There are many things to see and activities to do in Nicaragua, and many opportunities to learn about and interact with the locals and experience the culture. We encourage our students to be a part of life here, meet people, and participate in local activities.
Here are some activities in and around Estelí that are popular with our students:
1. Why Activities to do in Nicaragua?
1. Hermit Sculptor Don Alberto Gutierrez
One of the most interesting and colorful characters in the Estelí area is hermit sculptor, Don Alberto Gutierrez. For more than fourty years Don Alberto has carved the rocks on his remote farm into fabulous shapes and designs—sometimes of things, he’s never even seen, like elephants and lions. In addition to his outstanding artwork, he has cultivated beautiful trees and plants, making his land a veritable botanic garden.
Although he enjoys his secluded life in a tiny one-room cabin without electricity, he loves visitors and enjoys showing them his trails and sculptures, covering acres.
2. Visit Ixchen Women’s Medical Clinic
Learn how the Ixchen Clinic tends to women’s health needs in Estelí and the surrounding area, including the provision of cancer screening services. Practice your Spanish with the staff or purchase a bracelet to support some of the more than eighty cancer patients it serves.
3. Visit Waterfall La Estanzuela
A few miles south of Estelí, off the Pan-American Highway, you can visit the famous La Estanzuela Waterfall in the El Tisey Estanzuela Nature Reserve. The entrance fee is US $1 per person. A motorcycle tour of the waterfall and sculptor Don Alberto’s farm costs US $15.
4. Somoto Canyon tour:
Located about 90 minutes north of Estelí, Somoto Canyon remained relatively unexplored until 2004. In 2005 it was declared a national monument and today visitors can experience the natural beauty of the canyon while swimming, trekking, tubing, canoeing, cliff-jumping, rappelling, or even horseback riding.
5. Visit the Estelí Market
If you want to learn Spanish in Nicaragua, a great activity for language and cultural immersion is visiting a Nicaraguan market. Discover first-hand the large variety of different fruits and vegetables and other local products. Strike up a conversation with one of the vendors in the market. Observe the preparation of tortillas and other food products each day. Take in the rich variety of colors, smells, and sounds while trying to understand the conversations occurring all around.
6. Enjoy the local coffee in a café
Take a break in the afternoon and visit one of the many cafes and food stalls. Practice your Spanish in ordering coffee, smoothies, ice cream, pastries, or other treats. Meet up with locals or other “extranjeros” for a little conversation or just watch the daily life passing in the street.
7. Visit Miraflor Nature Reserve
Miraflor Nature Reserve is about 40 minutes north of Estelí. The Miraflor Lagoon is surrounded by a cloud forest with an abundance of orchids, birds, and occasionally howler monkeys. A variety of hikes and tours are available to visit viewpoints, waterfalls, natural pools, caves, and flora and fauna. A museum and ceramic workshop are onsite. The reserve is a popular weekend tourist destination.
Spanish School Nicaragua encourages its students to take time each week to gain authentic Nicaraguan experiences and discover the culture, heritage, and language of the Nicaraguan people. activities