Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Estelí-Jinotega Road
The gorgeous back-country drive between Estelí and Jinotega - two hubs of the expanded
Ruta de Café - has multiple personalities depending on your chosen path.
The most direct route is a smooth drive over new paving stones and recently tarred
roads through oak-studded rangeland and spectacular mountain vistas. Leaving from
Estelí, take the road toward Miraflor Veer right at each of the first two Y intersections,
and from there it's a straight shot to
La Concordia
(899m), almost exactly 33km from both
Jinotega and Estelí.
Once you arrive in sleepy La Concordia, you can stroll through the lovely peach-tinted
Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
, built in 1851 and crowned with Gothic crosses on its
white-domed facade. From La Concordia it's a steep climb up a narrow but good moun-
tain road to San Rafael del Norte.
The alternative (and much longer) route is reserved for those that fancy themselves as
rally drivers and took out the no-excess policy on their rental. Don't even think about at-
tempting it without 4WD. Take the same road out of Estelí, but keep to the left, climbing
through the heart of Miraflor before reaching the small town of
San Sebastián de Yali
,
which has petroglyphs in the parque central. Consider taking a detour 10km further north
to
La Pavona
, where you'll find a huge petroglyph storyboard carved into the rocks near
Cerro la Cruz.
The 'road' from Yali to San Rafael del Norte skirts the edge of the Reserva Natural Vol-
can Yali and is deeply rutted in some parts and can get thick with deep, sticky mud in the
wet season. Go slow and you'll be rewarded with fresh mountain air and splendid land-
scapes known to few travelers. There are plans to pave this stretch so by the time you read
this it may be possible to complete the loop without rearranging your internal organs.
