Managua travel guide

Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua, is the perfect example of a modern Latin American city - full of life and activity. The city is certainly not the chief tourism destination in Nicaragua; however, its pivotal role as the commercial, cultural, economic and industrial center of the nation as well as its modern facilities makes it an idyllic leisure destination.

In Managua, you literally have everything - crater lagoons, volcanoes, tropical jungles, theaters, shopping malls, restaurants and the best of hotels. You can easily drop in at a nearby cinema house to catch up a late evening movie or even do some brisk shopping after you have had your fill of natural wonders daylong. And if you are a party animal, you will just love Managua’s vibrant nightlife!

Statistics

Area: 173.7 Sq km

Population: 1.7 million

Currency: Cordoba

Language: Spanish & English

Architecture   

Although Managua has been the capital of Nicaragua since 1855, architecture-wise it is a relatively young city. Actually, the city has been almost totally rebuilt after the devastating earthquake that struck in 1972. The newly built Nueva cathedral is one of the architectural marvels that will leave you amazed. It is a decentralized city and the residential quarters stand side-by-side the business/market squares and shops.  

A lot of construction work is still going on in Managua as part of urban planning for the further uplift of the nation’s economy and infrastructure.

Infrastructure

Though work is still on, Managua has a moderately good tourism-infrastructure. Managua has an international airport with flights for domestic as well as international travel. Many international bus companies operate in this zone. Managua has excellent road network with local buses and taxis plying on them. Other than these two cheap means of transport, rental cars and minibuses are also available for travel. Since streets are not named, you may face navigating problems in Managua if you travel on your own.

Accommodation facilities are good in Managua. You may put up in a hotel of international repute like the InterContinental or Hilton or choose a cheap hostel or a moderately rated guesthouse.

People and Culture

People living in Managua are quite friendly by nature and this is evidenced by the fact that beside the Mestizos, whites and Spanish-speaking criollos (unmixed Europeans), the city has become a home to communities of ex-pats and immigrants. Most people speak and understand only Spanish.

Festivities are very important in any multi-ethnic culture and the same holds for Managua. The chief festival celebrated in Managua is that of its patron saint Santo Domingo de Guzmán. It is a 10-day long festival starting on the first day of August and coming to an end on the tenth day. A new festival called the ‘Alegria por la Vida’ (Happiness for Life) Carnaval is being celebrated every year in the month of March since 2003.