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Estelí

Several natural attractions can be found in the Northern department of Esteli, which comprises plateaus divided by hills with multiple climates. Its capital city is dynamic, and most of its towns feature archaeological areas and hard-working artisans. Many of its plantations preserve natural areas such as woods, cloud forest reserves and waterfalls.

The city of Estelí is famous for the tobacco production that takes place in the high quality cigar factories and plantations, located in the urban area. Its active center has a museum, cultural and business centers. Besides its many hotels and restaurants, Esteli also has bars and clubs with a good ambiance.

The Miraflor Natural Reserve (North), as well as the El Tisey-La Estanzuela (South), are two renowned, easily reachable places. The first one is a large mountainous area with several agro-production farms and natural conservation sites. Here, one can find waterfalls, tropical dry and cloud forests, and a great variety of birds and orchids. El Tisey is commonly known for the Salto de la Estanzuela waterfall, where visitors can take a good swim and practice rappel.

The small cities and towns Estelí have their own charm and cultural attractions. San Juan de Limay (far West), for example, is known for its marble handicrafts. The town of Pueblo Nuevo has an interesting small museum that exhibits pre-Columbian objects that were found in the area. Also, the community that inhabits Ducuale Grande (Condega) has a communitarian workshop with handicrafts made of clay.

Estelí has many other lesser-known attractions in each of its six municipalities. Some other natural reserves can be visited by tourists, such as Tomabú (South) and the Cerro Quiabuc - Las Brisas (East). The 'Mesas de Moropotente', where the La Pataste Natural Reserve is located, is shared with the department of Madriz.

Municipalities

  • Esteli

    The municipality of Estelí is an important commerce center and an obligatory route when traveling to the departments of Nueva Segovia and Madriz. Its urban area, where visitors will find a nice wide park with lots of trees and a Neoclassical cathedral, is also an archaeological and paleontological site. Estelí also has three natural reserves, renowned tobacco companies, art centers and a history marked by the revolution of 1979.

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  • Condega

    Condega's capitol is the second important city in the department of Estelí. There are many archaeological sites and organic coffee plantations in the territory. In addition, the Cantagallo Ecological Park, where several rural communities, a pine forest, a lagoon and thousands of orchids can be seen, is also situated in the municipality. Furtheremore, there are several workshops and an archaeological museum in the urban area. The traditional festivities of the town are celebrated on May 15th, in honor of San Isidro.

  • La Trinidad

    Famous for its many bakeries, petroglyphs and rock art areas, the municipality of La Trinidad lies between three mountains. The urban center has many artisan workshops and a park where one can see some rock art. The majority of its inhabitants live in rural areas and are dedicated to agriculture. The traditional festivities of La Trinidad are celebrated in honor or the 'Virgen de La Candelaria', On February 2nd and 3rd.

  • Pueblo Nuevo

    Fossils, ceramic remains and petroglyphs are part of the archaeological richness of the municipality of Pueblo Nuevo. The La Pataste Natural Reserve, which has elevations as high as 1,7000 msnm and forest with intact nature, is located here. In addition, tourists can visit the Camecalt House of Culture and observe several pieces of archaeological value. The most important festivities are celebrated on October 24th, in honor of the 'Santísima Trinidad'.

  • San Juan de Limay

    San Juan de Limay is known for its Pre-Columbian ruins of Spanish influence and its heavy marble sculptures. The capitol of the municipality is located on the slopes of the Tipiscayán mountain. The traditional festivities are held from June 15th to 30th, although the most important day is the 25th, since there is a procession of the image of 'San Juan Bautista' with all his devotees.

  • San Nicolás

    The municipality of San Nicolás is mostly surrounded by mountains and rivers. Its urban area and 29 rural communities live from agriculture, although livestock is also a part of its economy but in a smaller scale. The traditional festivities are held on December 15th, in honor of 'San Nicolas'.