It is located in the Pacific region of Nicaragua, only 132 kms from the capital and 70 kms from Honduras in the northwest corner of the country. It is close to the city of Leon and ends at the peninsula of Volcano Cosigüina and the Gulf of Fonseca.

The Department of Chinandega has a dry tropical climate. The summer period is from November to the end of April, and the rainy season starts in May ending in October.

The department is divided into thirteen towns: Chichigalpa, Chinandega (departmental capital), Cinco Pinos, Corinto, El Realejo, El Viejo, Posoltega, Puerto Morazán, San Pedro de Potrero Grande, Santo Tomás del Nance, San Francisco de Cuajiniquilapa, Somotillo, and Villanueva.

Founded in 1839, it lies on a beautiful and attractive plain, characterized by spectacular scenery, rich soil, and large agricultural production. It also boasts of mangrove forests, beautiful beaches, villages, and historic churches.

In Chinandega lies Nicaragua’s highest volcano, the San Cristóbal (1.745 meters) located in the volcanic complex of Los Maribios. It is located 140 kms from Managua.

The name of Chinandega comes from the Nagrandanos language or the Nahual language “Chinantecal”. CHINANTLAN means neighbor and “Chinan”, means temporary shed or room and particle indicative “tlan”, so, Chinandega means “Place of tabernacles or temporary rooms”.

In 1836, after the inauguration of the fair, Chinandega received the title of Villa of Our Santa Ana de Chinandega. On September 12, 1839, the Central American Confederation, formed by El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras, designated Chinandega as the capital of The Central American Confederation. In April 1898, a strong earthquake partially destroyed the incipient city because of the volcanic activity caused by the San Cristobal Volcano.

Tradition and Culture

Lavada de La Plata (Washing of the Silver): it is a religious tradition, celebrated on December 6 of each year, one day before "La Griteria". This ceremony centers on the image of "La Virgen del Viejo" which dates back from 1536, presented by Santa Teresa de Jesus to the new world. Since then, she has been receiving the honor and glory of a nation that recognizes her as their heavenly protector and advocate.

There is no specific data concerning the origin of this tradition, but it is known, that there have been many miracles attributed to the image of Maria Purisima, as well as the accumulation of valuable objects presented as offerings by promisees. The silver treasures or objects that the church keeps needs to be regularly cleaned and polished. With many treasures and few Franciscan monks, it was necessary to call the congregation to help with the task of cleaning all the silver pieces belonging to the church.

These activities consist in placing tables in the churchyard on which the silver pieces are laid out without varnish or paint; people do this every year. On the ground, they place stones or clay trays, where they place the mud pots over a burning fire, kept burning by the men and women performing this task out of devotion to the Virgin Mary, or as promises made to Her by the local families, in conformance to tradition.

Saint Pascual Bailon Feast and Los Mantudos Dance. Religious manifestations known as the “wake”, consisting of popular and folklore music, date back 136 years ago when the first pictures of San Pascual, known as the Pascualito, arrived. These images were placed under a Huatee tree, where the masked cloak wearers used to play the guitar-juco sulfaina. Masked men danced exclusively, pilgrims from El Salvador and Honduras came to the wake. The current statue dates back from 1955 and is in the El Calvario church.

On May 17, the wake and religious celebration take place, announced with fireworks, bull figures lighted with fireworks, the dancing of the Gigantona and the bigheaded dwarf, and the greased pole. The chicha de maíz negrito is given away in guacales to all the saint’s devotees. The devotees pay their promises and share the saint’s relic, which is a bit of bait and blessed flowers. On the 18th, the Saint’s devotees take it to the El Calvario Church accompanied by music, dancing, and fireworks.

Saint Anne’s Festivities: A religious festivity celebrated from July 10 thru 26th; with activities like carnivals, fairs, fishing, artisan markets, fireworks, concerts, and processions carrying the image of their patron saint. An equine parade is one of the important focal points of the festivities, organized by the local equestrian club, and is usually led by the queen of the festivities chosen among the local young girls. The festivities and processions are announced with traditional native dances like the Tingo, the Mantudos, The Painted Men, the horse carts, the flags, and leather drums.

Chinandega has two images of Saint Anne, the one that pilgrimages throughout all districts and counties of the municipality throughout the entire year. And another statue of Saint Anne that remains enthroned in the parish church bearing her name. This image only comes out on July 25th and 26th when she leads a solemn procession in the streets and avenues of Chinandega.

Saint Roque’s Festivities. Catholic religious festivity celebrated in El Viejo in conjunction with the harvest festival. The ancestral tradition consisted of giving away the best fruits to those closest to you.
The Spaniards changed the tradition. Several images are venerated as: Guerrilla, Mestizo, Mulatto, The Literary, Indian, Virgen of Los Angeles among others.

Los Motetes. There is a tradition of gift giving among the participants, dancing to the rhythm of the twisted spoon. There are also gifts given to the most beloved people or persons of their choice.

Hato Virgin: The Virgen de Hato is the same as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception; her shrine is located on a small farm, approximately 35 kms from the city of Santa Rita, Chinandega.

To differentiate Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception from the town of El Viejo, the people call her “Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception from New Hato”.

As the month of November begins devotees of the Blessed Virgin that go up and down the high hills and across wide plains invade the roads to Hato. When the pilgrims arrive, they sing and pray at the shrine.

Sea Fair:

The "Gastronomic Fair of the Sea”, traditional and truly a tourist attraction, it coincides with the celebration of the Festivity of the Cross in Corinto. A perfect excuse to taste and learn about the variety of dishes based on Nicaraguan and International seafood cuisine.

The Catholic Church, via the parish of St. Thomas, organizes the fair during the last week of April and the first week of May. Distributing the preparation of the dishes and the
assortment of products among the community that donates the proceeds to social works. The festivities highlight the different ways of preparing seafood such as fish, shrimp, clams, crab, and many others.

National and international tourists visit the Sea Fair; its purpose is to raise funds for the “Home for the Elderly of Saint Eduviges”. Cultural and folkloric performances accompanied the event. The main event is the election of the King of the Patron’s Festivities of the Holy Cross from May 1 to May 3.

Pre-Columbian Art Museum Chorotega-Nicarao (Henry B. Mantica Deshon): More than 1200 archaeological pieces of polychrome and monochrome painted ceramics, heads, trophies, rocks, metals, statuary, obsidian, jade and gold, made up The Henry B. Mantica Museum.

The museum has a complete collection dating back some 1500 years, which displays traces of the Paleo-Indian Period, twelve thousand years ago. When man was a hunter, and mega fauna as well as mammoth, and bison roamed the earth. There are also ceramics dated three thousand years before Christ.

Saint Anne Parish. In the third decade of the sixteenth century, the chronicler Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo, mentioned the mission that gave origin to the parish of Saint Anne.
Bishop Augustin Morel de Santa Cruz, during his pastoral visit to this parish in 1751, founded a well-endowed masonry temple, presently run by Franciscan monks, and in which the main altar is still preserved. The altar consists of three partitions containing six altars where once exquisite effigies of full-bodied saints were enclosed.

Guadalupe Parish. In Guadalupe, you can find the oldest image of the city, Our Lady of the Conception of the Remedies, which is more than two centuries old.

Calvary Church: On November 25, 1874, in the sprawling neighborhood of El Calvario an independent parish was built, in order to respond in a timely manner to the spiritual needs of an important sector of Chinandega.

Church of Saint Anthony. Saint Anthony’s Church enjoyed great popularity. It was known to have a certain aristocratic air because of the solemn religious rituals held in it, like weddings and funerals. With the arrival of the Franciscans in 1923, a new era began for Saint Anthony. The Church was completely rebuilt in the '40s and '50s.

Cosigüina Volcano. Known as the Silent Watcher, because it keeps solemn vigil over the Gulf of Fonseca, shared with Honduras and El Salvador. The volcano is located in the city of El Viejo about 200 km from the capital. It is suitable for ecotourism, scientific tourism, adventure tourism, sports, hunting, and scientific study of ecosystems. Where you can witness their morphology as characterized by cliffs and beaches that limit the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

The Cosigüina is famous for its eruption of January 20, 1835, one of the three most terrible eruptions of the nineteenth century. According to scientific calculations, the original cone reached two thousand feet and its ashes covered 4 million square kilometers during the 43 consecutive hours that the eruption lasted.

Cosigüina Nature Reserve. This is a protected warm climate area because of its biodiversity. Among the vegetation found, there are latifolia forests, tropical dry forest, wetlands, and dominant species such as: ceiba, cedar, ferns, mangroves, bromeliads, and orchids.

The wildlife is made up of 77 species of which 46 are birds, among which are white doves and the scarlet macaws, 15 are mammals such as armadillos, spider monkeys and rabbits, 16 species are reptilian such as lizards, olive ridley turtles, and iguanas.
The paths of the Jobo and Macaw lead us to the top of the Cosigüina Volcano. The “Los Humedales” or “Wetlands” path is a journey among ferns, swamp, vegetation, and birds.

Hot Thermal Springs. The San Juan, Batidores and Potosi, are three small rivers of hot springs, located in the Cosigüina peninsula that run through the slopes of the volcano of the same name. They all flow into the Gulf of Fonseca. The wetlands overflow with migratory birds during the months from July to December where you can see all types of cranes. The mangrove system is an attraction without comparison.

Volcano El Chonco. This volcano consists of two cones, one ancient, and one formed later on. It is said that at the bottom of one of them is a lagoon, explorers have looked for it but someone has yet to find it.

Volcano San Cristobal. This imposing volcano rises 1.745 meters above sea level and is the highest in Nicaragua. Its crater has a circumference of 2 km, with a depth ranging between 200 and 260 meters. It is in constant activity, expulsing clouds of smoke and gas.

It is considered the most active volcano of the Maribios compound located to the east of the department of Chinandega. It is also known as The Old Man of Chinandega, with a continuously steaming cone.

In 1685 it erupted, expelling so much lava, that it served as a guiding light for pirates who at the time looted the Port of El Realejo and the city of Leon.

Executive Decree No. 1320 on September 8, 1983 declared it a Natural Reserve.

The volcano is the perfect site for adventure, bird watching, hiking, and mountain biking, as well as for panoramic views, and contemplation of the Plains that dominate the
landscapes of the Nicaraguan Pacific.

Cosigüina keys. These small islands or keys are a result of an exciting eruption in 1835, when a part of the Cosigüina crater cracked, pulled the piece apart, and sent it flying through the air. Landing in the Pacific waters, and emerging as the inaccessible and wonderful islands that we admire with passivity and benevolence.

The Gulf of Fonseca. This is a coastal formation on the Central American Pacific coast with a total area of 8.245 km2; the area offers a diversity of marine, coastal, and land habitats.

Among the most outstanding are the pine forests, savannah hills, mountain forests, coastal lagoons, seasonal marshes, mangroves, and estuaries.

This diversity of habitats contributes to preserve an ecosystem that hosts populations of mammals, resident and migratory birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other organisms of great biological significance.

 

 

Dirección: Frente a sucursal BAC. Chinandega.
Delegado:	Ofelia Manzanares
	(505)2341-1935
	manzesp12@hotmail.com

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