Matagalpa in Nicaragua, Travel Destinations

Matagalpa cityis located in the northern highlands of Nicaragua, about 130 km or two hours from Managua. The name of the city means "Lets go where the rocks are" because it is situated near Rio Grande, which means "rocky river" and is so named by the Indian people. The city is 3000 feet above the mean sea level so it has quite a cool climate that is good for producing coffee beans. It is also here where you will find the beautiful cloud forests. The city of Matagalpa is conviently placed between two large expanses of water: Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Today Matagalpa has a population of 105,000 people. However it was originally an Indian settlement that was considered extinct by 1875, along with the language of the local people that was shared by no one. Today work is being done by a team of linguists to try and rectify that situation. The Spanish, who were trying to find an easier route to the North Sea, first found the settlement in the mid 1500’s – but with no sign of gold they soon left. From then on the settlement became a town filled with missionaries and soldiers and later with Spanish settlers who married the native people of Matagalpa. Other immigrants that came to settle into the area in the 1880s were the English, German and North Americans who wanted to grow coffee.

There are a number of interesting attractions in the city that you might want to see or visit. One of these is the cemetery, which is dedicated purely to foreigners and is just a few minutes walk from the city. There is a unique railess steam train that runs on dirt which can be seen at the Selva Negra Museum and visitors can take a coffee tour and go visit the Coffee Museum. Cultural horders should look out for an Indian Black Ceramic that is unique to Matagalpa alone and can be bought in most of the shops here.

You will find many different restaurants providing local cuisine and hotels or resorts to stay in while you visit Matagalpa. One of the resorts is the Selva Negra Mountain Resort, which has every sort of entertainment that you might want for you and your family. The province is known for many products, especially for the large variety of vegetables, coffee, flowers and dairy products that can all be bought locally.

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