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El Castillo del Cacao
On the road to San Ramón is Matagalpa’s sweetest site. You’ve seen the chocolate bars by now, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ve also tasted Castillo de Cacao. Now tour the ‘castle’ where they mix the cacao with sugar, cashews and coffee beans. A taxi from town costs US$1
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Isla Grande
Close to Altagracia, this island, basically a plantain finca (farm) gone feral, is rarely visited despite being a fantastic place for bird-watching. If you’re interested, you could certainly arrange a custom trip – ask at Hotel Castillo or at the artisan cooperative in the parque c
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La Pita
There are not many activities for visitors in this dynamic village, but it has some fine homestay options and its only a 30-minute walk from Cebollal. It is also the most convenient departure point for Pozo la Pila , a refreshing waterfall-fed swimming hole surrounded by high rock
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Museo y Galería de Héroes y Martires
Inside the alcaldía (mayor’s office), this museum honors Masayans who gave their lives during the revolution. There are walls of photos and interesting displays of bomb-building materials and weapons, as well as personal effects including musical instruments and a few Chorotegan fu
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Santuario Cerro Tepeyac
Climb the staircase that disappears into the trees at the northern end of town to find the final resting place of Father Odorico DAndrea at this hillside church modeled after the Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico. You can pay your respects at the popular priests grave out
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Pared de Serpientes
One of the most important petroglyphs in the region, the tantalizingly entitled Wall of Snakes has more than 25 beautifully preserved serpent-related drawings, and is evidently within easy walking distance of town. Unfortunately, it’s on private property (ask Cantur, downtown, abou
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Museo Archipiélago Solentiname
Follow the trail to the right of the dock uphill through the avocado grove, and you’ll find this museum.The view and surrounding gardens alone are worth the hike. And inside you’ll find terrific natural-history exhibits and cultural exhibits including a collection of pre-Columbian
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Museo Arqueológico Municipal Raúl Rojas
The closest thing to a tourist attraction in town, this is next to the alcaldía (mayor’s office), with more than 50 stone and ceramic pieces dug up in the immediate era, plus an impressive mural of Ticuantepe c AD 1200. If it’s closed, you may be able to gain entry by asking at the
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Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro
This 1863 church on the eastern side of parque central is worth a look for its attractive classical facade. Theres a kick-ass fresco in the cupola showing a battle at sea. Communism, Protestantism and secularism are the burning hulks, while the victorious ship entering the harbor i
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Reserva Silvestre Greenfields
This privately managed, 284-hectare wildlife reserve near Kukra Hill has tracts of both mangroves and jungle, and offers a variety of activities including canoeing, swimming and hiking. Advanced reservations essential. Theres also a comfortable cabaña (room including two meals US$1
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Crawl Key
This is a slender crescent of white sand bunched with soaring coconut palms. It’s also home to an unfinished three-story concrete monstrosity that was destined to be a private pad for a wealthy American until the community called in the authorities because the beach is a prime hawk
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Parque Central
The central plaza is constantly buzzing with man gossip thanks to the steady stream of ranchers who come to get their boots shined next to La Lustrador, the beloved statue of a shoe-shine boy. El Templo de Cultura , the large gazebo in the center, occasionally hosts live music and
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Finca Cerro de Jesús
In the community of El Escambray is perhaps the most spectacular of all the Jalapa sites. This 630-hectare property is set on Jalapa’s largest mountain, Cerro de Jesús (1885m). There are 600 manzanas of organic coffee, intact primary forest, a gushing 8m waterfall and, if you’re up
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UCA
Founded in 1960 as a Jesuit school, this is one of Nicaragua’s premier universities, with a science- and alternative-technology-heavy curriculum, Che Guevara sculptures, and vegetarian eateries out front. Worth a wander, in particular is the Centro Historia Militar, with relics fro
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Catholic Church
The newly renovated church, about two blocks downriver from the dock, is outfitted with funky stained-glass picture windows and a neon cross. It opens onto a cheery, palm-shaded parque central. You can climb the big hill just east of town, La Loma (Cerro de Rama), but you’ll need t
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Iglesia Veracruz
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 center, and as the indigenous counterpoint to La Gritería, on December 7 people gather here for a pre-Columbian festival involving to
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El Tamarindón
This is a huge tree where Adiáct, cacique (chief) of the Subtiava tribe during the Spanish conquest, was unceremoniously hanged so his people would see him as weak. Today ‘The Big Tamarindo’ is a rallying point for indigenous locals, who placed a plaque there in 2003 that declares
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Antigua Catedral
The hollow shell of Managua’s Old Cathedral remains Managua’s most poignant metaphor, shattered by the 1972 earthquake and, despite promises, never restored. Though still beautiful and serene, attended by stone angels and dappled in golden light, it is empty and off-limits; the cat
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Mi Museo
This museum displays an incredible private collection of ceramics dating from at least 2000 BC to the present. Hundreds of beautifully crafted pieces were chosen with as much an eye for their artistic merit as their archaeological significance. They are displayed in the grand old a
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Museo Ecológico Trópico Seco
This was Nicaragua’s first natural-history museum (sort of), with informative, if low-budget, displays that focus primarily on the ecosystem of the Río Grande de Corazo and turtles of the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Río Escalante Chacocente. The admission fee includes a Spanish-langu
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