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HOME - Nicaragua - North-Western Nicaragua - Léon

León is a city in Nicaragua. In full the legal name of the city, granted in Spanish Colonial times, is Santiago de los Caballeros de León, but this is little used. It is the capital of Nicaragua's León department. León is situated on the Río Chiquito, some 80km north-west of Managua.

History and Culture
Although less populated than Managua, León has long been the intellectual centre of the nation, with the university founded here in 1813. León is also an important industrial and commercial centre for Nicaragua. León has fine examples of Spanish Colonial architecture, including the grand Cathedral of the Assumption, built from 1706 to 1740, with two towers added in 1746 and 1779. The building of El Museo de Tradiciones y Leyendas was once the infamous XXI jail before the 1979 revolution. There are also several political murals around the city.

Tourist Offices
There is an Intur office at 2a Avenida NO, and on Central Avenida there is another tourist information office.

Sightseeing
Relax in the Parque Central where you can watch the locals go about their business and enjoy a raspados, a cup of shaved ice covered in sticky, sweet fruit syrup, simply delicious! León is a great place to visit if you are interested in architecture, the buildings here are rich in design, and there are so many museums and churches that this city is literally steeped in culture.

Getting there
The main bus station in León is about 1km north of the city centre, from here there are buses to and from Chinandega, El Sauce, Estelí, Corinto, Managua, Malpaisillo, Nagarote and San Isidro. The smaller bus terminals have buses to and from Las Salinas Grandes, Cerro Negro and Playa Astillero.