Sightseeing in Managua - what to see. Complete travel guide

Managua is the capital of Nicaragua. This is not only a large political center but also the second city in terms of population density in Central America. Managua lies near the shore of the lake with the same name. Nearby Momotombo Volcano makes the city’s skyline even more picturesque. Currently, this is a sleeping volcano so tourists have nothing to worry about and can safely enjoy their acquaintance with Managua attractions. Currently, there are not many old buildings in the city because of the volcano. Momotombo was active in the past, and its eruption caused much damage to the settlement. Despite this, Managua has still much to offer to its guests.

Managua was on the maps before the moment when famous explorer Christopher Columbus reached America. Initially, this was a small fishing village. Managua officially became a town only in 1819. The settlement had a beneficial location, and this fact helped the region to develop. Lying between Leon and Granada, the village managed to turn into a large center of commerce within a short time. In 1857, an army of mercenaries with William Walker as their leader ruined Granada, and Managua became the new capital.

Over the years, the city had to endure several though periods and times of political unrest. In the 30s and the 70s of the 20th century, two devastating earthquakes took place in Managua. These natural disasters damaged many buildings in the city. The following civil war and numerous revolutions almost destroyed the central part of the capital. After the earthquakes, the majority of new buildings in Managua were appearing outside the city center. When natural disasters and political tensions were finally over, the government of Nicaragua did its best to restore the capital. It is safe to say that Managua was reborn in the 90s of the 20th century. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The Old Cathedral of Managua or the Saint James Cathedral is one of the main shrines of Managua. There is an interesting fact about this cathedral – the shrine was initially built in Belgium and only after that was transferred to the capital of Nicaragua using ships. The gorgeous cathedral “moved” to another country in the first half of the 20th century. The cathedral had a unique construction – at that time, there was no other building in the western hemisphere that was made from concrete with a metal carcass. The neoclassic cathedral was installed on the site of the former church of Saint Santiago. Naturally, the elegant and majestic building quickly conquered the hearts of local people with its beauty.

The old shrine had to endure a number of troubles. It had to survive the first major earthquake in 1931. The construction of the cathedral was so durable that the building got no severe damage. However, the second natural cataclysm, which happened in 1972, was too devastating even for the solid construction of the church. When the earthquake ended, the walls kept standing but the building could collapse like a house of cards any moment. The city’s authorities decided not to try to reconstruct the original building but to build its copy in another place. Nowadays, there have been many talks about the renovation of the old cathedral but the works are only at the stage of planning.

Would you like to visit the most interesting place in Nicaragua? There is an incredibly interesting museum in Managua, which is called Traces Archaeological Museum Acahualinca. Why is this establishment so unique? The exhibits in this establishment feature traces of the ancient people who lived here during the prehistoric times. Besides traces of ancient people, visitors can see traces of prehistoric animals that are petrified in volcano lava. Workers of the museum tell that people and animals left these fossilized footprints during the eruption of the “fire giant”. Everyone living tried to survive and find a shelter near the lake.

Archaeologists discovered layers of the petrified lava and footprints of ancient beings at the end of the 19th century. Scientists started examining them carefully and agreed on the opinion that the age of these footprints is more than two thousand years. It is incredibly interesting to look at the fossilized footprints of ancient people and compare them to the footprints of the modern human. Besides the collection of footprints, the Acahualinca Museum exhibits other archaeological findings discovered in Nicaragua. There are traces of a giant mammoth, various tools and items of the aboriginal tribes in the pre-Columbus era, and a collection of ceramics.

Augusto C. Sandino International Airport is the transportation hub that serves Managua. There are frequent flights to Managua from various cities in the United States and Canada. Every day, the airport in Managua serves flights from Atlanta, Huston, Miami, and Dallas. In case of a need, tourists can depart from San Salvador, Panama City, San Jose, or Mexico. When traveling from Europe, tourists might need to make a change in one of the abovementioned cities.