Not sure what you should do on your next trip to León, Nicaragua? If you’ve only got a couple of days in the city, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. Even though I could have stayed longer in this beautiful city, I staying for three nights and four days was more than enough.
Here are the things you shouldn’t miss during your trip!
1. Volcano Boarding / Hike Cerro Negro
Volcano boarding is not something you’ll find anywhere else in the world. It’s not very expensive, gives you the opportunity to hike a cool volcano and you get the adrenaline rush going down on a wooden plank. If you’re not in shape, you might want to skip this activity, as it does require a certain amount of physical activity. In most cases, you’ll have to carry your board and your boarding suit, which are heavier than they look. And you’ll be walking on top of black volcano rock, which get really hot. As long as you’re ready to sweat, you’ll have a great time!
Make sure you go with Quetzaltrekkers as they’ll even let you board down a second time if you want to and all their profit goes to charity. Volcano boarding and helping Nicaraguan children? How can you say no to that?
2. Climb to the Top of The Cathedral
The León Cathedral is an absolute gem and missing its view from the top would be a shame. Note that there is an entrance fee of $2 per person and that it closes at 4 PM. You won’t be able to see the sunset from there (like I wanted to do), but you’ll still get a great view of the volcanos. If you’re lucky enough, you might even catch one while it’s erupting!
3. Eat at a Comedor
If you decided to go to Nicaragua because it’s cheap there, you’ll especially appreciate León’s comedors! They are small family-owned restaurants that offer local food at a local price. My favorite? Imabite, which is right in front of the Quetzaltrekkers‘ office. Chris and I both got a plate full of food for $2 each. Honestly, it doesn’t get cheaper than that, and the food was excellent!
4. Get a Batido
León gets pretty hot during the day, so stopping for a quick smoothie is always a great plan! And don’t worry: there are places serving them at every street corner! Try a mix of local fruits with some milk or orange juice and either take a quick leg break or keep walking while drinking it! It’ll instantly cool you down and give you the vitamins you need to keep going.
5. Relax at your hotel pool
Chris and I decided to splurge a bit when we chose our hotel, and that’s the reason we went with the $60/night Azul hotel, which had a great pool, amazing breakfast and comfortable beds. If that’s too high above your budget, we also had lunch at Lazybones Hostel, which also happened to have a pool! And believe me, while hiking Cerro Negro a second time, you’ll be thinking about how that pool sounds good when you get back to your hotel… It’s the only thing that kept me going!
Have you been to León? What did you visit?
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