Our second stop of our time in Nicaragua was the gorgeous colonial city of León, the furthest north we would go in the country. Nicaragua was the third country of our Central America backpacking trip, having started in the easternmost country of Panama before traveling by bus across Costa Rica.
I quit my job last July and decided to take what I coined an "adult gap year", given I was taking it aged 28, instead of the typical gap year age of 18. I went back and forth for months on exactly when I would go, which countries I would visit, for how long I wanted to travel, with whom I wanted to go - if anyone...
My Central America trip would turn out to cover five countries in five weeks; the first three (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua) with my partner Tobi and the last two (Guatemala, Belize) with Ina, a friend from Salzburg.
Having loved Panama and then been quite disappointed by Costa Rica, we were eager to see what Nicaragua would bring for us. We ended up leaving Costa Rica after just three nights of our planned eight and therefore had five extra nights in Nicaragua to explore. This was the best decision we could have made as we absolutely loved Nicaragua and are so happy we got to see more of the country than initially planned.
We crossed the border from Costa Rica at Peñas Blancas and then made our way to Laguna de Apoyo, the first stop of our time in Nicaragua. From there, we took a private shuttle north to León for two nights of exploring.
Although it was a lot of work, I made daily vlogs on Instagram reels of every single day of my Central America trip which I branded "the backpacking series".
→ Check out my episode of the Backpacking Series of visiting León!
By bus: You can arrive in León by public bus directly from Managua, the capital. We didn't use public buses in Nicaragua having been warned against it by other travelers and instead booked private shuttles for our inter-city journeys, therefore you'll need to do your own research here.
By private shuttle: We both arrived from Laguna de Apoyo and departed to Granada by private shuttle, both times booked through our accommodation the night before. There is usually a daily morning departure time and they will pick you up and drop you off at your accommodations on both ends. These were usually approximately USD $20 per person.
→ Check out my episode of the Backpacking Series of taking the shuttle from León to Granada!
By car: If you have decided to travel through Nicaragua or Central America by car, you can also travel to León with your own wheels. I don't have any experience with driving or parking in León or Nicaragua so please do your own research here.
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Managua.
By flight: The closest airport is in Managua, the Nicaraguan capital. You can take book a shuttle directly from the airport to León.
León is a compact, beautiful city and very easily explorable on foot. We wandered through the colourful streets, felt the hot sun on our skin and tried to photograph as many street corners as we could.
We joined a walking tour of León with a brilliant local who showed us all around the best highlights of town in two hours and shared plenty of history, tips and cultural insights. We found out about this tour because someone approached us in the main square; he told us there is a daily walking tour every day at 10am and 4pm leaving from this park next to the cathedral.
Our walking tour group
We traveled to León spontaneously as a result of leaving Costa Rica five days early so we booked something on the go as we were in the midst of changing plans. Based on reviews on Booking.com, we ended up choosing to spend two nights at Hotel Al Sole. It was quiet, about 20 minutes walk outside the main area of the city and beautifully decorated. We appreciated the fans in the room but be warned, the mattresses are rock hard!
→ Book your stay at the Hotel Al Sole.
If we visited León again, we'd opt to stay closer to the downtown area. We walked past some great hostels and would happily stay there. I would only avoid the Bigfoot Hostel; it's known as the party hostel and is popular with younger backpackers!
→ Check out other places to stay to suit your budget and accommmodation type.
Hotel Al Sole
For breakfast both mornings, we went to the wonderful Mañana Mañana Café, a bright little spot right next to the cathedral serving up a big array of delicious, affordable breakfasts.
I don't have any photos of it, but we both agree we had the best quesadillas ever at El Bodegón.
And, while you're in Nicaragua, you absolutely must get a soda in a plastic bag! It's super common across Central America so that the glass bottles can be reused.
Mañana Mañana Café
Mañana Mañana Café
Soda in a bag
I can only say I am so grateful we made the decision to leave Costa Rica five days early as it unexpectedly gave us these two days in León, a place we weren't originally planning to visit. We loved it. The bustling, colourful little streets. The dogs running amok. The red church standing at one end. The delicious food scene. The gorgeous white cathedral at the heart of it all. The proud history of the city.
Here is everything we saw in León during our two-night stay:
Wander the colourful streets
My favourite thing to do in any new place is simply to wander around, turning left and right down whichever street takes our fancy and get a bit acquainted with the area. We loved walking through the colourful streets of León with its brightly-painted buildings, adorned with pretty flowers and alive with the sounds of busy locals attending Sunday church and doing their shopping.
Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza
Looking down 6ta Av. NO
C. de Rubén Darío
C. de Rubén Darío looking toward Iglesia El Calvario
Visit the Plaza Parque Central de León
This is the main plaza in León and lined with restaurants, markets, cafes and shops. At one end, the famous white Cathedral of León stands. While here, you must find a little cart selling soda in a bag!
See the red walls of Iglesia El Calvario
Standing at the end of C. de Rubén Darío, this bright red church festures neoclassical and Baroque architecture. The first church on this site was built in 1764 but destroyed in an earthquake; the current church was rebuilt in 1810.
→ Read more about the history of Iglesia El Calvario on the León city website.
Join a walking tour
We joined a walking tour of León with a brilliant local who showed us all around the best highlights of town in two hours and shared plenty of history, tips and cultural insights. We found out about this tour because someone approached us in the main square; he told us there is a daily walking tour every day at 10am and 4pm leaving from this park next to the cathedral.
A mural at Parque Héroes y Mártires telling the history of León
Visit the Cathedral of León and climb the roof
Our favourite highlight of León was definitely our visit to the cathedral, a majestic white building in the heart of the city on one edge of Plaza Parque Central de León.
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting the Cathedral of León!
Catch a sunset
Our walking tour finished at this colourful basketball court all covered in fabulous murals telling stories of León's history. We managed to catch the most beautiful sunset over the city from here.
We spent 10 days exploring Nicaragua as part of a backpacking trip through Central America. I wrote a complete guide on how to visit Nicaragua, including:
- where to go in Nicaragua
- how to get around
- where to stay
- where to eat
- all the best things to see and do in Nicaragua
→ Check out my complete guide on how to spend 10 days in Nicaragua!
Laguna de Apoyo
Granada
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
