Managua to Léon via Léon Viejo

This morning we were met by our driver, Elvis,  and guide, Tony, in order to travel to the colonial city of Léon, about 90km north of Managua.

Ruins of Cathedral - Managua

We stopped at the ruins of the first city to be named Léon, established in 1524 by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Hernandez de Córdoba, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  For a time the city thrived on the slaving and by gold trade with Peru, but as the gold mines were exhausted and the supply of indigenous labour decreased, so the city fell into decline.  It was abandoned in 1610 after an eruption of the nearby Momotombo volcano. The existing city of Léon was founded at a site 32 kilometres away. The ruins of the old city were not discovered until 1967 by archeologists from the University of Leon.

We are beginning to appreciate how this country's fortunes have been shaped by natural disasters, lying, as it does, at the meeting of tectonic plates.  The Maribos Range of volcanoes cuts through the Léon region, and Léon itself is unique in being surrounded by some of the most active volcanic peaks in Nicaragua

After settling in to our hotel, we spent the afternoon exploring the city.  There is a marked Spanish influence in Léon, typified by narrow streets, red-tiled buildings and monuments.  The Metropolitan Cathedral, which dominates the main plaza, is the only

other UNESCO site in Nicaragua and is considered by many to be the most impressive colonial monument in all Central America. We climbed the narrow steps to the roof for a birds eye view of the city and its surrounding volcanoes.

We found a quiet courtyard cafe where we drank refreshing freshly squeezed lemonade.  Later we sat in the main plaza as the locals gathered to chat and watch the last rays of the sun illuminate the cathedral and bathe it's facade in warm tones of gold.