The town of Masaya was established around the time of Nicaragua's independence, as the "Royal Village of San Fernando of Masaya". It was part of the Oriente department for many years, until it became a separate department in 1883. It has nine municipalities: Masaya, Nindiri, Catarina, San Juan de Oriente, Masatepe, Nandasmo, Niquinohomo, Tisma and La Concepcion. The latter has the most developed hotel and restaurant infrastructure. They all enjoy scenic splendor, a mild climate, lush vegetation and deep cultural roots in mestizaje, manifest in their gastronomy and crafts.
All of these towns may be reached by paved roads, with the exception of Tisma.
The department of Masaya is the center of Nicaraguan folklore and crafts and so it is to be expected that its crafts market is the largest in the country. In 1999, the city was named the "Capital of Nicaraguan Folklore", and it is also known as the "City of Flowers".
Masaya is a town where the folklore is experienced intensely, and it is a center for typical foods, crafts and many religious festivals. Every Thursday, a folk fair is held under the slogan, "Let's Go to Masaya". It offers the best of the region's music and dance as well as many traditional crafts and folk art items such as hammocks, embroidered dresses, fine crafted leatherwork, wooden crafts, sculpted masks, and pottery. Also visit the crafts workshops in the indigenous neighborhood of Monimbo, where you can watch skilled craftspeople at work and obtain souvenirs in the local shops.
The tourist options could not be better as there is such a short distance between the destinations: the Masaya Volcano National Park, the Masaya and Apoyo Crater Lakes, the overlook from the Hotel Lagos y Volcanes, the picturesque towns and the El Chocoyero-El Brujo Reserve.
The folk art industries of Monimbo and the so-called Pueblos Blancos (White Towns) are also noteworthy.
Masaya offers something for every area of interest :
Historical: El Coyotepe Fort, Masaya's churches and central park, the crafts market, Monimbo neighborhood, the churches of Nindiri and Niquinohomo.
Scenic: The Masaya Volcano National Park and its craters, caves, lava fields and hiking trails; the Masaya and Apoyo Crater Lakes; the scenic overlook in Caterina; the roadway between Ticuantepe-La Concepcion-San Marcos.
Ecological : The vegetation of the Masaya Volcano, semi-humid forests in the piedmont and ravines of the Mesa de Los Pueblos.
Source: Content and images with the permission of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism - www.intur.gob.ni
