Must see attractions in Northern Highlands

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The Coco (or Wangki), Central America’s longest river, runs all the way to the Caribbean, but its first impression may be its most spectacular. Gushing…

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A steep yet worthwhile hour’s hike from the cemetery and embedded in a boulder-crusted ridge is the town cross, originally placed here in 1703 by…

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Be sure to stop by this moving gallery devoted to fallen revolutionaries, with displays of faded photos, clothes and weaponry. Check out the exhibit (with…

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Commander Carlos Fonseca, the Sandinista equivalent of Malcolm X (read: bespectacled, goateed, intense, highly charismatic), grew up desperately poor in…

What is possibly the most enchanting nature reserve in northern Nicaragua has the mossy, misty, life-altering cloud-forest scenery you’ve been waiting for…

If you’re looking for comfort with your virgin cloud forest experience, then Selva Negra – part family resort, part coffee farm and part rainforest…

Nicaragua's highest peak, Cerro Mogotón (2107m) towers over the coffee fields of Nueva Segovia, close to the Honduran border. Once off-limits due to land…

Beginning in 1955, the revered Father Odorico D’Andrea turned this antiquated cathedral into a labor of divine love. It’s impeccably restored, with a…

This destination for wildlife lovers is where you’ll find the best remaining patch of virgin cloud forest (although deforestation is a serious issue),…

Artist and naturalist Alberto Gutiérrez is, some might say, a bit of a hermit – but a welcoming one who loves showing off his orchid-studded property,…

Surrounded by ethereal cloud forest, La Bujona is a wide wall of water that crashes over the rock face in various streams. It feels far from civilization…

Both coffee enthusiasts and nature lovers will be enamored with this fantastic private reserve with comfortable cabañas (dorm/room per person including…

In Tisey’s lower elevations, just 5km from Estelí, is the inspiring Salto Estanzuela, a gushing 36m waterfall that careens over a bromeliad-studded cliff…

The jewel of Ciudad Antigua is the sensational Santuario de los Milagros, with its gorgeous brick arches and enormous wooden doors. Check out the Christ…

A small layered waterfall feeds this lovely, round swimming hole enclosed by rock walls. The water flows from a local spring, so it's clean, and unlike…

This lookout point near Coyolito is perched at 1100m in the dry zone and offers fine views down the valley.

The lowest settlement in Miraflor, Coyolito is also the warmest and closest to Estelí. It offers magnificent views, especially from the Mirador La Meseta,…

Climb the steep staircase that disappears into the trees at the northern end of town to find the final resting place of Father Odorico D'Andrea, set at…

This friendly community is surrounded by coffee farms managed by three working cooperatives. Sontule families once worked for just four prominent…

Somoto's 'other' natural reserve, around 15km to the southwest of town, is rarely visited but has a hiking trail and is a popular spot for horseback…