Overview
Take a trip to Matagalpa on your Nicaragua Vacation
Matagalpa is a must-visit city if you are interested in seeing the Nicaraguan mountain region. It is a good jumping-off point on a Nicaragua vacation for visiting the coffee, tobacco and cattle farms in the area or hiking and witnessing what remains of the impact of German immigrants in Nicaragua.
If you like mountain hiking, bird watching, horseback riding, browsing for monkeys, ecotourism, agritourism, Indian villages, cigar factory tours, coffee farm tours, and mountain scenery, Matagalpa is the place to visit. It is located in the north highlands that make the water shed division of the Caribbean and Pacific rivers and was called "The Frontier of the Jungle" by the Spanish Conquistadores because it divided the historical Miskito Kingdom and the Colonial Spanish towns. It has mountain resorts with bungalows, youth hostels, regular hotel rooms, B&Bs, and a vast array of shops, boutiques, cafés, restaurants, bars and discotheques.
Many local businesses and residents speak English due to the surge of tourism during recent years as well as the increasing number of ex-pats who now call Matagalpa their home. Matagalpa is a nice town to walk around. Visit historical churches, like the Cathedral, built in 1874. Walk around town and take photographs of oxen carts, cowboys, loaded mules, women wearing their chals, men with hats and musicians playing guitar, trumpet, violin and accordion (Polkas and Mazurcas). These are not performances being put on for the tourists on a Nicaragua vacation but are actual real-time expressions of the local culture that is their way of life.
In many ways, life here is as it was 100 years ago. Tradition is definitely alive and well here in Matagalpa. Worth a visit is the Castillo de Cacao located just outside of the city limits. This tiny chocolate factory manufactures high-quality chocolate and if you call ahead, you can arrange a factory tour. Other things to see or visit - are the Coffee Museum, a Carlos Fonseca Birth Place museum (Founder of the Sandinista Front) and the House of former Nicaraguan President, Bartolome Martinez.
At a Glance
Languages
SpanishCurrency
Nicaraguan Córdoba (NIO)What do the experts say?
I love learning about Nicaragua's culture and experiencing its Spanish influence in some cities. I was only there for five days, but I'll never forget how delicious the food was and how welcoming and extremely polite the people were.
Nicaragua is well known for its dramatic volcanic landscapes, lakes, rainforests, and colonial cities. I love how friendly the people are and how delicious the food is! There is always something fun to do in Nicaragua!
Most Popular Time to Travel
Know when to go.
Place
Conditions
Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
MatagalpaOccasional Showers
30°C / 86°F
35mm / 1.4"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
-
Travel Stories
Get Inspired About Your Trip to Nicaragua
Unlock more by subscribing to our newsletter.
With our newsletter, you’ll get access to regular communications that inspire you and help you explore the world your way.Exclusive Savings
Insider Benefits
Trending Stories
ExcellentBased on 5,231 ReviewsHad an extremely great holiday in China and hongkong & Thailand! Quite a few $$$(More than what we had planned, but if you want top luxury and experience - never haggle) Ameet our destination specialist was prompt and professional. He gave us the right suggestions and planned our trip meticulously and without interruptions. Goway 24 x7 customer service is incredible and I would definitely book my next trip with Goway!
Angela WarrenGoWay promise became a full reality with flexibility to adjust to life events such as 12 hours flight delay from Navegantes airport to Galeao airport.AVELINO LimaWe recently took at trip to China. We toured Bejing, Xi'an and Shanghai. We had a wonderful time. Everything was perfect. The Guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. The food was plentiful, the shows were wonderful and the accommodations were excellent. We saw everything we wanted to see and more.
It was everything we had hoped for.
Thanks you very much Goway.
Sharon LevyOur Agent Katie Stephenson is what made this trip amazing...!! I mean the trip was great in itself...!!
Katie worked with me planning a getaway to Australia for my wife's 60th b-day... After going through a few dates and activities...I realized Our passports were going to be expired a few days before...!!
Katie helped us get them expedited...She changed dates and activities to fit out 2 weeks I planned...I moved the dates a few times & Katie adjusted...
Katies availability and response time we great. Whether it was via email, phone she was available.... even with time difference she would get back at a good time...
So, my wife and I had an amazing time..Melbourne then on to Cairns and lastly Sydney...!!
Katie planned morning excursions...1/2 day trips and full day trips...we had a blast..!!
I am grateful to Katie for working with me and making this trip an amazing experience. Katie & GoWay Travel reps. were available even while we were in Australia..
Great time, great experience and Katie was a huge part in making it happen...Thank you for an amazing time Katie/GoWay Travel..RSE- Development CorpI was looking at a month holiday in New Zealand and Australia and Natasa Jaric who is located in the Toronto area helped to make it happened by combining 2 already designed holidays in Oceania. From the beginning to the end, Natasa was "hands on" by explaining and providing everything I needed for our trip. During our trip, there were few bumps on the road that had nothing to do with Goway Travel as it was the airline company that cancelled our scheduled flight and created chaos. And the other problems (they were light) was because of the way hotels described their rooms. It should definitely be better worded! Db to me means double bed ... what does it mean to you? ;-) Anyhow, we ended up having two beds but with some arguments at one hotel only. The others accommodated us at no extra cost. I should also add that NZ and Aus. know how to treat tourists. I was particularly impressed with the transfers services offered by different companies both in NZ and Aus. Wow! No waiting at the airports, hotels or terminals. They were there ready to pick us up and drive us where ever we needed to be! Well done!!! It's the kind of service that I will have a hard time not to use again as it comes with a $ sign but definitely worth spending it! :-). I received a very good response from the "Help office" when the flight was cancelled and other inquiries I had made. Very good service once again. I live quite a few experiences during that month and all thanks need to go to Natasa and her team. So Natasa: Thank you very very much for a very well organized travel! Carole OuelletMy Wife and I finally had an opportunity to go on one of our Bucket list trips Goway Travel, Egypt Odyssey 9 days including the Nile river .The booking process was seamless,the Goway rep Harpreet answered all of questions, in a professional, and timely manner, the trip it self was incredible, the meet and greet at the airport was incredibly quick,the rep Mohammed Koda,had our luggage and visas in no time we were at the Sheraton Cairo, an amazing hotel in the heart of Cairo, a wonderful facility, 3 amazing restaurants ,a large pool, a bank, and a Starbucks .The Pyramids and Museum tour where incredible WOW, we still talk about it, the guide Marco was amazing, professional and personable gentleman an excellent combination. The shuttle to airport for the Nile river Luxor to Aswan was also very smooth, when arriving in Luxor another rep was waiting for us,we were quickly ,taken to the docks, the Sonesta boat was amazing ,the cabin was clean a good size, and the food very good, with excellent deserts and plenty of fresh fruits, pool with plenty of shade .Our daily trips to the tombs and sites were amazing, our guide Mr Honey is an incredible book of knowledge we are both very grateful for his skills and knowledge .The Nile river trip will stay in our minds for years, we returned back to Cairo to finish our Egypt Odyssey trip with a tour of the original Museum ,such incredible history, and an incredible trip ,thank you so much Goway Travel for making this dream trip happen for us
Tony and Rose Ferreira sharkman TonyThis was my first time planning a tour wth Goway Travel. I am truly delighted with the professionalism and personal relationship I had with the Goway Travel consultant Christine. She gave attention to every details I requested to curate my tour to Hong Kong and Bali. She addressed all my needs, answered thoroughly my questions and concerns. She is a touch of class in every respect. I will definitely recommend Goway Travel group. Excellent Hotels. Perfect guides in both countries. LE Asia TourIngrid did a phenomenal job creating a 22 day trip beginning in with 3 days in Turkey, that included a Turkish Bath and a private tour of the mosques, we then took a 10 day cruise through the Mediterranean, Greece, Croatia, plus a couple of other stops. We got off the cruise in Ravenna Italy our transportation was spot on picking us up (I would have to stay all of our transportation was impressive, always there, on time, very helpful) we traveled from Ravenna to Venice where we stayed for two nights. Venice is the only place we had a hiccup, we weren't sure if someone was meeting us at our Hotel to take us to the water taxi to get to the train station, we figured it out, made the train and all was good. Traveled to Florence, had the best time there with one of our most favorite excusions, stayed in Florence for two nights and then completed our trip with three nights in Rome. Rome is BUSY, I was not prepared for that but should of expected it. This is our second big trip planning through Goway Travel, I can not recommend enough, they are so detailed and take care of everything you need and everything you didn't know you needed. Paula Hall-KeefeThe booking processs was really easy. Katie was very communicative and was very responsive. Every change we asked for, she quickly replied. The room arrangements had a small hiccupp but Katie fixed it within minutes! All the excursions were a blast and well planned.
The trip was a bucket list trip and was everything we hoped for. Alison HAllan Birkett at Goway has been an absolute godsend! Over the past year, he has helped me plan numerous vacations—especially honeymoons—and has been an incredible partner every step of the way.
He is always quick to respond, patient with my clients' frequent changes, and goes above and beyond to help whenever an issue comes up. His knowledge, professionalism, and dedication make my job as a travel advisor so much easier.
I truly appreciate everything Allan does and highly recommend him to anyone looking for exceptional service. Thank you, Allan, for always being thereBrooke Echols
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified