LEÓN AND THE VOLCANIC LOWLANDS

The northwestern plains of Nicaragua comprise the most populated, agriculturally fertile, and swelteringly hot corner of the country. The centerpiece of the landscape—a massive chain of active volcanoes that stretches northwest from Lake Xolotlán all the way to the Gulf of Fonseca—is striking, especially when one or more of them is trailing gases and ash into the white-hot sky. The long Pacific coastline of the region boasts white- and black-sand beaches, mangrove habitat, and hundreds of kilometers of bird-filled estuaries.

  The region’s two major cities include colonial León, whose narrow streets are lined with cathedrals and universities, and whose coffee shops and cafés are filled with the buzz of politics. León’s 500 years of political history have been punctuated throughout the centuries with the staccato call of uprising, resistance, and war—and confrontations with Mother Nature date back to the city’s founding. A half-hour north along the line of hulking volcanoes is the city of Chinandega, agribusiness capital of the country.

  Tension seeps out of the land here in the form of boiling mud pits, geothermal vents, and the occasional trembling of a volcano. The Leoneses and Chinandeganos know well that life can be short and violent, and it should thus be lived intensely. León and Chinandega suffered more than most during Hurricane Mitch, during which more than two meters of rain fell in three days. Nowhere else in Nicaragua was the destruction as intense, and the still-visible landslide at Las Casitas is a silent reminder of the worst of it. As you ride from Managua to Chinandega, bear in mind that every single bridge along that route was washed away in October 1998, and some weren’t rebuilt until years later.

Museums: Begin your art immersion at the Casa de Cultura and then continue around the corner at the fabulous Centro de Arte Fundación Ortiz-Gurdián. (read more)

Las Ruínas de León Viejo: Hire a local guide to show you some of these fascinating recent excavations. (read more)

Los Hervideros de San Jacinto: Steam, sulphur, and pits of boiling mud. It’s like visiting hell, except a gleeful ten-year-old is leading you around. The Hervideros are a very real look at Nicaragua’s volcanic underside. (read more)

Poneloya and Las Peñitas Beaches: Relaxing and peaceful accommodations at the ocean’s edge, all with easy access to the impressive Isla Juan Venado. (read more)

Padre Ramos Wetlands Reserve: If you’re into isolated beaches and protected bird-filled estuaries, the bouncy trip north is worth it. (read more)