After twenty minutes, our guide pulled up the faded blue polo-shirt to show us his shrapnel wound.
Millimetres away from the spine, it gave a stark reminder that the sweet, smiling elderly man with whom we were spending this sunny morning had seen and participated in things we’d only experienced in movies.
In the crumbling museum opposite Leon Cathedral, he points to a black and white newspaper cutting of some bell-bottomed teens with flowing locks and rifles: on the left, the smallest of the group, is his 14 year-old self at the start of his journey to becoming a revolutionary.
He then proceeds to go through the rest of the boys in the picture: “died, died, died, died”.
That’s just row one.
The city of León was the stage for several of the most significant scenes in Nicaragua’s political history: a dictator assassinated by a poet, an armed liberation, and student protests violently put down by an autocratic government fifty years apart.
This Central American country’s second biggest city may be encircled by a ring of volcanoes, but the eruptions often take place in its streets.
Steeped in revolutionary folklore, it remains hugely defined by it; you cannot turn around a corner without seeing a statue, mural or testament to a fallen hero. Graffiti here is not solely the tag mark of a frustrated teen, but rather a symbol that generations of fervent political independence and thought still thrives in León.
For the traveller, some may arrive with only a plan to volcano board before heading to the beach or a border, but there’s more to the city than its most famous activity. For our money, Granada is more obviously pretty than León, but the former is a better base due to the number of day trip hikes and transport connections, plus the potential for a spontaneous boozy night in Zona Rosa
Whilst there are a few more boujie hostels and hangouts than our first trip a decade ago, León is very much still an old school backpacker city. Aside from a few streets and behind some colonial doors, it’s not very touristified and you can have as close to an authentic experience as you wish.
Just be prepared for the stifling, scalp-burning heat.
In this guide, we’ve shared our favourite things to do in León to help you plan ahead. We’ve also included tips and recommendations on where to stay, how to get around, and where to eat so you can travel better and make the most of your time.
This is 13 Wonderful Things To Do in León, Nicaragua.
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