Overview
Take a trip to Matagalpa on your Nicaragua Vacation
Matagalpa is a must-visit city if you are interested in seeing the Nicaraguan mountain region. It is a good jumping-off point on a Nicaragua vacation for visiting the coffee, tobacco and cattle farms in the area or hiking and witnessing what remains of the impact of German immigrants in Nicaragua.
If you like mountain hiking, bird watching, horseback riding, browsing for monkeys, ecotourism, agritourism, Indian villages, cigar factory tours, coffee farm tours, and mountain scenery, Matagalpa is the place to visit. It is located in the north highlands that make the water shed division of the Caribbean and Pacific rivers and was called "The Frontier of the Jungle" by the Spanish Conquistadores because it divided the historical Miskito Kingdom and the Colonial Spanish towns. It has mountain resorts with bungalows, youth hostels, regular hotel rooms, B&Bs, and a vast array of shops, boutiques, cafés, restaurants, bars and discotheques.
Many local businesses and residents speak English due to the surge of tourism during recent years as well as the increasing number of ex-pats who now call Matagalpa their home. Matagalpa is a nice town to walk around. Visit historical churches, like the Cathedral, built in 1874. Walk around town and take photographs of oxen carts, cowboys, loaded mules, women wearing their chals, men with hats and musicians playing guitar, trumpet, violin and accordion (Polkas and Mazurcas). These are not performances being put on for the tourists on a Nicaragua vacation but are actual real-time expressions of the local culture that is their way of life.
In many ways, life here is as it was 100 years ago. Tradition is definitely alive and well here in Matagalpa. Worth a visit is the Castillo de Cacao located just outside of the city limits. This tiny chocolate factory manufactures high-quality chocolate and if you call ahead, you can arrange a factory tour. Other things to see or visit - are the Coffee Museum, a Carlos Fonseca Birth Place museum (Founder of the Sandinista Front) and the House of former Nicaraguan President, Bartolome Martinez.
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Classic Nicaragua: Granada, Matagalpa & More
San Juan Del Sur, Leon, Matagalpa, and GranadaDrift among Nicaragua’s volcanic lake islets, wander colonial streets, explore cloud forests and coffee country, then relax by the Pacific amid jungle-fringed shores.
10 days
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Classic Nicaragua: Granada, Matagalpa & More
San Juan Del Sur, Leon, Matagalpa, and GranadaDrift among Nicaragua’s volcanic lake islets, wander colonial streets, explore cloud forests and coffee country, then relax by the Pacific amid jungle-fringed shores.
10 days
From US$3,729/p.p.
Request a Quote
Don't see the
perfect trip idea?
Request a custom quote.
Turn your travel dreams into reality with Goway. Our customized vacations take travellers to all corners of the world.
What do the experts say?
I love learning about Nicaragua's culture and experiencing its Spanish influence in some cities. I was only there for five days, but I'll never forget how delicious the food was and how welcoming and extremely polite the people were.
Nicaragua is well known for its dramatic volcanic landscapes, lakes, rainforests, and colonial cities. I love how friendly the people are and how delicious the food is! There is always something fun to do in Nicaragua!
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MatagalpaOccasional Showers
29°C / 83°F
34mm / 1.3"
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Everything was looked after and no stress for usJean WilloughbyVanessa from Goway Travel did a fantastic job pulling together a really comprehensive itinerary for our trip to Egypt. Her advice about "must see" sites was extremely helpful and she also provided great tips based on her own experience travelling to Egypt. Excellent planning by Vanessa meant we were able to thoroughly enjoy our trip. OlgaI want to Thank Vanessa Lloyd for putting together the most perfect itinerary for my husband and my dream trip to Santorini, Greece. Every detail was perfectly executed. From the pick ups, to tours and most certainly our hotel location, it was truly a dream!! We were so happy and completely blown away, that we couldn't help but shared our experience with several folks we met during our trip... and I just bet they will be using Goway Travel for any future plans of theirs, just like us. Africa, here we come....Tanya KashExceptional Customer Service, Accountability, and Leadership — Thank You, Goway Travel!
As a Canadian travel advisor with Discover Joy Travel, affiliated with TravelOnly, I want to recognize three exceptional individuals at Goway Travel: Jaime Vargas-Hernandez (Destination Specialist – North America and Latin America), Sean Hebert (Vice President, The Americas), and Jason Stratford (Business Development Manager).
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