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Tumba de Carlos Fonseca (Managua) –– located on the west side of the plaza is the tomb of Carlos Fonseca (1936-1976), one of the founders of the FSLN and its most revered leader. He was killed in an ambush by Somoza’s National Guard and is still honored every July 19 for his sacrifice. The white-marble […]

Rubén Darío Museum (three blocks west from parque central, Calle Real, León) – located in the provincial city of León (1 ½ hours northwest of Managua), this was once the residence of famed Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío (which was converted into a museum in 1964). Here, the life and history of Rubén Darío has been […]

Parque Histórico Nacional Loma de Tiscapa (south of the Plaza de la Revolución, Managua) – this is a popular weekend retreat for residents of the city. But it was once the former site of the Somoza’s presidential palace and notorious prison, and where Augusto Sandino (one of Nicaragua’s national heroes) was assassinated. Today, the spot […]

Tiscapa Lagoon Natural Reserve – this site is located just south of Managua’s historic center. Leading up to the Lagoon is the Monumento Roosevelt (Roosevelt Monument). Another interesting monument is the statue of Sandino which is a statue of the silhouette of General Augusto C. Sandino, Nicaragua’s national hero and stands at 59 feet tall. […]

Old Cathedral of Managua – this cathedral was designed in, and shipped from Belgium in 1920. The cathedral survived the 1931 earthquake but was extremely damaged due to the 1972 earthquake and was condemned, which led to the construction of the new cathedral of Managua, the newest constructed Roman Catholic cathedral. However, in recent years, […]

National Museum of Nicaragua (Plaza de la Revolución, near Lake Managua) – this museum was originally the National Palace (built in 1935 by then-president Juan Bautista Sacasa). This building was the seat of government until Sandinista rebels stormed it in 1979. The National Museum of Nicaragua houses many fascinating old artifacts and artworks. Its paintings […]

Museo Precolombino de Chagüitillo (Villa Chagüitillo, Km 107 carretera a Matagalpa) – located 1 ½ hours northeast of Managua, this museum was opened in 2005, since several archeological sites were found here (containing hundreds of petroglyphs and other ancient objects). Along with such pre-Columbian objects displayed here, the museum also provides interesting information about the […]

Museo Casa Hacienda San Jacinto (Km 39 ½ Carretera Norte, Acceso Hacienda-Museo San Jacinto, Tipitapa) – this museum is located about an hours northeast of Managua. For those interested in Nicaraguan history, this was the site of the Battle of San Jacinto in September 14, 1856 between Nicaraguan forces, and mercenaries led by American solider […]

Heroes and Martyrs Museum (half a block south of the cathedral, Estelí) – this museum, found in the tobacco-growing town of Estelí (located 2 ½ hours north of Managua), is of particular interest to those curious about the Sandinista revolution. The museum is small but has many photographs, newspaper articles, and personal stories. It is […]

Masaya Volcano National Park (Km 23, highway to Masaya) – just 30 minutes southeast of Managua is this national park that contains two volcanoes and five craters. It is part of the Central American Volcanic Belt (along with the Tacaná volcano in Guatemala and Irazú in Costa Rica). Masaya shows that its volcanoes are still […]