The City of Mist is not on a lot of people’s travel itinerary. The location, literally perched in between the hills, gives it an edge though. The lively bar scene and friendly locals give Jinotega bonus points. Spending 24 hours here is actually almost the perfect thing to do here.
Morning
It is a ten minute morning walk from Parque Central to get to La Casa de Don Colocho, a bakery every town should have. Just the smell of fresh cinnamon is already so irresistible you just HAVE to get in.
[two_fourth]As there isn’t so much to do in Jinotega – which is one of its main qualities by the way – the rest of the day strongly depends on the weather. When the sun is shining, head to Cerro la Cruz. Just walk through the cemetery to find the staircase up the mountain to the cross, that was placed there in 1703. The reward is stunning views of the cat’s eye valley, and all the way to Lago de Apanas.[/two_fourth]After climbing down again, head to the eastern part of the centre. Cafe Flor de Jinotega is a small but brilliant place, where the black magic is brewed to perfection.
Afternoon
To prepare for another excursion, one needs more food of course. Plenty of choice of course, but JiKao cafe is one of the better options. They also have sandwich and de-li-cious cakes.
After those guilty pleasures, take a taxi or chicken bus to Lake Apanas. Located only six kilometres outside of the village, this artificial lake is lusciously green. It doesn’t only provide 35% of the energy of the entire country through a dam, it is also a haven for birds. You can take a boat to have a look around, which will take the best part of the afternoon. And after returning to Jinotega, have a gentle stroll around the city and especially enjoy the beautiful and lively Parque Central.
Evening
Jinotega isn’t a culinary delight, but has plenty of decent options though. Soda El Tico is one of them. After that, head for some cool bars for a drink and a talk. Bar Jinocuba is quite international, has a good taste for music and sometimes live performances. La Taverna is an unusually boisterous vibrant place close to Parque Central as well. Nightlife though can’t be compared to Leon or Managua, around midnight it’s time to sleep!
Good to know
- Getting here is possible from Esteli by chicken bus, though that one only runs a couple of times a day. This is one of those connections that are ab-so-lutely crammed, especially the first part to San Rafael del Norte
- From the other side, the approach is much easier and shorter. Matagalpa will probably be your departure point, connections are much more frequent here as well
- The geographic location makes the weather in Jinotega very volatile. Average daytime temperatures only reach 20 degrees, and rain and (not very surprising) mist are frequent. Dress accordingly