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Leon is a former capital of Nicaragua and a must see when visiting the country. But what is there to see in Leon if you’re only there for a short time?
I spent a long weekend in Leon getting to explore as much of it as possible and realised there is much more to Leon that just a few churches (although there are plenty of churches to keep you entertained as well!)
Keep reading for everything you need to know before you visit Leon in Nicaragua as well as a brief guide on where to stay and how to get to Leon.
The 8 things to do in Leon
See the Leon Cathedral
Leon CathedralThis is the centre piece of Leon and in the main square. If you don’t see it, you must have been hiding in your hotel room the entire time!
The full name is “Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary” and it is a UNESCO site due to it being one of the oldest and largest cathedrals in Central America. It has a number of crypts running beneath the cathedral that branch out to other churches in the city but they aren’t accessible to the public.
It is possible to go onto the roof of Leon Cathedral for views of the city with the best time to visit just before sunset. You’ll have to take your shoes off and pay USD$3 to get to the top but the views are worth it.
Experience the main square
Plaza Parque Central de LeónIf you’re new to Central America, the Main Square in Leon (or Plaza Parque Central de León to give it its full name) is a great place for sitting and watching the world go by.
With lots of different architecture around the outside, from gothic, colonial and modern, to street sellers hawking cold drinks, snacks and tourist trinkets, the square is a place to experience all sides of Nicaragua.
Although not as beautiful (or clean) as the square in Granada a short distance away, it is still a must see when visiting Leon.
Just beware of all the pigeons!
Visit the other churches
Church of the Recollection, LeonLeon is home to 13 major churches if you really want to tour them all. I was surprised at how busy many of them were at all times of day. It is a very religious city!
There are many to choose from but my favourite would be the Iglesia de la Recolección, a brightly painted yellow church that I first walked past on my way from the bus station.
Visit the Museum of the Revolution
Revolution Museum, LeonAs the epicentre of the Nicaraguan revolution and a base for Sandinista National Liberation Front (you’ll see the red and black FSLN flags everywhere), the museum of the revolution is something they are proud of.
You must take a guided tour and costs 100 córdobas to enter. The guided tour is interested if you take it with a pinch of propaganda and one sided history.
Take a walking tour
The Free Walking Tour starts at the corner of the Hero and Martyrs ParkA walking tour is something I try to do in every city I visit and the one in Leon was very informative. The guide had excellent English and explained the history of the city extremely well.
Go Volcano Boarding
Volcano boarding in Leon was actually the main reason that I went to the city in the first place.
I genuinely think this is the number one reason to visit Leon, if not the whole of Nicaragua!
As I’ve explained in a post on the subject, there are two options to go volcano boarding in Leon, with Bigfoot Hostel or Volcano Day with the former being more social than the latter.
Despite the partying and drinking involved, hiking for an hour up a volcano with sulphur smoking from the rocks as you climb before sitting on a wooden board and hurling yourself down black volcanic rock at 40kph makes for an exhilarating experience and one that must be done when visiting Leon!
Drink some craft beer
The menu at the Cerro Negro taproomI’m adding this one here because it was on every other list of things to do in Leon, Nicaragua that I saw. There is a craft brewery in Leon and they sell their beer at the Cerro Negro brewery which is just a short 10 minute walk from the main square.
I went there for a quick drink one night and asked for a drink. The first two options weren’t available so I settled on my third, a form of stout which wasn’t the best. It was drinkable, but I only had one.
The beer was C$90 so I paid with a C$100 note and waited for my change. It never came but he gave me a receipt with C$90 + C$10 “voluntary tip”. I asked for me C$10 back out of principle as it’s another reason I prefer other regions of the world.
Maybe the beer will be better when you go there? I hope so!
Explore the parks and street art
Ruben Dario statue in the poets parkLeon is known as a bit of a cultural capital so it is no wonder that they have a park dedicated to poets!
Parque de Los Poetas is close to the main square and contains statues and busts of famous Nicaraguan poets, including their most famous, Ruben Dario.
On other corners of the city you’ll find graffiti art scrawled across walls, many with a subtle political message that’s a sign of the current government.
Street art in LeonWhere to stay in Leon
I stayed at Casa de Los Berrios which was a lovely family owned place just a few streets from the main square. It’s a fair price for what you get, its family owned with the old lady treating me like her son when I was there ensuring I had breakfast and checking up on my friends for me.
If you’re looking for a place on a budget, I’d highly recommend Bigfoot Hostel as its where you will have to go to Volcano Boarding.
There are some more expensive places in the city but I didn’t want to spend USD$100 and still get a room without hot water. There are some luxury resorts on the outskirts.
Budget:
Mid range:
Luxury:
How to get to Leon
Leon is well connected with tourist shuttles to other destinations across Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador.
Getting to Leon from Granada or Managua is also pretty simple and I’ve written a guide on how to do that.
Although there is no airport or train station in Leon, it is still an easy destination to get to from all over Central America with most travellers that fly in taking a bus or taxi from Managua.
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Summing up the best things to do in Leon, Nicaragua
Leon is a great place to visit when travelling around Nicaragua.
In my opinion, the best thing to do is to slide down a volcano but there is plenty more to explore in the city whether you are into history, culture or religion. And as a relatively easy destination to visit, there is enough to keep all travellers to Nicaragua happy when visiting Leon!
Dan is an avid traveller from London. His first big adventure was in 2010 living in Malaysia for 3 months. He has been on the road almost constantly since 2015 travelling to destinations that aren’t on the mainstream tourist trail and working full time and travelling since 2021.
