Built in 1893 atop Cerro de los Coyotes, this fortress saw the last stand of Benjamín Zeledón, the 1912 hero of resistance to US intervention. The marines managed to take the fortress – as witnessed by a young man named Sandino, who vowed his revenge. Later, it was Somoza's worst prison and the Guardia Nacional’s last stronghold, overrun during the Sandinistas’ 1979 offensive. Entrance includes a dungeon tour. Hop in a Managua-bound bus (US$0.40) or taxi (US$1) to get here.
It’s worth the climb just for the view: Laguna de Masaya, Lago de Managua, Volcán Mombacho and, if it’s clear, Volcán Momotombo, rising red and black above Managua.
Taxis may charge extra to take you up the steep hill. Otherwise it’s a sweaty half-hour hike.
