The Parque Central is downright audacious, a concrete confection of fountains and turtles with a very Jetsons-esque clock tower and a small locomotive sitting by the old Aduana building that's now a museum dedicated to Corinto's old railroad. A squat, green Catholic church is the final resting place of poet Azarías H Pallais, although most literature ignores him, noting instead that Isla El Cardón, just offshore, inspired Rubén Darío’s poem ‘A Margarita Debayle.’
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
20.08 MILES
Three blocks north of the cathedral, the 1786 Iglesia de la Recolección is considered the city’s most beautiful church, a Mexican-style baroque confection…
Reserva Natural Isla Juan Venado
13.72 MILES
This 20km-long, sandy barrier island (in some places only 300m wide) has swimming holes and lots of wildlife, including hundreds of migrating bird species…
Museo de Arte Fundación Ortiz-Gurdián
19.8 MILES
Probably the finest museum of contemporary art in all of Central America, the Ortiz-Gurdián Collection has spilled over from its original home in Casa Don…
11.86 MILES
Flor de Caña rum is among the world's finest and it has been produced in Chichigalpa since the distillery's founding in 1890. Visitors are initiated into…
Museo Histórico de la Revolución
19.97 MILES
León is the heart and soul of liberal Nicaragua. Stop into this museum for an overview of the Nicaraguan revolutionaries who stood up against the Somoza…
10.88 MILES
Anyone with even a passing interest in archaeology should stop in here, one of the finest museums in the country. The beautifully displayed collection…
20.06 MILES
Officially known as the Basílica de la Asunción, León’s cathedral is the largest in Central America, its expansive design famously (and perhaps…
Museo de Leyendas y Tradiciones
20.04 MILES
León’s most entertaining and eclectic museum is housed in La XXI (the 21st Garrison), decorated with murals graphically depicting methods the Guardia…
Nearby León & Northwestern Nicaragua attractions
10.29 MILES
Chinandega has some seriously striking churches, including the 1878 Iglesia Guadalupe, which despite the radiant – and rather grandiose – colonial-style…
10.41 MILES
This dramatic facade is painted pastel-yellow; inside, find delightful Easter egg–blue and yellow columns and arches.
10.62 MILES
This is Chinandega’s most important church, with a splendid Stations of the Cross, lots of gilt and some Russian Orthodox styling that have earned it the…
10.7 MILES
Features an art deco exterior, a nice bell tower, a simple interior hung with chandeliers and a beautiful blue-and-white tiled ceiling.
10.88 MILES
Anyone with even a passing interest in archaeology should stop in here, one of the finest museums in the country. The beautifully displayed collection…
11.86 MILES
Flor de Caña rum is among the world's finest and it has been produced in Chichigalpa since the distillery's founding in 1890. Visitors are initiated into…
7. Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción de la Virgen María
12.41 MILES
This beautiful church is home to Nicaragua’s patron saint and mistress of its biggest national religious event, La Gritería, when troupes of festejeros…
8. Reserva Natural Isla Juan Venado
13.72 MILES
This 20km-long, sandy barrier island (in some places only 300m wide) has swimming holes and lots of wildlife, including hundreds of migrating bird species…