The Town

Although Esteli lacks the stunning mountain views of Matagalpa to the south, the centre of town is well-kept and pleasant to wander around, and the climate refreshingly cool. Much of the pleasure lies in soaking up the atmosphere, particularly along Av Central, where shops' wares spill out onto the street and the windows display cowboy boots and the local farmers' favourite Western-style hats.

The cathedral on the Parque has a rather austere facade and is one of the least interesting in the country. The south side of the Parque is dominated by the Centro Recreativo Las Segovias , which puts on regular music and sporting events, particularly basketball. There's another cultural venue around the corner, a block to the south, the Centro Cultural , which hosts art exhibitions, dancing and music events. Across the street, the Artesania Nicaraguense has a

reasonable selection of handicrafts, pottery, T-shirts and cigars. On the same block is the tiny Galeria de Heroes y Martires (daily 9am-5pm; donations), a moving and simple museum devoted to the Revolution and to the many residents of Esteli who died fighting in it (the women who work at the Galeria are, for the most part, mothers and widows of soldiers who were killed), containing a collection of photographs, maps, newspaper clippings and some personal possessions of those killed.

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