Activities in Masaya
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Los Agüizotes
Los Agüizotes is an important celebration, featuring spirits of the dead and characters from indigenous horror stories (many originating during the Spanish conquest). The Headless Priest and La Carreta Nagua (Chariot of Death) are used throughout the year to scare children into better behavior, but on the last Friday in October make their way through the streets of Monimbó and Masaya.
Costumes are prepared the night before in a ceremony called La Vela de Candil (Vigil of the Candle). They are placed on a table with a large candle in the middle, and those watching over it throughout the night keep themselves awake with fireworks, live music, alcohol and dancing, after wh…
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Tourist Train
If you're here between Thursday and Sunday, consider taking the cute little tourist train from Hotel Madera's Inn on a guided tour of Masaya. Highlights include the malecón (waterfront), Iglesia de San Jerónimo and the old 1926 train station (Av Zelaya), which unfortunately remains closed to the public.
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Servitour Monimbó
Most people organize tours from Granada, but there is one homegrown Masaya outfit, Servitour Monimbó. It offers inexpensive tours of local crafts workshops, as well as trips to Aguas Clara hot springs and Reserva Natural El Chocoyero-El Brujo. Most trips are geared toward larger groups.
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Horse-drawn Carriage
One of the best ways to see the town is in a horse-drawn carriage. Skinny horses may dissuade some would-be riders, but note that Granada's burgeoning tourist industry (ie horrified, complaining tourists) has inspired some serious equine weight-gain.
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