Showing 1-8 of 8 results
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Arboretum Nacional
Opened in 1990 with the aim of raising local environmental awareness, the arboretum features more than 200 species of plants divided into Nicaragua's five major life zones. Only the Dry Tropical Forest and Central Lowlands exhibits look happy; that was one sad coffee plant. Look out for the madriño , the national tree, and the sacuanjoche , the national flower.
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Galería Códice
Besides being the hippest progressive art exhibition space in the country, Galería Códice's mix of openings, unusual performances and other offbeat offerings make it the place to hook up with Managua's creative elite.
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Huellas de Acahualinca
Discovered by miners in 1874, the Footprints of Acahualinca are perhaps Managua's most intriguing site, and shouldn't be missed. These fossilized tracks record the passage of perhaps 10 people - men, women and children as well as birds, raccoons and deer - across the muddy shores of Lago de Managua some 6000 years ago.
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Monumento a Rubén Darío
On the lake side of Plaza de la República, the Monumento a Rubén Darío was recently refurbished after the original 1933 statue fell into graffitied disrepair. A group of artists did a guerrilla installation, veiling the city's shame from public view and demanding poetic justice. In 1998 the cash-strapped government bowed to public opinion and, with Texaco Oil's help, restored the likeness of Nicaragua's favorite son. Toward the lake is the oblong Teatro Nacional Rubén Darío.
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Nueva Catedral
Just north of Metrocentro Mall is an unforgettable Managua landmark and the hemisphere's newest Nueva Catedral, an architectural marvel that leaves most visitors, well, scratching their heads. It's not a mosque, really: the 63 cupolas (or breasts, or eggs; speculation continues) symbolize Nicaragua's 63 Catholic churches, and also provide structural support during earthquakes - a good thing, since it sits astride a fault line.
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Palacio Nacional de la Cultura
Adjacent to the Old Cathedral, the 1935 Palacio Nacional de la Cultura houses the Museo Nacional. The timeline starts only 500 million years ago, as Nicaragua is one of the newest places on earth, and takes visitors through the formation of the lakes and volcanoes - not to mention gold mines - before getting to pre-Columbian statuary and one of the best pottery collections in the country, all well signed and explained.
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Parque de la Paz
The 1990 Peace Park is one of Managua's most interesting monuments. Its reflection pool is empty and the light rarely shines, but what remains are weapons - machine guns, pistols, even a tank - forever encased in concrete by former President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro. Sort of Mad Max meets Rollerball , it's not pretty or comfortable, but is worth seeing.
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Parque Histórico Nacional Loma de Tiscapa
Home to what's easily Managua's most recognizable landmark, Sandino's sombre silhouette, this national historic park was once the site of the Presidential Palace where Sandino and his men were executed in 1934. You can see the silhouette, hastily erected by the departing FSLN government in 1990, from almost anywhere in town.
Showing 1-8 of 8 results
