s “Supervivientes”, both of which have filmed in Nicaragua earlier this year.

In recent years, San Juan del Sur has drawn international attention as an exotic tourism hotspot due to its traditional town life, its world-renowned beaches for surfing and its first-class tourism developments.