Americas

[Visited: December 2022]

When we were studying our options for visiting Nicaragua, the volcano of Masaya was high on our list. Then, we decided to use the town Masaya as a base, also to explore the surrounding area, which is often overlooked by visitors who rush between Granada and Managua, stopping only at the volcano on the way. When the bus drops us off at the main road, we walk into the city. It is immediately clear that Masaya has a different vibe than the places we have seen so far. People are minding their own business, no one is trying to lure us into their restaurant, no horse-drawn carts to pull tourists around. In fact, we see locals driving their horse carts because it is their means of transportation. We have read Masaya can be rough around the edges, and the entrance to our accommodation indeed has a big fenced gate.
After a late afternoon visit of the very active Masaya volcano, we will criss-cross the city. We are chasing the many churches, and just experiencing stumbling upon small finds on the way. We see the small and unimpressive Calvario church, which holds an impressive statue of a very bloody Jesus on the cross, as well as a bloody Evil Thief. Like in many other churches here, we see an image of Pope John Paul II. From here, we walk to the old railway station. Although trains stopped running a long time ago in Nicaragua, railway stations are still in place. We find a big wall painting on which not just trains are depicted, but also the tracks with people selling snacks for the journey. We continue our exploration by going to the San Jerónimo church, a large whitewashed building. The cleaner tells us it is not possible to climb the bell tower.
After enjoying the small square in front of the church, we walk towards the Parque Central where we find the Asunción church behind a closed fence. We have a short break at the Market Castle, a colonial building without a roof, which houses a craft market. From here, it is only a few minutes walk to the San Sebastián church. In front of it, we find a monument for the heroes and martyrs who were killed during an uprising in the late 1970s. One of the fallen, Rafaela Padilla, even has a street named after her nearby. We walk there, and then turn west on a street leading to the Masaya Lagoon. On the way, we find people making colourful hammocks: this neighbourhood is famous for them. At the end of the street, we walk the promenade above the lagoon, with views of Masaya Volcano. From the corner of a street, we charter a taxi to take us to some of the pre-colonial villages near Masaya.

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Masaya (Nicaragua)

Masaya > Nicaragua > Americas

[Visited: December 2022]

Around the World in 80 Clicks