Managua travel guide – tips, sights and highlights
After a long 22-hour flight with a stopover in Houston, we arrived late in the evening in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. After a short taxi ride, we checked into our Airbnb and immediately fell into bed before continuing our journey early next morning. With the help of our host, we got a SIM card and some cash, and after our first Gallo Pinto (a traditional Nicaraguan breakfast of fried rice with black beans, scrambled eggs, plantains, avocado, and tomatoes), we headed straight to our first real stop: León.
Our stay in Managua was more of a means to an end than a true destination for us. Due to inconvenient flight times, we spent our first and last night there. Upon arrival, traveling onward immediately felt too stressful, and in the end, we preferred to play it safe rather than tackle the long journey from Popoyo early in the morning before our flight.
What we saw of the capital in such a short time didn’t really impress us. In our opinion, there are far more beautiful places to visit in Nicaragua. We used the brief stay to get familiar with the country and its people and to take care of essential errands like getting a SIM card and some cash. In Nicaragua, there are two well-known SIM card providers, Claro and Tigo. We chose Claro because we had read that it offers better coverage, even on the Corn Islands. Since there are Claro or Tigo shops almost everywhere, as well as small supermarkets that sell top-ups, you can easily recharge your balance whenever needed.
About Managua: tastes vary of course so we recommend seeing it for yourself and forming your own opinion. If, like us, you decide on a more practical stay, we’ve put together some activities, accommodation options, and food recommendations below to make your visit more enjoyable.
Highlights in Managua
Even though we chose not to stay in Managua for long, we’ve heard from other travelers that the city does have its own charm and a few things to see. If you have the time and interest, you can easily spend a few hours or even a full day here. To help you make the most of your short visit, we’ve put together a list of sights. Important note: we didn’t visit these places ourselves, so the recommendations are based on other travelers’ experiences.
Our restaurant recommendations
Like in most Central American countries, Nicaraguan cuisine is heavily based on corn, beans, rice and plantains. On our first morning, following our host’s recommendation, we headed straight to Barrio Café, a small, cozy café with an indoor lounge and a lovely terrace. They serve traditional Nicaraguan dishes at fair prices. The food was really delicious, and the staff were attentive and friendly.
Near our second apartment, we discovered a small backyard kitchen run by a local family. There, you can enjoy fresh pupusas straight from the gas grill. These are corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, beans, or meat and are very popular in Nicaragua. As almost everywhere, they are served with Agua de Jamaica, a refreshing hibiscus flower drink.
Our accommodations
El Soho in Managua is simply furnished and ideal for a short stopover. At €41 per night, it’s relatively inexpensive, so don’t expect too much. The area is considered safe and is one of the nicer neighborhoods in the city. The airport is about a 30-minute drive away. Our warm-hearted host, Heberto, was especially helpful, assisting us with everything we needed. He personally took us to breakfast and helped with purchasing a SIM card. Since we speak very little Spanish and a Nicaraguan ID was required for the SIM card in our case, his support was truly invaluable.
Our second accommodation, before our return flight, was Runway 108. The apartment is located very close to the airport in a small gated community. The place wasn’t particularly remarkable in appearance, but it was perfectly located, relatively clean, very affordable, and included breakfast. Check-in and communication went completely smoothly. In the surrounding area, there are plenty of street stalls, supermarkets, and a really good bakery.
How to get there?
Since we arrived in Managua quite late in the evening, we opted for a simple taxi ride to our accommodation. The next morning, for the sake of convenience, we again took a taxi to León. In hindsight, it would have been much cheaper to take an express or chicken bus from the bus station. But honestly, after the long flight and jet lag, we weren’t ready to jump straight into the adventure. Since León is also one of the hottest cities in Nicaragua, traveling by air-conditioned taxi was definitely an advantage.