Camoapa in Nicaragua, Travel Destinations
Not many people choose to visit Camoapa, even though this municipality is somewhat bigger than other more popular Nicaraguan towns. Camoapa is situated in the Boaco department and the principal town of the area is located only 114 kilometers from Managua. There are roughly 40 700 people living in Camoapa and agriculture is the economy’s largest industry. Unfortunately Camoapa is has one of the lowest employment rates in Boaco, so the area is generally seen as being quite a poor one.
The municipality of Camoapa was founded on the 23rd of August 1858. Most of the smaller towns in the area started as Nahuatl villages that formed as these native people made their way down from the higher plateaus and settled in the more fertile valleys. Unfortunately early colonialists painted these people as being barbaric, but they were certainly nothing of the sort – they simply lived a lifestyle that was more simplistic and enjoyed a culture which was different from that of the invading Europeans. Archaeological evidence suggests that the area was once inhabited by hunters who were quite able to make a living from their natural environment. They left behind a number of cave paintings that detail certain events in their daily lives and which are a popular tourist attraction today. They have also left behind a number of earthenware vessels and even woven baskets that have somehow managed to survive the elements over the years and which are very interesting to look at.
Things changed drastically for the people of the area in 1684 when the Spanish decided to make it a permanent colonial settlement. The native people were made to embrace Christianity and were told to pay two tributes to the church a year, even though the Spanish settlers were exempt from this ‘tax’. Oppression was commonplace and after many years of struggling under Spanish rule, the natives fought back with help from nearby Misquito and Zambos tribes. This was the first of many skirmishes that took place in the region. Fortunately these have all ceased and today Camoapa is a rather peaceful place. In 1926 the main city of Camoapa in the Camoapa municipality was granted city status. The majority of the population still lives in rural areas and a number of colorful festivities, such as the ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus festival’, are held once a year. So visit this small town and discover even more about its interesting history for yourself.
