Iglesia El Calvario

An educational center about animals, plants, biodiversity and the environment.

Old church consecrated in 1788 with a bright yellow front in Mexican baroque style.

A relatively simple church located in front of San Juan Park. It was built between 1620 and 1650 but reconstructed in a neoclassical style in the 18th century, with large wooden columns. It used to be the church of the old hospital.

The largest cathedral in Central America and a UNESCO World Heritage site, built in a mix of baroque and neoclassical styles. The thick, low-slung, fortress-like walls were explicitly engineered to survive earthquakes. With construction started in 1747 the cathedral was inaugurated in 1780. The connected parish church in the south-eastern corner was built in the 1790s. The façade and towers were added between 1810 and 1820. In 1909, the cathedral received a series of 14 large paintings by José Antonio Sarria Mejía, depicting the stations of the cross. The cathedral is the final resting place of the poet Rubén Darío, as well as many other notable Nicaraguans. For a small fee you can climb the stairs up to the roof, where you get a great view of all of León's churches and the surrounding volcanoes. You also get a close-up view of the giant sculptures holding up the cathedral bells; just don't ring them. A guided tour brings you into the cellars beneath the cathedral, with old antiques and burial places. Facing the southern side of the cathedral is the episcopal palace and the beautiful San Ramón seminary.

Lively park shaded by trees in front of the San Juan Church.

A lively park with a fountain and shady trees in front of the cathedral. The park is a great place to people watch as it is packed with families and youth chatting and playing, with vendors selling ice cream and drinks. On weekends musicians, dancers or street performers may add to the atmosphere. Of the eight streets leading up to the square, six have been converted to nice pedestrian streets. For a guided walking tour of the city, gather at the northeastern corner of Central Park at 9:00.