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Scattered within a fifteen-kilometre radius of Masaya are the "Pueblos Blancos" or White Towns - Nindiri, Niquinohomo, Masatepe, Catarina, Diria and Diriomo - small pueblos held dear all over the country as the embodiment of all things Nicaraguan (or, more precisely, all things from the country's Pacific zone). They get their name from the traditional whitewash used on the houses, carburo , which is made from water, lime and salt. The white buildings are pretty, but that said, there's not much more actually to see, few places to sample any cuisine and no handicrafts obviously on sale. Although each town has its own specific artisan traditions and fiestas, and local identity is fiercely asserted, to the visitor they seem remarkably similar, sleepy towns with a few hangers-out around nearly identical central squares. Niquinohomo was the birthplace of Augusto Cesar Sandino, and the house in which he grew up is marked by a plaque opposite the Parque Central. If you want to visit just one, CATARINA is the prettiest. The main draw is El Mirador , a magical lookout point at the top of the village that stares right down into the blue waters of the collapsed crater lake of Laguna de Apoyo , with Volcan Masaya looming behind it. Restaurants, cafes and artesania stalls have sprung up around the viewpoint. A regular local bus runs roughly every thirty minutes from Masaya's main bus terminal to Catarina. From Granada, take any Masaya or Managua bus and ask to get off at the Catarina turning, from where you'll need to take another short bus ride to the edge of the village.
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