Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The Área Protegida Miraflor northeast of Estelí, Nicaragua, is on the one hand a nature protection zone with beautiful forests and on the other hand an area of rural farming. Not too many tourists find their way on the non-paved roads to this special area of the country. Temperatures are different to those in the lower regions, infrastructure is less good – but therefore you can experience the rural life and try the products produced here.
Continue reading “Miraflor”
At the central square of León, Nicaragua, you’ll find the Real e Insigne Basílica de la Asunción de la Bienaventurada Virgen María – the Baroque style cathedral completely painted in white to protect against the sun. It was finished in the year 1860 and is today a UNESCO world heritage site. The cathedral is beautifully decorated outside and inside; it contains an impressive large Way of the Cross and is the burial place for several important poets, including the famous Rubén Darío.
Continue reading “White cathedral”
The Reserva Natural Isla Juan Venado is a nature protection zone close to Las Peñitas, Nicaragua. Rivers running in parallel to the beach create a long-stretched island that is used by an endless number of turtles to lay their eggs. Along the rivers you’ll find a vast mangrove forest that gives a home to many different species; lots of birds, iguanas, crabs, fishes jumping out of the water to hunt insects and crocodiles.
Continue reading “Cocodrilos”
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.
Continue reading “Fishermen‘s village”
The Volcán Masaya is the most heavily venting volcano of Nicaragua. While the lava is continuously bubbling you’re nevertheless allowed to get up and have a look into the crater. The mountain is 635 meters high and pre-Columbian civilizations called it the ‘burning mountain’ (Popogatepe). Its eruptions have been seen as a sign of enraged gods and therefore children and virgins have been offered to calm them – not the last time that people fell into the hot lava.
Continue reading “La Boca del Infierno”
Whether you want to buy some souvenirs like a tourist or buy some shoes, toys or food: shopping is different in Nicaragua and it mostly happens at markets outside. A good place to learn about this is Masaya where they have two markets, one for tourists and one for locals. But first you’ll have to find them in this confusing and busy city known for the artisan production of hammocks.
Continue reading “Shopping worlds”
If you want to enjoy the best view on the Laguna de Apoyo, the lake inside a former volcano crater west of Granada, you’ll have to visit the Mirador de Caterina. It belongs to the city of Catarina in the Masaya region and sits on top of the mountain range surrounding the lagoon. As you can guess the Calle hacia El Mirador guides you to your destination and at the end there is a paid parking area and lots of seats on which you can enjoy sundown over the lake.
Continue reading “Mirador de Catarina”
The Laguna de Apoyo west of Granada, Nicaragua, is a little piece of heaven: a sweet water lake inside a former volcano. The region is a nature protection area but around the lake you’ll find a hand full of hotels and hostels blending into the forest. Some people just get here for a day trip. The hotels allow entrance for a small fee, you can use their facilities and are well-catered. But to be honest: it is best to stay here for some days, go swimming for sunrise and enjoy the natural beauty inside the crater.
Continue reading “Laguna de Apoyo”
When you’re leaving the city center of Granada, Nicaragua, to the east you’ll reach the Malécon at the Cocibolca lake. Don’t expect a promenade with many people passing along or bars and restaurants. It is the chance to have a look at the lake or to get onto the pier to catch a ship going to the Isletas, to Zapatera or Ometepe. If you want to have a drink you need to walk along the shore further to the south, to a place flagged as Centro Turístico.
Continue reading “Malécon”
People sitting on benches chatting, children chasing pigeons, merchants selling their products on a small market, horse carriages waiting for passengers to jump in. The Parque Central of Granada, Nicaragua, is as usual in colonial cities the heart of the town, the living room, the meeting place. Bars, restaurants and hotels surround this place which makes a good starting point for a visit to the city. Fountains and statues, dedicated to national poet Rubén Darío, to the country Nicaragua and to mothers in general decorate the place.
Continue reading “Parque Central”