Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This was the port that US president Ronald Reagan mined in 1983, after which Con-
gress passed a law specifically forbidding the use of taxpayer dollars for overthrowing the
Nicaraguan government. Thus began the Iran-Contra affair.
Today, just 19km from Chinandega, El Corinto's 19th-century wooden row houses, nar-
row streets and broad beaches score high on the 'adorability potential' scale, although ac-
tual adorability ratings are much lower. It's sort of sad; although some 65% of the nation's
imports and exports flow through, very little of the money stays here. Cruise ships arrive
throughout the year, but passengers are whisked away to more scenic spots.
The
Parque Central
is downright audacious: a concrete confection of fountains and
turtles with a very Jetsons-esque clock tower.
Alfonso Cortes-Corinto History Museum,
Library & Auditorium
(admission by donation; 7:30am-noon & 1:30-6pm)
, in the bright-blue
former train station, has a handful of informative displays about Corinto's once and future
greatness arranged around a few railroad artifacts, gathering dust in the grinding reality of
the present.
Across the street, a squat, green Catholic church is the final resting place of poet
Az-
arías H Pallais
, although most literature ignores him, noting instead that
Isla El Cardón
,
just offshore, inspired Rubén Darío's poem 'A Magarita Debayle.'
The
beaches
close to town are dirty, but walk just a few minutes north to find cleaner
Paso Caballos
, with a string of thatched restaurant-bars, a terrible rip current and good
surfing
. Between El Corinto and Paso Caballos, a big, hollow left is supposed to be one of
the best waves in the country, but it's boat access only. North of Paso Caballos is a river-
mouth break and some peaks break left. The protected bay also offers world-class
wind-
surfing
, if you've brought your own equipment - big swells roll in toward the estuary
when the tide changes, good for jumps.
El Corinto actually does get packed the first weekend in May for the
Fiesta Gastronom-
ica del Mar
. It begins with a fishing competition and ends with every chef in the depart-
ment turning out top-quality seafood dishes for the crowd. Cultural activities, parades,
beauty contests and lots of dancing help you work it off.
Stay a while at downscale
Hospedaje Luvy
( 2342-2637; Eskimo, 1½c E; s/d US$10/13,
without bathroom US$5/8)
, which is a model for budget hotels worldwide - no frills, but
freshly painted, with good beds, clean bathrooms and new, nonrattling fans.
Hotel Central
(
2342-2380; frente Puerto; s/d US$30/40; )
, the best hotel in town, scrapes in ahead of
the
hospedaje
by adding air-con and TV. It may seem overpriced unless you're a ship's
captain or customs agent on an expense account.
