Jinotega

By Suzanne Wopperer

A battering 1980s civil war fought mostly in the northern forested mountains of Jinotega, Nicaragua virtually eliminated the destination from most travelers’ go-to list. This is good news for folks who want to take a romp off the beaten path. Despite a highly successful post-war peace, an excellent urban infrastructure, world-class coffee, and a diverse, handsome and flirtatious population, people just don’t visit Jinotega.

If you can maneuver your way through the hot, chaotic and notoriously corrupt capital city of Managua, Jinotega (“HEE-no-TAY-gah”) is just a two hour drive into the cool, carefree mountains. Well, the international airport is situated on the northern outskirts, so in effect you could land, head north, and do just what most Jinotegans prefer to do—pretend Managua doesn’t exist.

Largely abandoned by the central government, Jinotegans nevertheless do alright. Estimated to produce 40% of the country’s domestic products, some 30% of Nicaragua’s exports and 25% of its electricity, Jinotega nevertheless specializes in two fine products: cheese and coffee.

Watching the sun set over the mountains, eating a buttery Manchego or smoked Gouda produced by Lácteos Santa Marta and washed down with the pure-filtered mountain spring water Naturalí while watching the sun set spectacularly over the mountains, will make you feel like you’ve traveled and gone to heaven. A superb front row seat can be found on the third floor of the mountain tavern La Perrera, or The Doghouse, at kilometer 158.5 on the road from Matagalpa.

After the curtains close, help yourself to the buffet and pull up a chair for a film on La Perrera’s Cena y Cine (Dinner and a Movie) night. You’ll find it all very appetizing, from the over-sized burger to spit- roasted chicken. Try a churrasco—variety plate of grilled meats—fresh salads and cuajada (soft white cheese) on a toasted tortilla. Chef Maximo is an ace at the bar too—he stirs the martinis just right and picks mint fresh from the surrounding gardens for Cuban Mojitos.

On cold, windy nights, the Doghouse’s Dame Amanda can be found bundled in her trademark sweater with its Cruella deVille Dalmatian collar. A “media,” or 375 ml bottle of the national rum, Flor de Caña, plus good eats will run you around 200 cordobas (about $12) for two people. Stay the night in the cozy inn over the bar and you’ll pay some 150 cordobas ($9) extra. For a luxury treat and a hot shower, spend about $40 to stay at the elegant Hotel Café in town just three km (two miles) away, where dinner for two with wine is under $30.

For a nominal fee, but sometimes nothing at all, the nearby nature reserves in wild woodlands welcome hikers and wildlife watchers. If you have to see to believe horses can dance to ranchera or cumbia music, be sure to schedule your adventure around one of the two annual hipicos, or horse parades. Then grab a beer and go inspect the cattle on show, or attend the rodeo, or go dancing.

In the early ‘90s, former Contras and Sandinistas were visionary and gifted themselves a national reconciliation initiative, exquisitely unique in its class. Post-war Nicaragua is just that—they’ve left the war behind and are ripe for economic progress, helped of course by your gringo dollars. Get a move on it—and then take it at your preferred pace in Jinotega. When you return home and your littering co-workers ask you about Jinotega, make sure to tell them there is nothing to do, the people are homely, and bands of marauding bandidos roam the streets.