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Managua
Capital and largest city of Nicaragua

Managua

Managua is the capital and largest city of Nicaragua, and one of the largest cities in Central America.

Plan a trip to Managua→From Liberia

Located on the shores of Lake Managua, the city had an estimated population of 1,063,815 as of 2023, and a population of 1,401,687 in its metropolitan area. The city also serves as the seat of Managua Department.

Get in

Getting to Managua

Managua is the transportation hub of the country so if you're traveling around Nicaragua you're pretty sure to pass through even if only to change buses or planes. Routes heading to the capital are often prioritized when it comes to repairs and upgrades but they also tend to be the most prone to congestion.

  1. 01
    Augusto C

    Sandino International Airport (MGA IATA).

  2. 02
    Mercado Roberto Huembes
  3. 03
    Terminal Israel Lewites
  4. 04
    UCA
See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Old Cathedral of Managua

    Ruins of the city's old cathedral are a remembrance of the damage caused by a 1972 earthquake that destroyed much of central Managua.

  2. 02
    Plaza de la Revolucion
  3. 03
    Museum National Palace of the Culture

    The first floor of the old national palace is now a museum featuring several salons with exhibits highlighting the indigenous Nahuatl people and the 2,500-year-old stone sculptures they left behind.

  4. 04
    Monumento a Ruben Dario

    Tribute to noted Nicaraguan poet who transformed 20th century Spanish literature.

  5. 05
    Rotonda Ruben Dario

    There is a lovely fountain at the Ruben Darío Rotonda that is lit up at night and visible from Tiscapa.

  6. 06
    Tiscapa Lagoon

    Fresh water lagoon in the crater of an extinct volcano.

Do

Things to do

Gambling - There are many casinos, large and small throughout Managua. Star City has a number of locations. If you like to play poker, go to the Pharo's casino on Carretera Masaya. It has hold'em poker tournaments at night (when there's enough interest); $200 buy-in no limit table can be found a lot of nights, $50 tournaments. The nicest casino in Managua by far is Palms Casino just off of Carretera Masaya.

  1. 01
    Dennis Martinez National Stadium
  2. 02
    Rubén Darío National Theatre
  3. 03
    Pharaoh's Casino
  4. 04
    Parque Luis Alfonso Velásquez Flores

    Park featuring rides, artificial lake with duck peddle boats, and sports venues.

  5. 05
    Parque Acuático

    Water park next to Lake Xolotlan 30 cords.

Eat

Where to eat

  1. 01
    Los Ranchos

    A steak house that is so good, it spawned a chain in South Florida.

  2. 02
    La Plancha

    Their signature plate is the name of the restaurant: La Plancha.

  3. 03
    Le Café de Paris

    Taken care personally by its proprietor and chef, Jeaninne.

  4. 04
    Asados El Gueguense
  5. 05
    La Cocina de Doña Haydée
How locals move

Getting around Managua the local way

  • Get inThe most important bus stations from a tourist point of view are Mercado Roberto Huembes (buses to the west and southwest), Mercado Israel Lewites (buses to the north and northwest) and UCA (minibuses to short distance destinations see below) Buses from Masaya, Granada, San Marcos and some from Jinotepe come in through the southeastern Carretera Masaya entrance and pass by the Centroamerica rotonda before going to either Mercado Roberto Huembes or UCA.

From Wikivoyage: Managua, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Fernanda LeMarie - Cancillería del Ecuador (CC BY-SA 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.