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Chinandega

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Spectacular volcanoes and natural attractions combined with pristine Pacific beaches.

Population: approx. 441,000 people
Location: most northeastern corner of Nicaragua, bordering Honduras and the Pacific Ocean
Attractions: volcanoes, nature, sun and beach activities, fishing, gastronomy, churches

The department of Chinandega is characterized by spectacular scenery, beautiful beaches, and a multitude of relatively unexplored attractions. The department features Nicaragua’s highest volcano, the San Cristóbal, among several other magnificent volcanoes. Pristine beaches, historical towns, estuaries filled with mangrove forest, and some of Nicaragua’s finest churches can all be found in this department. The main city of the department, also called Chinandega, can be reached in about two hours from Managua.

Chinandega: hub and commercial center

There are several interpretations of the Náhuatl word ‘Chinandega’. One of them refers to the word Chinamitl-tacalt, meaning ‘place surrounded by cane’. During the Spanish colonization, the city was a small town, located on fertile soil in an area of intensive commercial traffic. Gradually the town expanded and transformed into the current city.

Nowadays, the city is an active commercial center where all types of mostly agricultural products from the region are traded. The city’s good connection with the port of Corinto and the city of León make Chinandega an important hub in the area. Large trucks carrying gasoline or sugar canes are a common sight. Within the city, however, pedestrians and cyclists rule the streets.

According to the old, colonial model, the city is set up around a central park with a large church. There are several other churches in Chinandega, and all of them are currently renovated by the COEN foundation. There are also many restaurants and hotels of all types within the city. Several discotheques provide the local youth a place for entertainment during the weekend. A beautiful, recently opened archeological museum offers a glimpse in the past for more culturally oriented visitors. From within the city, there are also some great views of the San Cristóbal volcanic complex.

The city of Chinandega is a good candidate for being Nicaragua’s hottest city. Temperatures are very high year-round, and often the only way to cool off a little is avoiding the intense sun. Fortunately, several hotels have a pool available and the beach is never far away. In the neighboring village, El Viejo, there are even several restaurants that offer a pool to their visitors.

Corinto and El Realejo: historical port towns

When the city of El Realejo was constructed during the first years of the Spanish colonization, it soon became Nicaragua’s most important port city. The end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century were prosperous times for El Realejo, but soon after this period pirate attacks started to threaten the existence of this commercial port town. Several major pirate attacks – including one that caused the destruction of the San Francisco Convent – forced the Spanish conquerors to abandon the town and soon thereafter El Realejo transformed to an almost empty and deserted village.

As time went by, people gradually returned to El Realejo. The whole municipality nowadays amounts to about 11,500 people, but the image of a lively, busy port town never returned. Some traces of the town’s rich past can still be found. The most significant are the ruins of the San Francisco Convent, located one block from the small central park. The San Benito church at the central park is another reminder of colonial times. The municipality also set up a showroom with some archeological findings, but all in all there is few else that reminds of the rich history in this quiet village.

El Realejo is connected to the Pacific Ocean through the Doña Paula Estuary, which offers some great natural settings. A boat trip from El Realejo to the Pacific Ocean allows visitors to calmly cruise down the estuary while enjoying some beautiful mangrove forest and its inhabitants. Most of El Realejo’s inhabitants work as fishermen, crab hunters, or shrimp farmers, which makes it easy to rent a boat and be navigated down the estuary. Kayaking through the mangrove forest is also possible, although it is not easy to rent a kayak in El Realejo itself.

Another beautiful estuary is the Paso Caballos Estuary, located closer to the Pacific Ocean, west of El Realejo. This estuary separates Corinto from the main land, and it provides an easy point of access to the Pacific Ocean. There are several restaurants settled on the shores of the Paso Caballos Estuary, all of them providing a great view.

At the other side of the Paso Caballos Estuary lies Corinto. This site was chosen to become the new port city, conveniently located right in front of the Pacific Ocean. Corinto is in fact an island, but by constructing both a bridge and a road (for heavier vehicles) the area has artificially been connected to the mainland.

The port of Corinto is of little international significance and its capacity is limited; but within Nicaragua it is one of the most important ports – especially at the Pacific coast. Most of Nicaragua’s fuel supply enters the country through this port, and agricultural products are also imported and exported via Corinto. Large storage silos located close to the port hold materials like alcohol, oil, methanol, and sugar cane derivatives, either awaiting the cargo ships to be exported or freshly imported waiting to be transported further inland. Every month, several cruise ships also dock at the port of Corinto,

In addition to the port activity, Corinto also has a nice beach front with several restaurants lined up next to each other. This area – called the Costa Azul – provides a nice view of the bay of Corinto and the several islands that are located in front of the bay. Among the islands is Isla El Cardón, which is well-known as the place where the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío wrote one of his most famous poems. Isla El Cardón and the other islands are narrow, uninhabited sand strips, covered in trees, which offer tranquility, beautiful sunsets, and great swimming possibilities. Fishermen offer easy transportation to these islands, located right in front of Corinto.

Corinto Gastronomic Fair

In the past years an annual Gastronomic Fair has been organized in Corinto in the last week of April, converting itself into a tradition and tourist attraction, providing a great opportunity to try a great variety of the Nicaraguan and international cuisine that is based on seafood.

A large part of the Corinto community participates in the fair. The Catholic Church organizes the distribution of the dishes and the gathering of the products, and every district in town (the participants are grouped together by zone) shows off a distinct way of preparing fish, shrimp, clam, or crab, among other seafood. However, in addition to being simply a demonstration of the culinary skills of the inhabitants, the fair’s final goal is to obtain funds for the “Hogar de Ancianos Santa Eduviges”, an elderly home, and other social activities set up by the Santo Tomás parish church.

During this period many people originally from Corinto who live outside of Nicaragua come back to visit their home country, attracted by the Santa Cruz celebrations (traditional festivities of the area). The town can be seen full of life as a result of the activities that are organized during these celebrations: nocturnal fiestas, concerts, cultural presentations, parades, king and queen elections, etc. The fair furthermore takes advantage of the final days of the dry season, when it is a great moment to enjoy the beach and its surroundings.

More beaches and estuaries

The department of Chinandega offers many more pristine beaches and beautiful estuaries. Many of these sites are located north of Corinto, along the Pacific Coast. There are several small fishermen villages, like Aserradores or Jiquilillo, that are characterized by their tranquility and virgin beaches. This image changes dramatically during one particular week called Semana Santa or Holy Week, when Nicaraguans flock their beaches, including the ones in Chinandega. Any other time of the year, the beaches are tranquil, deserted places.

A large estuary north of Jiquilillo, called the Padre Ramos Estuary, preserves a large mangrove forest and offers some spectacular nature. There is also some tourism infrastructure present at this natural reserve, which makes it possible to explore this unspoiled region and enjoy some of Nicaragua’s finest nature.

Another estuary, Estero Real or Royal Estuary, can be found close to the Honduran border, north of the aforementioned sites. This even-larger estuary includes huge mangrove ecosystem, but it is touristically fairly unexplored. Shrimp farming is the major activity in this region.

The Pacific Ocean also provides several great attractions. During the months of January and February, whales can be seen here, migrating along the coast. Dolphins and sea turtles are year-round a common sight. Big game fishing is also possible in Chinandega. Fish like tuna, dorado, marlin, jack, and mackerel are all on the list.

Volcanoes: more natural splendor

Nicaragua’s highest volcano is located in the department of Chinandega, prominently visible from afar and constantly demonstrating its activity by emitting small clouds of smoke and gas. This volcano, called the San Cristóbal, is the most active volcano of the volcanic cluster located east of the city of Chinandega. Ascending this cone-shaped giant is challenging but definitely a rewarding experience. Superb scenery and magnificent nature await the daring climbers that are able to ascend this virtually unexplored volcano.

Another volcano located within the same volcanic complex is Casita. On October 30, 1998, heavy rainfall caused by Hurricane Mitch triggered a devastating mudslide that originated at this volcano and caused the death of approximately 2,000 people. A memorial has been set up at Posoltega to commemorate the victims of this natural disaster.

There is practically no tourism infrastructure at any of the volcanoes of the San Cristóbal complex, yet several of them – including the San Cristóbal and Casita – offer some great hiking possibilities.

Cosigüina Volcano: nature, wetlands, and rocky islets

Another imposing volcano, located in the most northwestern point of Nicaragua, is slightly more accessible as there is at least a trail that leads up to the crater – albeit a trail that is often overgrown by plants during the raining season. This volcano, called the Cosigüina Volcano, erupted violently in 1835 when one third of the crater was blown away and ash rained down as far as Mexico City and Jamaica. The large crater then filled with rain water and a spectacular crater lake was formed over the years. The relatively low, stretched Cosigüina Volcano nowadays offers stunning views as far as Honduras and El Salvador, and the hike through the beautiful vegetation requires less stamina than the San Cristóbal climb.

Related to the Cosigüina Volcano are the so called islotes. These rocky islands, located in the Gulf of Fonseca, were formed during the eruption of the volcano. Nowadays, a large pelican colony lives on these remarkable islets. Boat tours to the Islotes de Cosigüina, as they are locally called, can be organized by hotels in the area. In addition, more spectacular nature can be found within the area of the Cosigüina Volcano. There are hot springs that heat a local pool, and wetlands provide shelter to thousands of birds and other animals. The pristine Mechapa beach and its high cliffs are another interesting attraction.

El Viejo: typical food and a famous church

El Viejo is a small town close to the city of Chinandega. This town is known for its wide variety of typical food that is produced by its inhabitants. Some of the specialties include rosquillas, and cajetas. Most of the typical food produced at El Viejo can also be found at other regions. However, there is one specialty that is not found at many other places. This fruit, called toncua, is similar to papaya and eaten with honey.

Another important attraction of the town is its colonial church. The Menor Basilica was constructed in the first quarter of the 17th century, and it still holds its colonial image. The church’s interior is richly decorated and well-maintained. A beautiful wooden ceiling gives the church a warm impression, and a small part of the church’s history is written in the windows.

The most interesting aspect of this church, however, is a small Mary statuette that carries a rich history. The story tells that a Spaniard was forced to remain at the port of El Realejo in 1562, when a thunderstorm made it impossible to continue his journey. When the Spaniard brought the figure of Mary to the town of El Viejo, not far from El Realejo, the inhabitants were fascinated by this stunning image and people came from far to see the statuette. Many people were saddened when the nobleman left with the religious object. However, another thunderstorm forced the man to return once again, and he decided that there was no choice but to leave it in El Viejo. For hundreds of years people have been visiting this church to see this famous image. The silverware that accompanies this famous object also carries a historical tradition. In December, all the silver pieces are taken from their display and cleaned by a group of ladies, overseen by the priest. This is done while hundreds of attendants pray or just observe this traditional ritual.

Other attractions

There are several other interesting attractions in the department of Chinandega. One of the famous aspects of this area is its fertile soil and high agricultural production level. In the past, a monoculture of cotton brought wealth to this region. When the prices fell and the soil exhausted, the farmers managed to find other crops that grew well in this area. Nowadays, large sugar cane plantations dominate the area around Chichigalpa. Most of Nicaragua’s finest rum – Flor de Caña – is produced in this little town.

More to the north, close to the Honduran border, the inhabitants from the small town of Somotillo produce nice handicrafts.

Getting there and getting around

Reaching the city of Chinandega takes about two hours from Managua or half an hour from León. The road is in good condition and the impressive volcanoes offer some splendid scenery along the way. There is also a good bus connection between Chinandega and León.

A relatively large rotary right before the city of Chinandega provides travelers the option to take a left to El Realejo and Corinto, go straight to the city of Chinandega which is connected to El Viejo and the other beaches of the department, or take a right to reach the Honduran border or the northern area of the department. From the city of Chinandega, it takes about fifteen minutes to reach Corinto in car or bus. El Realejo can be found along the road, by taking a left about seven kilometers from Chinandega. The Paso Caballos Estuary is also located along the road. This estuary is easy to recognize because a long bridge stretches over the water to connect Corinto with the mainland. The road to Corinto is paved and accessible in any type of car, although holes will frequently have to be dodged along the way.

A similar type of road leads to El Viejo, located about six kilometers northwest of Chinandega. El Viejo gives access to the beaches of Aserradores, Aposentillo, Jiquilillo, and the Padre Ramos Estuary. All of these areas are harder to reach, and the unpaved roads are in poor condition. Traveling time to any of these places is between one hour and a half and two hours, in a high clearance (4WD) vehicle (from Chinandega). Large holes will require more travel time in a low clearance vehicle. During the raining season, the road gets too muddy and is not passable in a low clearance vehicle. The Cosigüina Volcano is located further away from El Viejo, yet the largest part of this road is paved and in fair condition. The last part again requires a high clearance vehicle, and traveling time from Chinandega is about two hours.

The border-town Guasaule can be reached in about an hour and a half from Chinandega. This road is fairly good (paved, but with holes), and this route provides an alternative connection between Nicaragua and Honduras, especially interesting for people ultimately traveling to or from El Salvador. The town of Somotillo can be found a couple kilometers before Guasaule, and from here Cinco Pinos and other northern towns can be reaches.

There are public transportation connections between Chinandega and the rest of the department. Even the more remote beaches and areas can be reached by bus, but the lower bus frequencies automatically implicate longer traveling times. It is also interesting to note that, although there is no set schedule or a reliable connection, it is possible to cross the Bay of Fonseca in boat, thus giving water access to Honduras.

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