Viento Este

Southwestern Nicaragua


Perch at one of candlelit driftwood tables, dig your toes in the sand and order a wood-fired pizza, while watching the white crests of the crashing surf in the darkness beyond. Strung with fairy lights, this Uruguayan joint is great for whiling away an evening.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Southwestern Nicaragua attractions

2. Museo de Antropología e Historia

19.36 MILES

If you have some time to kill in town, this 200-year-old house is the place to go. Inside you'll find some moth-eaten taxidermy, a wall of myths and…

3. Iglesia San Francisco de Asis

19.38 MILES

Four blocks west of the Parque Central, this beautiful wooden church (1778) is notable for several well-carved saints and an underground tunnel running to…

4. Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro

19.66 MILES

This 1863 church on the eastern side of Parque Central is worth a look for its attractive classical facade, and a lovely fresco in the cupola showing a…

5. Monumento Emannuel Mongalo y Rubio

19.8 MILES

This monument honors the local schoolteacher who was instrumental in the capture of William Walker during the Battle of Rivas in 1856.

6. Cruz de España

20.51 MILES

Ask your taxi driver to point out this monument, suspended from a gleaming half-arch above the traffic, which marks the spot where conquistador Gil…

7. Cristo de la Misericordia

21.28 MILES

This 25m statue of Jesus – one of the tallest in the world – overlooks the town from its perch 2km to the north. Take the one-hour hike up from the north…

8. Nuestra Señor de Rescate

21.47 MILES

The most striking church in town has been repainted a brilliant purple with a mix that uses huevos de amor (fertilized chicken eggs) donated by…