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Nicaragua Travel |
Masaya NicaraguaMasaya is a department which is situated between Granada and Managua. Some of the department has been designated as a national park including several active volcanoes. The capital of the department has the same name, Masaya, and is a centre for Nicaraguan handicraft. The volcanoes have existed for a long time and were even used in rituals by the indigenous people. Both the city and the national park of Masaya is a must see for all tourists and would be a real shame to miss even if you are only passing through the country. Continue to read if you want to learn more about the national park and why it is there. Masaya Nicaragua – Some infoThe department of Masaya is the smallest one in Nicaragua covering only 590 km² but still has a population of around 310.000, probably because of the close proximity to two major cities. The city of Masaya is an important gathering point for agricultural products and is conveniently located right between Granada and Managua. The city has a high number of industries producing food products, cigars, clothing, footwear and furniture. Many of the around 100.000 inhabitants also produce artistic handicrafts which are sold in the city itself. Masya is also sometimes called the City of Flowers. Masaya Nicaragua – HistoryA part of the Masaya department became the very first national park in Nicaragua in 1979, including two volcanoes and five craters. One specific volcano, the Volcan de Masaya, has a history of eruptions and is still quite active with its latest event being in 2003 when it shot a plume of gas and ashes around 4,5 km into the atmosphere. Before the colonisations began the indigenous people believed that the volcanoes were an indicator of their gods’ mood. An erupting volcano meant that the gods were angry so to keep them pleased the people regularly performed rituals up on the volcano, including human sacrifices. When the Spaniards discovered the volcano they soon named it La Boca del Infierno, The Mouth of Hell, and erected a cross on the top of the volcano to keep the devil himself from arising. Masaya Nicaragua – Tourist attractionsObviously the main tourist attraction of Masaya is the volcano national park with everything it includes. It covers an area of 54 km² and has more than 20 km of spectacular roads and hiking trails. Close nearby is also Lago de Apoyo, a deep crater lake inside a large dormant volcano. The area has a lot of varied accommodations and restaurants for visitors and there are even some activities, such as volcano boarding and sports fishing, available to participate in. For those interested in souvenirs there simply is no better place to get them than in Masaya city, the handicraft there differs from all else found in Nicaragua and can become a lifelong memory to bring back home. Masaya Nicaragua – Getting thereBecause of its location it is hard not to at least pass by Masaya while in Nicaragua. Both from Granada and Nicaragua there will be buses going to Masaya city and there are many taxi drivers that will be glad to bring you there for a reasonable price. It is even possible to get there on foot, at least from Granada, and can therefore become an excellent daytrip although it can be though to see everything in just one day.
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