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Northern Highlands

Nicaragua's Northern Highlands are off the typical backpacker route through the country, but nobody with an interest in coffee, cigars and wonderful scenery should miss them. Here colorful quetzals nest in misty cloud forests, and Nicaragua’s best coffee and tobacco are cultivated with both capitalist zeal and collective spirit. With a little time and commitment you’ll get pounded by waterfalls; explore Somoto's canyon; and pay tribute to the pirates, colonists, revolutionaries, artists and poets who were inspired by these fertile mountains and mingled with the open-hearted people who’ve lived here for generations.

On either end of the region are its two largest cities: hardworking Estelí buzzes with students, farmers and cigar moguls, while Matagalpa is slightly hipper – and better funded, thanks to nearly a century of successful coffee cultivation. All around and in between are granite peaks and lush valleys dotted with dozens of small towns and their friendly inhabitants.

Explore Northern Highlands

  • Monumento Nacional Cañon de Somoto

    The Coco (or Wangki), Central America’s longest river, runs all the way to the Caribbean, but its first impression may be its most spectacular. Gushing…

  • Cerro La Cruz

    A steep yet worthwhile hour’s hike from the cemetery and embedded in a boulder-crusted ridge is the town cross, originally placed here in 1703 by…

  • G
    Galería de Héroes y Mártires

    Be sure to stop by this moving gallery devoted to fallen revolutionaries, with displays of faded photos, clothes and weaponry. Check out the exhibit (with…

  • C
    Casa Museo Comandante Carlos Fonseca

    Commander Carlos Fonseca, the Sandinista equivalent of Malcolm X (read: bespectacled, goateed, intense, highly charismatic), grew up desperately poor in…

  • S
    Selva Negra

    If you’re looking for comfort with your virgin cloud forest experience, then Selva Negra – part family resort, part coffee farm and part rainforest…

  • C
    Cerro Mogotón

    Nicaragua's highest peak, Cerro Mogotón (2107m) towers over the coffee fields of Nueva Segovia, close to the Honduran border. Once off-limits due to land…

  • L
    Los Volcancitos

    This destination for wildlife lovers is where you’ll find the best remaining patch of virgin cloud forest (although deforestation is a serious issue),…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Northern Highlands.

  • See

    Monumento Nacional Cañon de Somoto

    The Coco (or Wangki), Central America’s longest river, runs all the way to the Caribbean, but its first impression may be its most spectacular. Gushing…

  • See

    Cerro La Cruz

    A steep yet worthwhile hour’s hike from the cemetery and embedded in a boulder-crusted ridge is the town cross, originally placed here in 1703 by…

  • See

    Galería de Héroes y Mártires

    Be sure to stop by this moving gallery devoted to fallen revolutionaries, with displays of faded photos, clothes and weaponry. Check out the exhibit (with…

  • See

    Casa Museo Comandante Carlos Fonseca

    Commander Carlos Fonseca, the Sandinista equivalent of Malcolm X (read: bespectacled, goateed, intense, highly charismatic), grew up desperately poor in…

  • See

    Selva Negra

    If you’re looking for comfort with your virgin cloud forest experience, then Selva Negra – part family resort, part coffee farm and part rainforest…

  • See

    Cerro Mogotón

    Nicaragua's highest peak, Cerro Mogotón (2107m) towers over the coffee fields of Nueva Segovia, close to the Honduran border. Once off-limits due to land…

  • See

    Los Volcancitos

    This destination for wildlife lovers is where you’ll find the best remaining patch of virgin cloud forest (although deforestation is a serious issue),…

Guidebooks

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