Located only 16 miles from Managua, on the way to the colonial town of Granada, Masaya is famous for its traditional handicrafts. Leather goods, large hammocks, hemp tapestries, embroidered dresses, carved masks, toad skin purses, jewellery and rocking chairs can all be found at a number of open-air markets and under the roof of the labyrinthine Mercadeo de las Artesanias.

The town sits on the edge of a volcanic crater lake under Volcán Masaya, both of which can be admired from the malecón. Masaya was a Sandinista stronghold during the revolution, and an exhibition at the Museo y Galería de Héroes y Mártires tells of the role the town and its people played. (Open: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to noon, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
See the feature on Masaya and Masaya Volcano

The entrance to the national park lies just outside Masaya. From there, there is a 7 km drive through cliffs of solidified lava and patches of tropical forest, past fumaroles and bubbling mud, to the rim of an active volcanic crater.

The Spanish erected a cross here in an attempt to dissuade Indians from tossing virgins into the crater to appease the god of fire, and a cross still stands on the spot.

The park contains a museum, natural history exhibition (stuffed animals in bad repair) and information center. (Open: Tuesday - Sunday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m)

The spirit of colonial times lives on in the beautiful city of Granada. Founded in 1524, it is one of the oldest cities on the continent. Its strategic position on the shores of Lake Nicaragua made it an important trading post, and the fertile farming land that surrounded it, ensured the city's continued prosperity throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Its largely European population was cosmopolitan and wealthy and among the grand, if somewhat delapidated, houses lining the streets are spendid examples of classical Italian architecture.

 Several areas of Spanish colonial buildings are being restored, thanks to international funding; their adobe walls repaired and repainted in the original reds, ochres, yellows and blues and broken tiles replaced in the shady, internal courtyards.

Horse drawn carts are used instead of taxis to take people to the lakeshore stretch of restaurants and bars. An archipelago of more than 350 small islands is just 15 minutes from the city by boat. Boats can be hired from many of the restaurants or from the dock at Asese.
See our special feature section on Granada
 

As home to the world's only freshwater sharks, Lake Nicaragua is not the best place for a quick dip, but boat excursions to its many islands are highly recommended.

 The two main starting points for trips to the islands are Granada and San Jorge, near Rivas. There are over 400 islands, 300 of which are known collectively as Las Isletas, and are clustered together just offshore from Granada. A second archipelago, Solentiname, lies at the southern end of the lake.

 Zapatera, the second largest island in the lake, lies just a little further south and is also easily accessible from Granada. The largest island, Ometepe is closer to the dock at San Jorge.

According to Indian legend, the Chorotega and Nahua tribes migrated south from Mexico in search of a place prophets had described as an island with two mountains rising from a freshwater sea. Ometepe, with its twin volcanoes, fitted the description and petroglyphs, sculptures and tombs show that the tribes did indeed settle here. Indian artefacts have also been found on Zapatera and the Solentiname archipelago.

Ometepe can be explored by bus, on horseback or on foot. As well as trips to the petroglyphs, visitors can hike up the flanks of the (live) volcano Concepción and through farmland and beautiful forests filled with wildlife, to the crater lake at Volcán Madera.

 The two main towns are Moyogalpa and Altogracia and guides, basic food and accommodation can be found at both but several ferries a day, make it easy getting back to shore.

 The Solentiname archipelago has long been famous as an artist colony and the distinctive works by the Solentiname school of painters, brightly colored and primitive in style, are much valued.

 The lake is 8157 sq km and connected to the Caribbean by the navigable Rio San Juan.
 

See the feature Lake Nicaragua

"And so we started down the broad and beautiful river in the gray down of the balmy summer morning..." wrote Samuel Clemens (later to be known as Mark Twain) at the beginning of the description of the journey he made down the San Juan River in 1866.

 Long before Twain, British Admiral Horatio Nelson cruised the river. He fought the Spanish before surrendering to them at El Castillo, a mighty old fortress, the ruins of which can still be seen. The fortress was built in 1675 to block attacks on León and Granada by rampaging pirates.

 The San Juan River which is part of a natural border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica has been the site of many explorations throughout the centuries by teams of surveyors hoping to use it as a possible link between the Caribbean and Pacific.

For much of its 180 km course, the San Juan passes through dense jungle, making it a popular destination for nature lovers wanting to see tropical exuberance in comfort.

San Juan del Sur, 90 miles south of Managua is a watersport paradise. Giant sea bass, red snapper, moray and marlin abound in its shallow bay waters, making sportfishing popular (see our fishing trip information) , and the clear waters are excellent for diving and underwater photography. Boats and yachts are available as well as professional diving and underwater fishing equipment.

 Surfers should head to La Boquita which has excellent surfing waves as does Poneloya, further north.

 Montelimar is a popular weekend destination for people living in Managua. The wide stretch of beach is fringed with palm trees. There is a luxurious beach resort here, built around a luxurious colonial home once owned by the Somoza family.

 The Islas del Maíz or Corn Islands, lie 70 km off the Caribbean coast are two tiny islands, one of which has very basic tourist facilities. The big attractions are the clear, blue sea, coral reefs, white sand and absolute peace.
 

León was founded in 1524, 32 km away from where it currently stands. The original city was destroyed by earthquake in 1610 and a new location selected for the rebuilding. Despite this slight hiccup, León remained the capital of Nicaragua until 1857.

 Its churches are among the finest in the country and the cathedral, which narrowly escaped being bombed in the revolution, is the largest in Central America.

Rubén Darío , regarded as one of Latin America's finest poets, was born in León in 1867 and the house in which he spent his childhood is now the Museo Rubén Darío. (Open: Tuesday-Saturday 8:a.m. - noon, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sundays: 9:00 a.m. to noon.)

 Another poet is remembered by a plaque. Rigoberto López Pérez dressed as a waiter and entered a party held at a León house to assassinate then President, Anastasio Somoza García in 1956.

 León is an important cultural center and craftsmen and primitive painters sell their work in small stores and open air markets throughout the city. The ruins of the original Spanish settlement, León Viejo, are being excavated and are interesting to explore.
 

The highlands of Northern Nicaragua offer visitors relief from the heat. There are cloud forests in the provinces of Jinotega and Matagalpa, filled with howler monkeys, spider monkeys plenty of birdlife including quetzals, bromeliads, ferns and orchids. There are plenty of mountain streams and small lakes, ideal for fishing, and a number of mountain lodges offering homely accommodation and good cuisine.

 Selva Negra, north of Matagalpa is excellent for hiking and the Selva Negra Hotel makes a good base from which to do it.  

The large region Nicaraguans call their Atlantic Coast actually covers more than 50 percent of the national territory. Very few people live in this vast area of lowland jungle where rivers are the main form of transport. Most inhabitants are groups of Miskitos, Sumus and Ramas (whose origins are part Indian and part African).

The area, known as the Mosquitia region was not colonised by the Spanish, but at the request of its inhabitants, protected against the Spanish by the British. Because of its status as a British protectorate and the colonial contacts with the British Caribbean islands, many people speak a mixture of English and their own native languages.

 This part of Nicaragua is a fascinating challenge for the adventurous traveler. The northern section is crossed by a rugged road starting in Matagalpa which goes all the way to Puerto Cabezas on the Caribbean. A much better road goes from Managua to Rama in the south. The rest of the journey to the city of Bluefields on the Caribbean is via the majestic Escondido river.

 Once on the coast, you can enjoy fishing in calm estuaries and lagoons, snorkeling in the coral reefs or sunbathing in long, white, deserted beaches although you will need to take a boat trip away from the main towns to find the best spots. There is very little tourist infrastructure here.
But there are tours! 

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