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Published: July 22nd 2011
Esteli Cathedral
The furniture in the foreground costs a fraction of what it would at home, but of course it would cost the same to send it there.Esteli is about two hours on an express bus from Leon or Managua, and it's right off the Pan-American Highway, so it's a pretty accessible place to cool off and check out mountain life. It's cleaner, cooler, and a little less hectic here, and it is a good base to check out Somoto Canyon and Miraflor.
The central park is lively and, like everywhere else in Nicaragua, in the shadow of a cathedral. To the south is the business district, which has a variety of interesting, though basic, restaurants and stores.
However, after visiting Matagalpa as well, I have to say that Matagalpa is much more lively and interesting. The surrounding mountains are much more beautiful as well. If you are choosing between the two, and don't care about the canyoning or Miraflor, I recommend Matagalpa.
HOSPEDAJE LUNA Y CAFE LUNA
The hostel itself is relatively average. It is clean and the people are ultra-friendly, but the rooms on the street side are unbelievably loud until 11 at night and beginning at 6 AM (if not earlier). Plan on sleeping only during those 7 hours. The windows in the room are just frosted, thick-plastic blinds, so they
Canyoning2
The Rio Coco is a lot harder to cross in this section than it looks. don't close all the way, allowing the sounds from the cafe, the cars on the cobblestone street, and the general excessive loudness of Nicaragua, including the air-raid sirens at 6 AM every morning. These sirens wake up much of the town, and business here gets started two hours earlier than anywhere else I have visited in this country. This all being said, I'm not sure if any other hostel would be quieter.
There is a laundry area at the hostel to wash your clothes (for free) along with plenty of lines to dry them. There is no water during the day, though, so you have to use a bucket for the toilet during those times. There are a few young kids being taken care of at the hostel as well, so there isn't anywhere to escape for reading, etc.
Its restaurant directly across the street is expensive but the food is pretty good. For breakfast, get the desayuno bebido (40 cords), which you drink through a straw but still have to chew the granola, etc. The nacatamale was just okay and may have been responsible for a night of violent illness, but that can happen everywhere.
Whether
Canyoning1
Just below this section was a waterfall, making it necessary to rope up here. you stay at Luna or not, the information area in the front is the best place in town to arrange Cigar Tours, trips to Somoto and Miraflor, among other excursions. The man who works there has a plethora of information and is very helpful and friendly.
TOUR OF TABACALERA SANTIAGO CIGAR FACTORY
As with any excursions from Esteli, Hostel Luna makes it easy to organize this tour the day before. A 9 AM taxi took only ten minutes, and the tour was only one or two hours. At the end, everyone has an opportunity to buy cigars at $1 apiece. I bought a box of 20 for gifts.
This was maybe the best factory tour I have ever been on, mostly because the guide provides full access to all of the steps of the process. When we arrived, the friendly and knowledgeable tour guide (though it was only in Spanish) took us first to show us how the cigar boxes are made, and then to each part of the cigar-making process. Most of the workers didn't seem to mind having their pictures taken and if anything, seemed proud to show off their otherwise mundane skills. The atmosphere
Canyoning4
Though the jump wasn't high (5-6 meters), it is disconcerting to jump into murky waters this narrow. of the factory impressed me -- the workers seemed to have camaraderie, and music blared in the rolling room.
SOMOTO CANYON - CANYONING
This trip was also easy to organize through Hospedaje Luna and cost about 450 cordobas (20 dollars).
Rio Coco and Somoto Canyon are about two hours away on a chicken bus and one hour back on a better bus. It is possible to stay in Somoto, but there isn't much there, and I enjoyed getting back to civilization in Esteli after a long day of canyoning. Somoto is very close to the border with Honduras, though, and could make for an easy early-morning border crossing if you stay there.
I had never been canyoning before, but after talking to some people, it seems like this trip is a nice introduction to it and is not as adventurous nor as beautiful as others. A rope is only involved once, and most of your energy is expended by crossing a relatively fast river. There is only one required 5-6 meter jump off of a rock in order to avoid a rushing waterfall. This was all plenty for me. What is charming about this canyon is
Horseback Riding in Miraflor
My 18-year-old ¨horse¨was calm and obedient. you are likely to see no one except for your tour group and that the walls of the canyon are extremely narrow - at times only two meters across.
I left the hostel with two Swiss girls and Davide, my Italian friend, at about 5 AM to catch the 6:00 bus to Somoto. On the way we added three Spanish girls to our group, making us the perfect size for such a trip. In Somoto, Henry the guide was waiting for us at the bus station. He took us to his home (which you can also stay the night at, though it is very basic) and then for a 2 km walk to the canyon. He provided life vests and he and his assistant carried our cameras and water in dry sacks.
The tour lasted about four hours and I felt safe the whole time. Henry knows what he is doing and he and the other guide were very responsible about everything. Afterward we had an excellent lunch at his house and then caught the express bus to Managua and got off in Esteli. It was a very long day, but when I got back I agreed to
Waterfall
I endured a lot of inner-thigh pain to get to this waterfall. go horseback riding in Miraflor the next morning at 4:30 AM.
MIRAFLOR -- HORSEBACK RIDING
I organized this trip through Hospedaje Luna as well and it cost 179 cordobas (8 dollars). I expect that it won't be long before someone organizes a better way to get to Miraflor, a reserve that is about an hour away by bus (and it seems, by foot as well) from Esteli. The bus leaves at 5:30 or 6:00 from a random Texaco gas station (populated at this hour by drunks and addicts who yelled, ¨fucking gringos¨at us as well as cockroaches, one of which fell on the back of my neck while I was standing in line to buy coffee). Unbelievably, the bus was packed and I had to stand the whole way (regretting that I didn't climb up to sit on the roof as others did).
The ¨horses¨ (donkeys, really) weren't ready until hours after we got to Finca Linda Vista (which has accommodations as well), making the early morning pretty unnecessary. At around 9, we finally started our journey, first to a mirador (viewing point) and then to a waterfall. The scenery was pretty, but I expected much more.
Pressing
After the insides are rolled, they are pressed in vices. The waterfall was nothing special either, except that the swimming area around it was excellent, particularly because it wasn't dangerous to swim under the falls.
It is also possible to do a homestay in Miraflor or to walk the roads and explore the area on your own. This was my original plan, and the experience would be eye-opening, but to travel to this part of the country just for this seems unnecessary.
ESTELI MURALS
Throughout the city, but in particular a few blocks south of the main square, there are impressive murals on the walls of the buildings, some of which go on for several blocks. It is a mixture of local and Japanese styles and almost all glorify socialism, sympathizing with Nica / indigenous struggles, and vilifying the U.S.
MUSEO DE HEROES Y MARTIRES
This museum is worth a look, particularly since it is free (though a small donation is implied). It has photographs of those who died in the three insurrections of the revolution.
There are many more photos below.
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Al Bellini
non-member comment
More great stuff Mike!