Things To Do in Managua

Downtown

Even the most ramshackle cities usually have a dynamic downtown area. Not, however, Managua. Unfortunately, the city's center (Zona Monumental) was destroyed by a powerful earthquake in 1972, and the whole area has been left largely untouched and put aside, as its name implies, for monuments of the past and the occasional government building. It is a dilapidated, decrepit zone with many poor squatters and empty buildings. Yet, it is worth an early-morning stroll around to see what remains and to learn the stories behind each building. At night, it is best avoided. Its center is the Plaza de la Revolución, otherwise known as the Plaza de la República, depending on your political point of view. The most interesting thing to see here is Las Ruinas de la Catedral Vieja, 1/2 block east of the plaza -- it's a poetic testament to the tragic history of Nicaragua. Completed in 1929, this cathedral survived several earthquakes until the big one in 1972 made it too dangerous to enter. Much of it still stands, and you can peer into its shell-like structure and spy beautiful frescoes and statues.

Palacio Nacional de la Cultura is just south of the old cathedral and was once the National Congress. It was here that Sandinista rebels instigated a hostage siege in 1978 that ended with the release of political prisoners. Now, it is the beautifully restored site of the Museo Nacional (tel. 505/2222-2905). The museum has an extensive collection of pre-Columbian pottery and statues, and is situated in the same building as the National Library. There is a marvelous revolutionary mural above the main staircase that leads up to the library, plus a set of illustrated displays that explain in detail the many different dishes of indigenous cuisine, and also classic examples of handicrafts from each town and province. The museum is open from 9am to 4pm daily. Admission is C80.

The Casa Presidencial sits opposite the Palacio Nacional. Completed in 1999, this president's office created a controversy as loud as its colors because of its exorbitant cost of roughly $10 million dollars. The current Sandinista president Ortega refuses to work from such an opulent building and has threatened to turn it into a giant children's kindergarten. Just south of the plaza is the Instituto Nicaraguense de Cultural (tel. 505/2222-5291). This used to be Managua's main hotel, the Gran Hotel, until the 1972 earthquake literally toppled the top floors. Now, all that remains are two stories of exhibition rooms and concert halls. It's open from 9am to 4:30pm Monday to Saturday, with later closing times for shows. Murals decorate the entire building, but it is very scruffy and in sore need of a makeover. The building is free to enter, though there may be an admission price for any special exhibitions and performances.

On the lakeside of the Plaza de la República, in Parque Rubén Darío, you'll find a stark white statue dedicated to Nicaragua's greatest poet, Rubén Darío. Continue your literary-themed walk by next strolling through Plaza de la Cultura República de Guatemala. This is dedicated to the Guatemalan writer and 1967 Nobel winner Miguel Angel Asturias Rosales. His book El Señor Presidente (Catedra) is one of Latin America's greatest portraits of a tyrant.

The Teatro Nacional Rubén Darío (tel. 505/2266-3630; www.tnrubendario.gob.ni) was built in 1969 and is one of the few buildings to survive the 1972 earthquake. It's a beautiful structure and the cultural heart of Managua. The 1,200-person auditorium hosts plays, dance performances, and even the occasional fashion show. There is also an exhibition space upstairs in what is known as the Chandelier Room (after a set of chandeliers donated by the Spanish government). Performances can be sporadic, but its open weekdays from 10am to 6pm and weekends from 10am to 3pm. It's where Nicaragua's great come to rub elbows, but don't let that turn you off. Tickets are very affordable. The theater is 1 block north of the Plaza de la República, in front of the Malecón, Managua's lakeside promenade, which features food stalls and great views of the breezy Lago Xolotlán in the distance. (Note that the water is unsuitable for bathing.)

Just west of the theater is Plaza de la Fe (Faith Plaza), ex-president Alemán's concrete homage to Pope John Paul II. That president was later discovered to have stolen from the state's coffers, but perhaps he thought his papal extravagance might buy him a place in heaven anyway.

Three blocks south on Avenida Bolívar is the Estatua al Soldado, otherwise known as El Guerrillero sin Nombre (the Unknown Guerrilla). This is a large, muscular paramilitary statue, with a pickax in one hand and an AK-47 in another. It is an important city landmark, but 3 blocks east, you'll find something a little more conciliatory and bipartisan. The Parque de la Paz is a lighthouse growing out of a buried mound of weapons and tanks -- a symbolic proclamation by ex-president Violeta Chamorro that the Contra war was over. The nearby shantytown and general poverty are reminders that this country has some problems to solve yet.

One final, poignant statue to see downtown is the Monumento a Víctimas del Terremoto, a memorial to those who died in the earthquake of 1972. It is located in front of the Cancilleria, where the Iglesia de San Antonio used to stand. If you want a simple explanation about why this city is so fragmented and just plain ugly, see this portrait of a man standing amid the wreckage of his home, and read its moving poem by Pedro Rafael Gutierrez called "Requiem for a Dead City."

Markets

Mercado Roberto Huembes, both a market and a significant transit stop for the city's chicken buses and intercity expresses, is chaotic, colorful, and overwhelming. It is also the most tourist-friendly and accessible of all the big markets in Managua. You'll find everything, from fruit to hubcaps, here. Its arts-and-crafts stalls are just as good as anything you'll get in Masaya, and it's also a great place to find local music CDs. The market is open daily from 7:30am to 5pm, and is located 4km (2 1/2 miles) southeast of the Zona Monumental on Pista Portezuelo.

There are other major markets dotted around the city's suburbs, most notably Israel Lewites (also known as Boer), where you can catch an express bus to Rivas and San Juan del Sur. It is 3km (1 3/4 miles) southwest of the Zona Monumental on Avenida Héroes de Batahola and sells everything from cheap toys to fresh fruit. It is open daily from roughly dawn to dusk. One market to avoid is the sprawling Mercado Oriental, 2km (1 1/4 miles) east of Plaza de la Revolución. It's part flea market and crime black spot; you should only go to this sprawling hive of commerce and thievery if you are looking for trouble.

Much more civilized is Mama Delfina, 1 block north of Enitel Villa Fontana (tel. 505/2267-8288). Here, you'll find a pleasant minimarket of gorgeous handicrafts from all over the country and a coffee shop upstairs where you can cool off and rest. It is open daily from 8am to 7pm.

Malls

Okay, perhaps visiting a shopping mall is not an authentic Latin American experience; but believe it or not, the mall is here to stay, and Nicas have taken to the indoor, air-conditioned experience as heartily as the world in general has. Some of Managua's best restaurants are situated in or beside a mall, and many of the city's malls differ in size, quality, and authenticity. So allow yourself the guilty pleasure if you need to, and run those last-minute errands under one roof. Just be careful which mall you choose. Metrocentro, in front of Rotonda Rubén Darío (tel. 505/2271-9450; www.gruporoble.com), is the usual gamut of designer labels and screaming babies, and is best avoided unless you have a penchant for giving your money to rich multinationals while in a poor country that needs it more.

Plaza Inter, in front of Hotel Crowne Plaza (tel. 505/2222-2613; www.plazaintermall.com.ni), is a little more down-to-earth, but still filled with lots of foreign stores and goods. The Centro Comercial de Managua (Colonia Centroamérica, in front of Colegio Salvador Mendieta; tel. 505/2277-3762), is an open selection of fashion stores, bookshops, banks, Internet cafes, and one post office. It is 1 block north of the National Cathedral. My favorite mall, however, is Galerías Santo Domingo (tel. 505/2276-5080), an up-market collection of stores and open-air restaurants, which is a 10-minute taxi ride southeast of the city center.

Art Galleries

Managua has an exciting art scene, with a forte for producing colorful primitivist paintings that the whole country is famed for. Many of the city's galleries act as meeting points and venues for the city's musicians, artists, writers, and intellectuals. One such place is Códice, 1 block south and 2 blocks east of the Hotel Colón (tel. 505/2267-2635), with a relaxing patio cafe next to a courtyard and gallery rooms exhibiting paintings and sculptures. It is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 7pm. Galería Solentiname, 60m (197 ft.) south of the UNAN in Barrio Edgard Munguía Transfer, is operated by artist Doña Elena Pineda and specializes in art from the colorful archipelago. Part of a family of artists, Elena can help set you up with trips to the islands. The gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

Galería Casa de los Tres Mundos (2 1/2 blocks north of the restaurant La Marseillaise, Los Robles; tel. 505/2552-4176) is the Managua base of poet, sculptor, and priest Ernesto Cardenal and showcases work from the Solentiname Islands. It is also the headquarters of Nicaragua's writers' association and holds a library and bookstore. It's open weekdays from 10:30am to 1:30pm. Galería Praxis (1 block west and 1 block north of the Optica Nicaragüense, Colonia; tel. 505/2266-3563) exhibits paintings, sculptures, and sketches, and has a pleasant cafe. Galería Añil (1 block west and 8m (26 ft.) south of Canal 2 TV, Bolonia; tel. 505/2266-5445) features avant-garde work by Nicaraguan and Latin American artists. It's open weekdays from 2 until 7pm.

El Aguila (Km 6 Carretera Sur, in front of Farm 22-24; tel. 505/2265-0524) is the house and workshop of one of Nicaragua's most famous artists, Hugo Palma. It's open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5:30pm, but call ahead to ask about visiting. Galería Epikentro, 7 blocks north and 2 1/2 blocks west of Rotunda El Güegüense, holds frequent book readings and shows a mix of contemporary and primitivist art. It's open weekdays from 9am to 6pm. Galería Pléyades (Centro BAC, 2nd floor, Km 4 Carretera Masaya; tel. 505/2274-4114) exhibits a broad range of Nicaraguan art. It's open weekdays from 9am to 6pm.

The capital is undoubtedly the best place in the country if you're a night owl, want to catch some live music, or like to show off your dancing skills. You'll find drinking holes all over the city, but it is best to stick to certain areas that are safer. Zona Rosa is the disco strip. It stretches along the Carretera Masaya from the new cathedral to the Rotunda Centroamérica and beyond. Here, you'll find an ever-changing string of pubs, clubs, and restaurants that come and go with alarming frequency. You'll also find a cluster of bars in front of the Hotel Crown Plaza. Another popular nightlife spot is the Zona Viva, around the Galerías Santo Domingo shopping mall. For up-to-date listings on what's going on around town, check Esta Semana, an entertainment listings supplement in the newspaper El Nuevo Diario, or go to the website www.bacanalnica.com.

Live Music

Look hard enough, and you'll find live music performances all over the city. I've listed the best and most established venues, but if mariachis light your fire, you should also go for a stroll around the Rotonda Bello Horizonte. This busy roundabout, surrounded by fast-food restaurants and cheap eateries, is very much a local hangout and is the favored circuit for groups of baritone mariachis and wandering troubadours doing their thing con gusto. Bars like the Shannon Pub also stage the occasional live mariachi performance.

The Bar Scene

Bar Bongó (tel. 505/2277-4375) is one of the livelier spots in the Zona Rosa district, with Cuban food and live music on weekends. It is 3 blocks south of the Metrocenter. Enoteca Galerías Santo Domingo (tel. 505/2276-5113) is a busy wine bar in the shopping mall of the same name that attracts a well-polished clientele, especially on weekends. Etnico Bar Café (Planes de Altamira; tel. 505/2270-6164) is a moodily lit bar with some world music going on in the background. Woody's, 40m (131 ft.) south of Hotel Seminole (tel. 505/2278-2751), is a popular "after office" drinks place with a pavement terrace. They specialize in chicken wings and chichilados (a spicy beer version of a bloody mary). Z-Bar (Antiguo Rest Los Gauchos; tel. 505/2278-1735) has an open-air bar with a dance floor churning out good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll. La Curva (no phone) is on a corner behind the pyramid-shaped Crowne Plaza. This beach-style bar with bamboo walls and a frond roof looks somewhat out of place amidst the downtown traffic and nighttime corner hookers. It is heaving, however, on Friday nights with crowds dancing to salsa, merengue, and cumbia. Saturdays are a little more sedate with '70s and '80s rock and pop. Its open plan with no walls also means it's a good spot for some early evening people-watching. It is open Monday through Saturday from 5pm to midnight. Piratas, 1 block south of Hotel Seminole (tel. 505/2278-3817), is a funky theme bar in the heart of the Zona Rosa and a slick establishment of dark woods, pirate murals, anarchic graffiti, and black leather furniture. The wraparound veranda lets you ogle the passing traffic while enjoying pub grub and cocktails. It can get noisy, however, and service is slow.

Nightclubs

El Chamán in the Metrocentro Mall (tel. 505/2278-6111) is a young and popular dance club with a most ridiculous American Indian-themed decor. Yet it has been around for quite a while now and keeps packing visitors and locals into its smoke-filled corridors to listen to rock and techno. The cover charge is C200. El Quetzal (Rotonda Centroamérica, in front of Registros Públicos; tel. 505/2277-0890) is an old-school salsa and cumbia dance hall. You'll be the only tourist there, but that's fine, just shimmy like the rest of the mixed, raucous crowd. The cover charge is C200.

XS (Zona Rosa; tel. 505/2277-3086) is your typical glittery nightclub with mirrors to admire yourself (and others) and punch the air to techno. The cover charge is C200. It is located in front of T.G.I. Friday's on Carretera Masaya. Hipa Hipa (Plaza Coconut Grove; tel. 505/2278-2812) attracts a wealthy and trendy college-age crowd that take to its three boisterous dance floors to groove to salsa, merengue, and techno. It's famed for attracting fresas, or strawberries, as Managua's "It girls" are affectionately known. The cover charge is C200. The doormen are notoriously selective, so dress up and pout. At O.M. (Carretera Masaya, across from T.G.I. Friday's; no phone), you can be treated like a rock star and charged accordingly. The cover charge is C200.

Island Taste (2 blocks east of Siemens, Km 6 Carretera Norte; no phone) is a lot more down-to-earth and a famous hangout for Caribbean exiles in the capital. The friendly crowd gets down to proper roots-style Caribbean tunes. Moods (Zona Viva, Galerías Santo Domingo; tel. 505/2276-5276) plays disco, house, and electro in a somewhat sterile but boisterous disco-bar. The cover charge is C200. Club Hollywood (Zona Rosa, Edificio Delta; tel. 505/2267-0263) is arguably Managua's most exclusive nightclub, so dress sharp. The cover charge is C200.