Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ESTELÍ
POP 122,900 / ELEV 844M
A Sandinista stronghold, a university town, a market center for the thousands of farmers
that populate its surrounding hills, Estelí has a multifaceted soul. On weekdays you can
wake up with sunrise yoga before Spanish class, and on Saturday you can mingle with
farmers at the massive produce market, then see them again at midnight, dancing like mad
in a
ranchero
bar. And we haven't even mentioned the world-class cigars or the zeal with
which a city with socialist roots has taken to slot machines. Yes, you don't have to be a Che
Guevara devotee to dig this town.
Set on the Pan-American Hwy close to the Honduran border, it was a strategic strong-
hold that saw heavy fighting and helped turn the revolution and, later, the Contra War.
Makes sense, then, that Estelí has remained one of the Sandinistas' strongest support bases.
You'll see the murals and probably take in a political rally or three, and you won't want to
miss the nearby collective farms in the cloud forests.
Sights & Activities
Although Estelí's most impressive attractions are in the surrounding mountains, the 1823
Keep an eye out for the interesting
murals
that crop up about town, many of which were
MUSEUM
Galería de Héroes y Mártires
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
( 8419-3519, 2714-0942;
galleryofheroesandmartyrs.blogspot.com
; Av 1a NE, Calle Transversal, ½c
N; donations appreciated; 9:30am-4pm Tue-Fri)
Be sure to stop by this moving gallery de-
voted to fallen revolutionaries, with displays of faded photos, clothes and weaponry. Check
out the exhibit (with English signage) on Leonel Rugama, the warrior-poet whose last line
was his best. When he and Carlos Fonseca were surrounded by 300 Guardia Nacional
troops, supported by tanks and planes, they were told to surrender. 'Surrender, your moth-
er!' he famously replied. Which proves a 'your mama!' retort is always a solid plan B.
MUSEUM
Museo de Historia y Arqueología
