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Capital and largest city of Nicaragua
Photo: Mrkstvns, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Managua is the capital and largest city of Nicaragua. A city that saw the death of Sandino, the rise of the Somozas, and their fall from power at the hand of the Sandinistas, Managua is full of history and the closest thing to a metropolis Nicaragua has. Ever threatened by earthquakes, Managua mostly lost its historical downtown in a 1972 quake, but is slowly gaining yet another face through the urban renewal policies of the current government. While many visitors to Nicaragua try to limit their time in the capital, you should not make the same mistake, as its theaters, museums, monuments, and historical remnants are quite worthwhile, to say nothing of the nightlife.
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Catedral de Santiago
Ruins of the city's old cathedral are a remembrance of the damage caused by a 1972 earthquake that destroyed much of central Managua. Due to structural damage caused by the earthquake, you're not allowed inside.
Palacio Nacional
The first floor of the old national palace is now a museum featuring several salons with exhibits highlighting the indigenous Nahuatl people and the 2,500-year-old stone sculptures they left behind. A smattering of popular arts and cultural exhibits round out the museum, which also features a beautiful courtyard garden. A library (free entry; open Monday to Friday only) is on the second floor
Tribute to noted Nicaraguan poet who transformed 20th century Spanish literature.
There is a lovely fountain at the Ruben Darío Rotonda that is lit up at night and visible from Tiscapa. It is also often used as a landmark for reference purposes.
Fresh water lagoon in the crater of an extinct volcano. As of 2016, the lake and its wooded shores, with some paths and stairs, were fenced off and were off limits to visitors. However, there's a good overview of it from the Loma de Tiscapa Park just north of the lagoon (see below).
The plaza-sized hilltop viewing platform on the northern lip of the crater of the Laguna de Tiscapa, known as Loma de Tiscapa, used to be the site of the presidential palace and the headquarters of the National Guard in the Somoza era (until they were destroyed in the earthquake of 1972); political prisoners were tortured in a prison close by. This is where you'll also find the landmark silhouette of Augusto C Sandino (with a little American tanquette next to it), as well as military memorials. The hill offers the best views in town, both to the downtown and Lake Managua to the north, and to the Carretera a Masaya area to the south. The Nicaraguan Army headquarters are located on the hill's northern slope, and are definitely not open to the public, though pedestrians are allowed on the street straight north from the hill, which is lined with large interpretive signs in Spanish about the military history of Nicaragua (from the Sandinista point of view, of course).
Museo Sitio Huellas de Acahualinca
Footprints of a group of around 10 people that walked towards the lake 6000 years ago. The tracks were found 4 meters below the surface and were preserved thanks to a nearby volcano eruption. Note that this museum is located in a rough neighbourhood. Taking a taxi is highly recommended.
Catedral Metropolitana de la Purísima Concepción
Designed by Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta and completed in Sep 1993, some find this unusual Catholic church to be fascinating. Some find the roof's 63 domes to be sleek and mosque-like.
Your chance to see a lot of grayish-white concrete poured over AK-47s and one tank, which is supposed to symbolize everlasting peace in Nicaragua now that the Contra war is over, but this was largely replaced by Parque Luis Alfonso Velasquez Flores.
Laguna de Asososca
Larger than the Tiscapa Lagoon, the Asososca Lagoon is also fenced in, and closed to the public; apparently it's part of the city's water supply. As of 2016, the water company has been replacing parts of the old dilapidated fence. The lagoon can be seen from certain vantage points nearby, and its near-vertical walls are rather stunning.
Wharf and lakefront park with views of Lake Xolotlan, museum dedicated to Pope John Paul II, and restaurants.
Seawall featuring the metal trees of Rosario Murillo, wife and second in command of Daniel Ortega.
Walk along Lake Xolotlan featuring replicas of old Managua before the 1972 earthquake, including Augusto C Sandino's and Ruben Darío's house, as well as a Boeing airplane.
Similar to Paseo Xolotlan except focused on representative churches of Nicaragua.
A diminutive arboretum, nice and shady.
Estadio Nacional Dennis Martinez
While you might be surprised to hear it, baseball is as much a national pastime in Nicaragua as it is in the US, maybe even more so. The national stadium (named for Major League pitcher Dennis Martinez) has space for 15,000 people, making it bigger than the national soccer stadium. The stadium opened in 2017. Besides baseball games of the national team it is mostly used for home games of the "Indios del Boér", Managua's home team and the serial champion of the Nicaraguan league. Parking available.
Park featuring rides, artificial lake with duck peddle boats, and sports venues.
Water park next to Lake Xolotlan
A steak house that is so good, it spawned a chain in South Florida. Has been popular with locals for lunch and dinner since the days of Somoza. During that time, the politicians on opposite sides of the conflict would run into each other here on a regular basis. Service is impeccable. They serve a churrasco that is hard to beat for flavor and tenderness. Order it with a gin Martini for appetizer. Located about 3 blocks north of estatua de Montoya.
Steak house. Their signature plate is the name of the restaurant: La Plancha. Comes with mashed potatoes and plantains on a hot grill.
French restaurant. Taken care personally by its proprietor and chef, Jeaninne. Very good wines. Ask for its famous foie gras, green salad and pepper steak. In Los Robles.
great local cuisine. Large selection of local meat dishes.
a good taste of local Nicaraguan cuisine. 3 locations - Original off the Carretera Masaya km 4.5 (not far from Metrocentro), another near the Rotonda Bello Horizonte and the last in the food court at Metrocentro.
fantastic Salvadorian pupusas and fruit juices in a pleasant outdoor area
Art Cafe is a very nice place for listening to live alternative music and have a tranquil evening. It has a colorful bohemian looks and art on their walls and in the vibe of the place and the people that frequent it in general. Go there by taxi, ask for "Art Cafe, en frente del Parque las Palmas"
is the most renowned budget place in town—or at least the cheapest. This place might be handy for backpackers. Don't expect too much from the DIY plumbing and electrical wiring, but you will get your own bathroom/shower.
Homestay with internet access and private bathrooms.
Free breakfast, LGBT and pet friendly, wifi and a/c, hammocks, kitchen, bar, gazebo. Organized tours.
Well-traficked backpacker hostel. Airport transfers take 30 minutes, and a shuttle service is available for guests. Dormitory or private rooms, shared kitchen, pool, hot showers, air conditioning in some rooms, free wireless internet. Getting a bit of a reputation for its owner's crankiness, but still popular.
Seems to be the about the best-reputation lower-end conventional lodging as of 2024, but don't expect too much. Has a pool. Seems to have a shared dorm as listed on HostelWorld, though it doesn't appear on the hotel's own website.
The cheapest option bookable online in 2024, and probably the best value in its price range. Rooms are very hot 24 hours, but otherwise quite good, and good fans are provided. Rooms are listed on Airbnb as "hosted by Reyna", or contact directly by Whatsapp.
24 rooms, each equipped with air conditioning, hot water, wireless Internet, and cable TV. Hotel has 24-hour security, a pool and breakfast is included. Manager speaks English. Airport pickup/dropoff is available. Discounted rates for long-term stays.
Small hotel with complimentary breakfast, restaurant, internet access, and a/c. Pet-friendly.
Has clean, comfortable rooms for about US$30/night. It is owned by a Spanish guy.
Has nice rooms with air conditioning, cable TV, a pool and a restaurant. It was the well-known house of a family until the revolution, hence it is a landmark and reference point for addresses. The original building was destroyed by the 1972 earthquake, but a new building was constructed and opened to the public with only 7 rooms in 1993. As a family business has been slowly growing up to 42 rooms, with a restaurant, meeting facilities and a swimming pool.
Hearty complimentary breakfasts, tile corridors and back patio accentuated by a garden and fountain. Has wifi and a/c.
A king bed, internet, cable TV, air conditioning, and access to the pool. Computers are in the lobby for free use. Beverages and snacks are available 24 hours a day. Full breakfast is included -- always cooked fresh for each guest. Lunch and dinners are available for an extra charge.
Verandahs, grills, and rocking chairs give this lime-green tinted accommodation some character. Complimentary breakfasts.
Nice rooms with A/C in a spacious garden environment. Two swimming pools. Nice breakfast buffet included.
Full service hotel, free Internet, free car rental with room, hotel and convention center.
Great staff.
This is one of the nicest Crown Plazas around. The service is impeccable, the pool is very nice, and there's marble everywhere. There's a casino and a sushi restaurant, and a small shopping mall across the street. Get a room with lake view and you will see clearly all the way to Teatro Nacional Ruben Dario, the old cathedral, and the old and new government buildings. This hotel was the Intercontinental for years until the new Intercontinental was built at Metrocentro. Before the 1972 earthquake that destroyed Managua, this hotel sat on the hill overlooking the whole city right next to the main military base and Somoza's bunker. It's where everyone who was anyone stayed in Nicaragua until the early 1990s. The EEBI (the elite force of the Guardia Nacional during Somoza's time) and the military academy were a short walk away. It's as if the U.S. advisers and politicos had a dorm right next to the Somoza government. Howard Hughes stayed here when he was in Nicaragua in the 1970s. It is said that he rented three floors for weeks and demanded that the staff not rotate. He met with Somoza about some business, but nothing came of it.
157 rooms with wireless high speed internet, 7 suites, rooms and executive floors. Has a restaurant and bar, gym, spa, pool, gift shop and print service.
Excellent place to buy art (including paintings) and top-quality souvenirs/artesania from all over Nicaragua. As might be expected, though, items are pricey here.
A huge market where almost everything is on sale. However it has a rather dangerous reputation. Pick-pocketing, grab-and-run theft are commonplace and there have even been instances of armed robberies. Overall Mercado Oriental can be a fascinating destination but is generally not recommended for the average tourist. If you still want to go, go with someone who knows the place and whom you know personally and trust. It should go without saying that you should never take any valuables (including cell-phones and cameras), that you can't risk losing.
The most luxurious mall in town right next to rotonda Ruben Dario on the opposite side of the new cathedral. Has a decent food court and a big selection of nearly everything as well as a multiplex cinema
One of the major markets of Managua, offering a wide variety of goods ranging from clothes to pineapple and from beans to tooth-paste judging from the prices for basic foodstocks frequently printed in the main newspapers La Prensa and El Nuevo Diario it is maybe slightly more expensive than the Mercado Oriental in terms of price, but to a traveller the difference is negligible.
although it isn't as large as Huembes or Oriental the selection is almost as wide. It serves as a terminus of several local bus routes as well as the bus station for buses to northern cities like Estlí and more distant destinations like San Carlos (Nicaragua), Rama and the las Minas towns.
By plane
By car
The Pan-American Highway crosses Nicaragua. It is marked as Highway 1 throughout Nicaragua, as it is in neighboring Costa Rica or Honduras.
By bus
International buses connect Managua to most Central American capitals and southern Mexico.
By bus
Managua has an extensive public bus system, whose route density and service frequency would far surpass most US or Canadian cities, however it lags behind most European cities and overall public…
By taxi
There are two forms of taxis in Managua: Collectivos and Privados (Collectives and Privates). There is no Uber here.
By bike
While Managua is perhaps the least bikeable city in the country, it is the center of the embryonic beginnings of bicycle activism and advocacy with a critical mass ride dating back to 2011.
On foot
Managua is not the most walkable city, for one because it's very spread out.
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