SAN JUAN DE LIMAY

Since 1972, Limay’s claim to fame has been its marmolina (soapstone) sculptors, trained by a priest named Eduardo Mejía so they could improve their living conditions. Padre Mejía helped the new artists mine the soapstone from nearby Mt. Tipiscayán (Ulúa-Matagalpa for mountain of the toucan), develop their talent, and market their beautifully polished long-necked birds, kissing swans, iguanas, and Rubenesque women. After the revolution, minister of culture, Ernesto Cardenal, helped the sculptors organize a short-lived cooperative. A core of local carvers still lives and works in Limay, and you can watch them work and purchase some pieces with little effort. In town, just ask for the artesanos de piedra.

  Nearby Río Los Quesos meanders outside the city limit. Ask a local kid to show you Poza La Bruja swimming hole, ringed with pre-Columbian petroglyphs. Find a place to bed down for the night at Pensión Guerrero (warrior pensione; a pink corner building located one block north of the Catholic church, $2.50 s). Limay is part of a sister-city program with Baltimore, Maryland.