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Difference In Nicaragua Cities??
Submitted by marilucuna on Thu, 2008/09/18 - 13:44.
I am thinking about traveling to Nicaragua next year and want to ask if anyone could tell me the difference between Managua, Leon & Granada as far places to see, things to do, hotels to stay at. I am not sure which to visit and was hoping to get as much information as possible on all 3 places.
welcome to N.L.
You will be able to find answers galore with reference to your question(s) if you use the Search top right. Just make sure you click the nicaliving button. There are other parts of Nicaragua which you may find tempting to visit.
My views
Managua is the capital, therefore, the largest and only one vaguely resembling a city in the US sense.
Leon, and Granada are still looking more like the towns the Spaniards built 400 years ago. They are much older than Managua. Leon was the capital originally by a lake, devastated by a volcano, moved farther about 30 mi, got into fights with Granada about which one should be the capital, and then Managua was given the title, as a compromise between the two older towns. Additionally, Managua was devastated by a earthquake in 1972 and the hulks are still there.
Managua is more for business around a polluted(by humans) lake. Granada is the pretiest one, more colonial and around the big lake, and Leon, dirtier and poorer, has these huge 400 years old cathedrals and curches.
Where you go, try to look beyond the misery, dirt and trash, and try to stick to somebody who knows the culture.
Leon, Granada, or Managua?
Each city is great in it's own way. Hugojose's comments should be very helpful.
In my view, GRANADA is the most visitor friendly. There is a great steakhouse behind the cathedral in the central park. It is a fairly clean city and there are day trips to Masaya Volcano and Market, or the Mambacho Volcano and Laguna Apoyo and the shops at San Juan de Oriente (better buys on pottery than Masaya) - all very enjoyable.
LEON is also beautiful and well worth the visit. There is a very nice little hotel called Posada del Doctor and an enjoyable open air resturante on the parque central that I would highly recommend. The hotel and resturante are both owned by Marcela Marin-Saravia, a very lovely and gracious entrepreneur.
MANAGUA is the greatest challenge but if your into adventure it's a facinating place. If you rent a car and get lost, just go down hill. This will eventually take you north toward the lake and you will hit Careterra Norte, the Pan Am Hwy. From there you can get directions to anywhere.
If you drive from Managua to Jinotepe or Diriamba, take the Masaya Hwy to the 17km marker and turn west through Ticuantepe. This will take you along some mountain top roads with beautiful hillsides covered in pineapple farms. The weather is generally more pleasant in the mountains.
November is in the end of the rainy season. It will taper off toward the end of November and into December. (Some hotels host big celebrations during December, some are very loud.) From then through March and April the vegetation is spectacularly lush and even the dryer areas are green. Later some areas get very dry and barren.
You will find some good touristy info at www.vianica.com.