Jinotega

Jinotega, like Esteli, is a working town. It is where people of the region go to stock up on supplies--whether it be canned food or car parts.

Smaller than Esteli (I would guess 30,000) but similar in many ways. More small tiendas and auto parts stores than anything special. Upscale is not a word that comes to mind. But, it isn't a slum either--just a regular town.

There are two bus stations. The south one--which is more like a parking lot than anything else--is for busses to/from the south which includes Matagalpa and Managua. The other one, maybe 1km north looks more like what you would expect in a town such as Jinotega. That is, mud and dirt, gobs of people, livestock and everything else you could imagine. No way threatening but not what a "city slicker" would expect.

If you are looking for real restaurants or hotels, head toward the center of town. Use the church or the Enitel tower as a clue where it is. You will find most everything you could imagine within a few blocks of the park. See the photos section of this site for some images in town.