Where do the inhabitants of León, Nicaragua, go to if they need some time off at the beach? It is most probably Las Peñitas – a fishermen’s village located just twenty kilometers (or one hour in a chicken bus) from León. It is named after the rocks spread in some parts of the beautiful sand beach which is used for surfing. Along the beach you’ll find lots of relaxed bars and hotels; the sundown there is simply awesome.
Las Peñitas is not a top tourist location and therefore it is a more authentic place to be. You won’t find impressive sights that your guidebook lists, but you can hang out in a quiet and relaxed place. And if you get up early enough you can see the fishermen go out for fishing. Additionally, the natural reserve San Juan Venado is just next door. If you’re lucky you can observe some turtles released to the water or spot a crocodile in the wild. If not the mangrove trees standing in the water and the many birds in this area make this a trip worth to take.
Times aren’t as good as they could be for Las Peñitas. When in 2018 political protests against the social security reforms of Ortega began, authorities started to shoot at the protestors. In addition to this tragedy, tourism naturally went down. And the COVID-19 pandemic had the country disconnected from international air transit for several months. Tourism as a major income source is just slowly recovering and so is Las Peñitas. The infrastructure is there and you can enjoy a relaxed time at the beach – but the village isn’t as lively as in former days.
Las Peñitas
Nicaragua
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