León seemed like the kind of place I would love. Before I arrived, I did what most travelers do and read all the travel guides and blogs I could about Nicaragua’s second largest city. A city filled with crumbling colonial architecture, burning with both tropical sun and leftist political fervor. Young Nicaraguans would fill the coffee shops and bars discussing Lenin in the shadow of volcanic peaks.
But like the outcome of all too many a revolution, the reality of a travel destination often falls short of the expectations. León wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t particularly welcoming and ended up being my least favorite city in Nicaragua.
What to Know Before Traveling to León
León is situated in Nicaragua’s tropical lowlands. That means it’s very hot. The sun here has somehow decided to aim its strongest rays directly onto the lily-white skin of visiting gringos. Be sure to wear a hat and plenty of sun protection. Aside from that…
A Short History of León
The conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba founded the city of León in 1524, but a nearby volcano had other plans and completely destroyed the original settlement in 1610. The Spanish moved León to its current site and the city soon began to prosper. https://www.britannica.com/place/Leon-Nicaragua
León gained the distinction of becoming Nicaragua’s original capital after independence. But, the country suffered from a series of civil wars between León’s liberals and Granada’s conservatives. The civil wars led to numerous U.S. interventions and eventually the infamous Somoza dictatorship.
León’s most famous native son is probably the poet, Rubén Darío. He spent many years in León and is buried in the cathedral here. Many consider Darío to be one of the most important Spanish language poets in history and a founder of the modernist movement. His poems are pretty good, if you’re into that sort of thing.
More recently, the University and liberal attitudes of the city made it a hotbed for the Sandinista’s struggle against the Somoza dictatorship. The Guerillas and the regime clashed here and you can still find the occasional bullet hole left as a reminder of Nicaragua’s tumultuous past. León refers to itself as “the first capital of the revolution” and the walls of the city center are filled with radical, left-wing murals.
You can read more about Nicaragua’s history in my brief guide: Understanding Nicaragua: A History Guide for Travelers to This Land of Resistance and Resilience
Transportation in and Around León
León is connected to the rest of Nicaragua via the network of old, beat-up school buses that traverse the country. These buses are cheap and safe, though not incredibly comfortable. Centro Coasting has a lot of more detailed information about routes and schedules, or you can get updated information from your hostel. Another option for the more adventurous is to just show up to the bus station and listen for the attendant shouting “León! León! León!”
It takes about two hours to get to or from Managua, and four hours or so to Granada, where you can connect to other parts of Nicaragua or find more frequent international routes. León is about four hours from the dreary Honduran border crossing, and a whopping eight to the relatively pleasant Costa Rican side. Tourist shuttles will take you all the way to San José or El Tunco, El Salvador.
León has no lack of taxis, and a surprising amount of pedicabs considering the heat. Both have a tendency to overcharge, though it’s hard to get too angry at the pedicab drivers as they sweat in the heat. Just try and agree on a price ahead of time, and make sure you confirm the currency and whether or not the price is per person or total.
Do you want to stay in a hostel? Good for you. In that case, Hostelworld is probably your go-to app. Click on this link to book, and I’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Win, win!
Is León, Nicaragua safe?
León Nicaragua is safe in the sense that you’re probably not going to get shot. Nicaragua, overall, has avoided most of the gang and cartel violence that’s plagued the rest of Central America. And as long as you aren’t shouting anti-government slogans or working with any church or non-profits, you won’t likely have any trouble with the cops.
On the other hand, León definitely feels far less safe than other parts of Nicaragua (except maybe Managua).
Rip-offs and Overcharging
First of all, I’d like to say that I don’t think being ripped off or overcharged is necessarily a safety issue. Losing a couple of bucks shouldn’t be in the same category as physical harm. But, travelers seem to always want to discuss scams and rip-offs when we discuss safety issues, so here we are.
León’s colonial streets are full of scammers, overchargers and rip-off artists of all sorts. Obviously, not everyone. There are plenty of honest small business owners in León. However, there were still plenty of people who got little green dollars signs popping up in their eyes when they looked at us.
A coffee shop insisted that I’d ordered a large double when I very clearly ordered a small single. A bar near the beach charged for alcohol in addition to the mixer, with no warning on the bill. A pedicab driver insisted the $5 we’d agreed on was per person and not in total, even though we’d very clearly asked “en total?” Experiences like that seemed to just pile up in León.
I understand that Nicaragua is a poor country, and a few dollars for the local people is a much bigger deal than it is for us. I’m not mad at any of these people individually, but having it happen so often tainted our time of León.
On top of all that, I have to say I didn’t find León to be as friendly as other places in Nicaragua, and definitely far less friendly than elsewhere in Latin America. I don’t need anyone to roll out the red carpet for me just because I’m a tourist, but it’s nice to feel like people actually want you in their city. It didn’t feel that way in León.
The Weirdos on the Street
León’s general unfriendly vibe extended beyond just an overall feeling and well beyond being overcharged. There was one guy in particular who made it very clear he didn’t like us and he didn’t want us around.
We were walking into the city center from our hostel, when a drunken man lifted himself up off the steps he’d been laying on and started shouting at us, “hey! Hey!”
We did what we normally do in those situations and ignored him. He stood up all the way and started following us. Finally, he screamed out angrily, in fluent English no less, “what the fuck are you doing in my city?”
We turned a corner and eventually ditched him, so thankfully that was as far as it went.
The next day, as we were returning from the beach, we came across an overweight, overly confident, naked man. He was just sauntering down the street, wearing nothing but a self-satisfied grin.
The weirdest thing, was that nobody else seemed concerned by this at all. They just walked past as though seeing a fat naked guy strolling down the sidewalk were the most normal thing in the world.
I’ve also heard that street harassment is a big problem for women in León. Technically, cat calls are illegal in Nicaragua, but this law is rarely enforced.
What to do in León, Nicaragua?
The saddest thing about our negative experiences is that they cast a shadow over our time in León. There’s a reason it’s a bit of a backpacker hot-spot. There are a lot of cool things to do and see.
If you absolutely must plan your activities in advance, may I suggest Get Your Guide. We’ve used them a couple of times and their tours are generally much cheaper than other sites. If you book through this link, I’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Click here to see tours in Nicaragua.
Visit the Cathedral and the Parque Central
León’s imposing, brilliantly white cathedral rests just off the parque central. The cathedral is the largest in Central America and a UNESCO world heritage site. You can climb up to the top to admire the domes and the classical statues, and get a lovely view across the city. You can also visit Rubén Darío’s grave if you’re a big fan of modernist Spanish poetry. It is a pretty impressive cathedral.
The central park is also a pleasant place to sit and rest for a moment, and it’s where we had our most pleasant interaction with the locals of León. As we were sitting and admiring the tropical heat, a group of local students approached us. They wanted to practice their English with us. It was a lot of fun, although they got nervous when we told them we used to be English teachers.
Explore the Best Museums in Nicaragua
In my humble opinion, León has the best museums in Nicaragua, hands down. They might even be some of the best in all of Central America. The modern art museum might be one of the best I’ve been to in the world.
The Ortíz Gurdián Foundation Art Center is located just a few blocks west of the cathedral and the parque central. The museum is housed in two old colonial houses, which are beautiful in their own right. Inside is a collection of amazing art ranging from Nicaraguan primitivism to Spanish religious. There are even a few pieces from luminaries like Picasso, Warhol, and Basquiat.
I like Picasso, Warhol, and Basquiat as much as the next guy, but I especially enjoyed seeing the contemporary works from modern Central American artists. It’s the kind of thing you don’t often see anywhere else. The Centro de Arte Funcación Ortíz Gurdián is just a few blocks west of the central park on the corner of 3rd Avenue South and Calle de Rubén Darío.
Aside from the art, León is also home to the must-see Museo de la Revolución. This museum is full of artifacts and insight about the struggle against the brutal Somoza dictatorship during the 1970s. You’ll even be led on a guided tour by a real live former Sandinista Guerilla, who also happens to be the nicest man in the entire city. The museum is just west of the cathedral off the central park.
That incredibly nice guerilla turned museum guide also happens to work at another of León’s museums. The Museum of Myths and Legends is housed in a former Somoza era prison and contains all sorts of representations of, guess what, Nicaragua’s myths and legends. The rather whimsical figures of crab people and big-breasted monster women contrast sharply with the prison bars and tiny cells of one of Nicaragua’s most notorious former prisons. It’s a fascinating place.
Go to the Beach
Did I mention before how hot León is? Luckily, you can escape the heat with a short bus ride to Las Peñitas beach. Here you’ll find dark volcanic sand and a long coastline of rough waves. It isn’t the prettiest beach in the world. It’s far from being even the prettiest in Central America. And I don’t recommend swimming. Despite that, Last Peñitas makes for a nice afternoon trip. Ramshackle beach bars will overcharge you for a drink, as will most of the taxi drivers that hang out by the bus stop waiting for exhausted tourists to disembark.
Follow the Herd and Go Volcano Surfing (or Don’t Because It’s Dumb)
If you’re researching León, Nicaragua you’ve probably heard about volcano boarding. Every other travel guide, blog and tourism related graffiti seem to be obsessed with volcano boarding. From what I gather, you climb up a volcano, then slide down on a board.
I thought the whole thing sounded kind of dumb. It’s not as if volcano boarding is a part of Nicaraguan culture. It has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the country’s people or its history. It’s just a corny activity dreamed up to try and attract tourists. It works, but those sorts of things rarely interest me. However, it’s a thing you could do in León if you want. I’ll only judge a little bit.
Is León, Nicaragua Worth Visiting?
I’ve visited León on both my trips to Nicaragua. If you’re traveling through Central America or planning a trip to Nicaragua, you probably want an answer to the question of whether you should visit or not. Let me respond with a resounding “maybe.”
If you’re really interested in Nicaragua’s revolutionary history or the modern Central American art scene, and you’re a bit more of a hardened traveler who can handle the shakedowns and ambivalent locals then by all means visit León. The city definitely has some fascinating elements that make it worth a visit.
However, if this is your first trip to Nicaragua or your new to traveling, I’d say give León a miss. The colonial architecture is much grander and the people are nicer in Granada. The beaches are better on Isla Ometepe or San Juan del Sur. You’ll likely want to stop in León if you’re coming from El Salvador, Honduras or Guatemala, but don’t bother staying more than a night or two at most.
It’s also completely possible that my experience was the exception. Maybe you’ve visited León and absolutely loved it. Maybe there’s something unmissable here that I’ve somehow missed. In that case, feel free to comment below and tell me what an asshole I am.
In the end though, León was a disappointment for me. I expected a city full of passionate socialists, and instead found a bunch of hustlers who mostly treated me like a commodity. Such is life. Thankfully, Nicaragua gets a lot better from here.
