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Introducing Matagalpa
This is the gateway to Nicaragua's most impressive mountain range, and as such one might think this would be a misty and untouched mountain village. Nope - that'd be Jinotega, just up the road. Matagalpa, Náhuatl for 'Ten Cities,' is a bustling and cosmopolitan regional capital, a sea of urban sprawl straining against the natural reserves and mountain barriers that hem it all in. Cars honk and sidewalks bustle in the cool mountain air as rural visitors run their big-city errands. This is the nerve center for Nicaragua's vital and gourmet coffee-growing industry, and these are the people who make sure you get your fix.
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If it's all a little too overcaffeinated for you, wild nature - and lots of it - is just a short hike away. Matagalpa makes a very comfortable, even sophisticated, base for cloud-forest reserves and coffee-related tours, including one organization that will put you up in a grower's home so you can see firsthand what that few cents extra for a cup of Fair Trade coffee really buys. And when you come back to the big city, you'll appreciate the great restaurants, hotels and nightlife even more.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
