Mirador

Masaya & Los Pueblos Blancos


Catarina’s main claim to fame offers views across the startling blue waters of Laguna de Apoyo to Granada and Lago de Nicaragua all the way to Ometepe. This spot is rumored to have been the favourite place to meditate of a youthful Augusto C Sandino (Nicaraguan revolutionary who rebelled again the US), though don't come with expectations of peace and quiet, since the mirador comes with its own attendant circus of marimba players, street-food sellers and pony rides.

There’s a half-hour trail to the water, with excellent views.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Masaya & Los Pueblos Blancos attractions

1. Biblioteca Augusto C Sandino

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This simple corner building was the childhood home of revolutionary leader Augusto C Sandino. Now it's a library and small museum devoted to Sandino…

2. Mirador el Boquete

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From the village of Diriá, a road leads up to the Mirador el Boquete, a peaceful viewpoint overlooking Laguna de Apoyo, without the crowds that the…

3. Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Candelaria

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This canary-yellow church – the perfect centerpiece for this witchy town – has rather Gothic stone walls and an extra-interesting collection of saints. It…

4. Iglesia María Magdalena

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Iglesia María Magdalena, sort of the sister church to San Sebastián, is where many of Monimbó's most important festivals begin or end.

5. Iglesia San Sebastián

4.1 MILES

The original church at this location, also called Iglesia San Sebastián, was built around 1700; it was burned down by William Walker in 1856. The current…

6. Iglesia San Miguel de Masaya

4.42 MILES

The modern Iglesia de San Miguel, whose resident San Miguel Arcángel makes the rounds during the procession of St Jerome, is worth a peek.

7. Museo del Folclore

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Inside the Mercado Artesanías complex, this small museum focuses on dance, local myths and the cultural traditions of Masaya. Apart from excellent photos…

8. Parroquia de La Asunción

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At the center the town is the 1750 Parroquia de La Asunción, an attractive but scarred late-baroque beauty that the Spanish government has offered to help…