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How to Spend 4 Days in Leon, Nicaragua

Leon, Nicaragua | Szuitcaseandheels.com

Leon, Nicaragua is the grittier, local, big brother of Granada. It’s the liberal city of artists and poets, of Rubén Darío, and the birthplace of the revolution. You won’t find a ‘gringo row’ here with restaurants with English menus attracting tourists. You’ll eat where the locals eat. You’ll shop where the locals shop. And that’s what I liked about the city. It doesn’t go out of its way to cater to you. Leon presents itself as it is, and whether you like it or dislike it, it will just continue on with its business. It will welcome you if you want to join in, but isn’t bothered if you want to pass on by.

A lot of backpackers just come to go volcano boarding and then move on, but there’s more to the city than that. It was the last city I visited and that was perfect because I was in a good, relaxed groove and I was ready for a little culture. Some art, some music, some wine. There’s no shortage of things to do in Leon.

Here’s how I spent my four days in Leon.

Activities

Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua | SuitcaseandHeels.com

Volcano Boarding

I’ll admit, one of the main reasons I came to Leon was to hurtle myself down the side of an active volcano. You hike to the top of the Cerro Negro volcano, then kit up in a jumpsuit, goggles, gloves, and a bandana before sitting on a toboggan-like sled and sliding down the 46 degree pitch of volcanic ash. A bit crazy, sure, but tons of fun. There are multiple outfits in town who will take you on the excursion. I chose Quetzaltrekkers because of the opportunity to slide twice and because of their community work.

Walking Tour

Leon was the city where the revolution started and you’ll do yourself a disservice if you don’t take some time to learn about the history here. I booked a walking tour through Hokano Tours. At first, they didn’t want to take me since I was solo and they had nobody else booked, but when I offered to pay more ($35 – slightly less than the cost for two) they agreed and I got a private tour. It was eye-opening to hear the details from someone who was living there when it was all going on and get their take on it. Though I’m still a bit fuzzy on details my guide sparked my interest in learning more once I got home. I love it when trips not only entertain, but educate me.

Leon Cathedral Rooftop

Wearing a skirt I picked up in a shop in Leon.

Walk the Top of the Cathedral

Part of my walking tour was going to the top of the Leon Cathedral. I was glad to have a guide because the process of getting a ticket ($2) and getting to the top wasn’t overly clear (get your ticket at the back, enter the stairs at the side). Hanging out on the blazingly white roof was pretty spectacular. I swear it was a bit cooler up there as well. You can see out over all of Leon and onwards to the string of volcanoes in the distance. Absolutely worth the climb up the steep, narrow stairs. Heads up: you’ll have to remove your shoes before you can step out on the roof so if you’re in sandals and don’t want to go barefoot, bring a pair of socks.

Centro de Arte Fundación Ortíz – Gurdián

You might not immediately think of modern art when you think of Nicaragua but Leon is a city of artists and poets so it makes sense that there would be art here. Admission is $2 for foreigners and worth it. It makes a perfect, quiet, reflective break from the city. Figure to spend about 30-60 minutes here.

Museum of Legends - Leon, Nicaragua

El Museo de Leyendas y Tradiciones

This is one of the quirkiest museums I’ve ever been to, but with admission less than $2 it’s totally worth a visit for the oddness alone. The museum is housed in the former XXI jail, where cells now make up exhibit rooms. Puppets and mannequins demonstrate various Nicaraguan stories and traditions while paintings on the wall depict just how awful prisoners were treated at the jail. I loved learning about Nicaraguan folk stories though, despite the macabre surroundings. Give it a visit.

Accommodations

Tortuga Bolada - Leon, Nicaragua

Tortuga Booluda

Tortuga Booluda is about a 10 minute walk from the central park but this means that it’s very quiet at night. I booked a private room with a shared bath for $21/night. Unfortunately, there was no AC and outside temperatures were around 36C (95F) at night. My two fans were doing their best but the mattress was the kind that just seemed to radiate the heat back at me and the power cut out for a while both nights. I actually contemplated sleeping in the hammock in the outdoors common area.

Other than the heat, which couldn’t be helped, Tortuga Booluda was a great hostel with a large common areas with hammocks, an open kitchen (free pancakes and coffee!), good book exchange, and pool table.

Hotel Azul - Leon, Nicaragua

Hotel Azul

After 9 nights without AC though and daytime temperatures topping 40C (104F) I caved and booked my last two nights at Hotel Azul, a luxury boutique hotel with AC, hot water, and a pool. Sweet sleep! I also loved being able to cool off in the small pool. The little oasis was worth the splurge.

Food & Drink

Grills by the Cathedral in Leon, Nicaragua

Grills Behind the Cathedral

Every evening around sunset women start setting up their grills behind the Cathedral. For under $5 USD you can get a plate full of grilled chicken, gallo pinto, cabbage salad, plantain, tortilla, and a bottle of water. The chicken is lacking a bit of spice/seasoning but it was well cooked without being dry. There was a steady mix of locals and tourists here, which was good to see.

Indio Veijo in Leon, Nicaragua

Picharditos

Unlike Granada, there’s no cluster of tourist restaurants in Leon. You eat where the locals eat, which I liked, but it did make it a bit harder to find places. I wanted something authentically Nicaraguan for supper and ended up with a plate of Indio Veijo (a corn flour based meat stew) from Picharditos. While it’s not the most Instagrammable dish, it was quite tasty. I was the only gringa in the place so I think I achieved that authentic dinner I was looking for.

El Desayunazo

From what I read, this was the place to go for breakfast. If you’re tired of desayuno tipico, this is a great place to go for pancakes and hash browns. It was a large, airy restaurants with good wifi and coffee. If you haven’t had your fill of gallo pinto, the version here is worth a stop.

Al Carbon Restaurant - Leon, Nicaragua

Al Carbon

On my last night in town I reviewed my notes and saw that I had come in under budget for my trip so I decided to splurge and took myself out for a nice steak dinner at Al Carbon. Some people have said that it’s overpriced but I thought the $26 I paid for my 8oz steak and white sangria was reasonable. There was a little kitten running around the inner courtyard while I was having my dinner. I nicknamed her Nica and thought about ways to smuggle her home. I thought it was interesting that the gringo kids wanted to play with her while the local kids wanted to shoo her away.

Other places I ate included: El Sesteo (which was touristy and overpriced), Cafe Rosita, Nicaraguita, and a wonderful pain au chocolate & white wine at Pan y Paz.

Have you been to Leon, Nicaragua? How did you spend your time?

Comments

  1. Lisa Dailey says:

    February 3rd, 2017 at 9:26 pm (#)

    Great article on Leon! We are headed to Nicaragua in June and searching for any and all advice we can get. Thanks for the info!

  2. Regina says:

    February 6th, 2017 at 12:29 pm (#)

    To do: Cerro Negro,volcano boarding, Volcan el Hoyo tour, Las Peñitas Beach, isla Juan Venado tour, Cathedral rooftop tour and museums Ortiz Gurdian , Salsa nights thursdays at Olla Quemada. To eat really local: El Lobito ( charbroiled pork ribs, tostones con queso , repochetas, cocktail de conchas …, Los Pescaditos , best fried fish, El Sesteo in the afternoon, very nice place. El Bodegon nice cuban. Upscale but nice al Carbon…hope it helps!

  3. Idania Bolaños says:

    February 7th, 2017 at 9:01 am (#)

    You’re very welcome to Nicaragua any time Lisa, and specially to my beautiful city, Leon, one of the first cities funded by the Spaniards in 1524.
    I’m a tourism teacher at the oldest University of Nicaragua and I own my small but professional enterprise named Cultual immersion Trip (C-IT) and we can help you with your trip. You can visit our web page http://www.culturalit.com, also. If you need further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us on culturalit@gmail.com

  4. fulanito says:

    February 6th, 2017 at 1:39 am (#)

    le faltó visitar el museo Rubén Darío, las iglesias coloniales, las playas de poneloya y las peñitas y su gran variedad de hoteles y restaurantes, ahora hay un mercado remodelado detrás de catedral, hay otros hoteles “de lujo” como el convento, los balcones, la posada del doctor, real, san juan de leon… también hay de comer el famoso nacatamal o un cacao en el mercado central con una “cosa de horno”, los gofios o icacos en miel, buñuelos de yuca

  5. Melissa Hogan says:

    February 6th, 2017 at 9:56 am (#)

    Gracias por las recomendaciones.

  6. Anita says:

    February 6th, 2017 at 12:03 pm (#)

    Beautiful city! Leon has a lot of interesting places and activities: colonial architecture, beach, culture, shops and traditional markets and food. Really good recommendations Fulanito.

  7. Beth says:

    February 6th, 2017 at 8:38 am (#)

    also worth checking out:
    Museo de la Revolución right in the
    Central square. It is a piece of Nicaraguan history from the people who lived it. It’s staffed by former Sandinista fighters who will be your tour guide. Takes about 1-2 hrs and it helps if you have at least a working knowledge of Spanish, as the guides don’t speak a lot of anything else. Admission is C$50, and I thought worth it.

    2) the Rubén Darío museum, which is on Calle Rubén Darío about 3-4 blocks down from the Central Park. I think they ask for donations when you go – I gave about C$20 and they were good with that. Also, Rubèn Darío is buried inside the Cathedral and you can go inside and see his resting place.

    3) All the churches. They’re just as gorgeous on the inside as on the Outside, and each tells a piece of León’s history.

    4) there is an entomology museum a couple blocks east of the cathedral. I’ve never been but a beekeeper friend did and said it wasn’t enormous but interesting and an ok way to spend an hour in the afternoon.

  8. Melissa Hogan says:

    February 6th, 2017 at 9:55 am (#)

    Those all sound like great things. I could’ve used more than four days in town for sure.

  9. Maria says:

    February 6th, 2017 at 9:09 am (#)

    Hi great article! The correct name is Picharditos, no Picharanditas! great place to eat, super tasty and clean!

  10. Melissa Hogan says:

    February 6th, 2017 at 9:54 am (#)

    Thanks for the correction! I really mangled that off my receipt didn’t I? :P

  11. Carole M says:

    May 29th, 2017 at 5:57 pm (#)

    Thanks once again! I will be staying at the Azul for 4 nights in 2018. It is very inspiring to read your wonderful posts. Seems we are very like minded in our travel mentalities. I prefer culture to lying on a beach and always hope to learn from my travels.

  12. Agness of eTramping says:

    June 28th, 2017 at 5:05 pm (#)

    Leon seems breathtaking, Melissa! Your post was very useful and inspiring!

  13. Matt Burns says:

    July 20th, 2017 at 1:02 am (#)

    haha awesome, you managed to swing yourself a private tour! There’s also a free walking tour that leaves twice a day. They had only just started up when I was there earlier this month, so not sure if they would have been around when you were there. But they were pretty good and gave us heaps of info about Leon and the history of the country in general. I really enjoyed our time in Leon and wouldn’t mind going back some day for a longer stay!

  14. Melissa Hogan says:

    July 20th, 2017 at 8:53 am (#)

    I was there over a year ago now so if they’ve just started up they wouldn’t have been an option but it sounds great!

  15. Sarah Hampton says:

    March 21st, 2018 at 10:11 pm (#)

    Next time you come to León you should check out Origin Adventure Park! We have a Tarzan Swing, Canopy and Rappel (where you free-fall from an 80ft tree!). Plus you can relax in a hammock, swim or float in a tube in the warm waters of the lagoon. It’s a vacation from your vacation! :)

  16. Melissa Hogan says:

    March 22nd, 2018 at 12:33 am (#)

    All that sounds like a lot of fun. I’ll have to check it out next time I’m in the area.

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