Must see attractions in León

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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…

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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…

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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…

Officially known as the Basílica de la Asunción, León’s cathedral is the largest in Central America, its expansive design famously (and perhaps…

León’s most entertaining and eclectic museum is housed in La XXI (the 21st Garrison), decorated with murals graphically depicting methods the Guardia…

The Subtiaba neighborhood is centered on this church, located about 1km west of the León cathedral. It’s better known as ‘Catedral Subtiaba,’ and is the…

Nicaragua's most famous poet, Rubén Dario, lived in this house for the first 14 years of his life – indeed, he started writing poetry right here at age 12…

The Guardia Nacional’s last holdout in León can be reached by the 2.5km dirt road from the western side of Guadalupe cemetery, on the southern border of…

Call ahead to make sure this intriguing museum is open. You’ve probably noticed this neighborhood’s churches are in some disrepair, a situation that…

This interesting little museum inside the Casa Cultural de Subtiaba, is a beautifully muraled building; you may need to ask that it be opened. You’re…

The 1639 Iglesia de San Francisco is one of the oldest in the city, a national heritage site with lots of gold, a gorgeous nave, and a rococo interior. It…

Home to León’s patron saint, la Virgen de la Merced, this is considered the city’s second-most-important church. After Volcán Momotombo erupted and forced…

A hodgepodge of neoclassical and baroque styles, the richly hued El Calvario dates from the 18th century. It's notable, among other attributes, for the…

A homage to León’s more recent history is found at the Galería de Héroes y Mártires, run by mothers of FSLN veterans and fallen heroes, with murals,…

Well signed 1½ blocks away from San Juan Bautista, this church was (according to local legend) cursed by duendes (fairies), and by the looks of it the…

A few blocks west of the Iglesia Santiago are the ruins of this 16th-century church destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1835. It remains a spiritual…

For a truly comprehensive collection of creepy crawlies, butterflies, scorpions and other critters from all over Central America, drop into this private…

An early 20th-century landmark, the Casa del Obrero (House of the Worker) honors Nicaraguan laborers. The building became a historical symbol on September…

This church, two blocks east and one block south of San Juan Bautista, was constructed between 1706 and 1718. It's considered one of the best examples of…

This quaint park has a statue of the poet master and busts of other, lesser Leónese poets, including Alfonso Cortés (1893–1969), Azarias H Pallais (1884…