What to do in Leon, Nicaragua

Leon, in my opinion, is more authentic and less touristy than Granada. Though it has not fared as well and is not considered a gem, but that is what makes it great! It is full of culture and history and it is for the people, not tourist like Granada sometimes seems. It seems that there has been a long debate, Granada vs. Leon, but Leon was my personal favorite. Rooms, food, and activities were cheaper, but don’t get me wrong, I loved Granada as well. I spent almost one week here and never got bored. Nicaragua is also still one of my favourite counties I’ve been to. It is in part because of how much I struggled during it and how much I grew from it. Here is a list of top activities to see and do in Leon, Nicaragua.

1. Volcano Board Cerro Negro

A must-do for anyone visiting Leon! It is one of the only places in the world you can board down a volcano, through apparently Hawaii does offer something similar.

You spend the first part hiking up the volcano with your “board” aka a piece of plywood with some rope attached. It offers some beautiful views on the way up and then once you are at the top, you get to the fun part… boarding down! They say you can control your speed, well if you can I didn’t figure it out. We watched multiple people at the bottom wipe out but they all say it was worth it. I should mention that no one got seriously injured! Just make sure you have time to shower afterward because you will be covered in black sand which gets embedded ALL over you, plus lots of sweat from the hike up!

 

2. Walk the Cathedral Roof

You get to walk barefoot around on the top and you get the most amazing view of the city and surrounding volcanoes. The all-white roof looks like something from Europe and the roof is one of the largest in Central America!

It was a bit difficult to go up as the first time I went it was closed and the second time they tried to tell me it was closed. One backpacker I met was able to ask again and get us up. I asked the wrong thing in Spanish so just make sure to check what time it is opened and closed!

 

3. Visit the local market and food stands

Ahh, the food stands, my favorite part! You can get fresh mangos, pineapples, and more all for less than thirty cents. Fresh coconut was usually about a dollar! The food was incredibly cheap as well. Little shops in the road sold foot-long hotdogs for a few dollars, hamburgers for two dollars, and fresh smoothies for three dollars! You can try so much and never break the bank doing it which is any college students dream!

 

4. Tour the countless Cathedrals

Seriously, there is no shortage of cathedrals and churches to visit. My hostel had a great little map that showed each cathedral so I made a point to visit all of them in one day. It is a bit of a walk to see them all and I did get lost, but I also spoke no Spanish! Make sure you do dedicate at least a day for just this. Each one is unique in its way so make sure to visit each!

 

 

5. Check out the local museums

Now I didn’t get a chance to check them all out, but Leon offers more museums than Granada. I do love my old architecture and history. If you have an extra day, these are worth it since you can learn about the history of Nicaragua and the revolutions.

 

6. Grab a beer at ViaVia or Bigfoot

Depending on your preference of bar scene, one of these will suit you. Bigfoot is a total party hostel no doubt, but right by it offers a more chill scene. Here you can grab a bite of food, relax, and grab a cold beer. I personally liked Victoria but the country’s favorite is Toña and for one dollar, who can complain!