Catarina is a beautiful small town in Masaya municipality located west of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. The town is known for its wooden crafts, succulent nurseries and for spectacular view point overlooking the Apoyo Crater lake and lake Nicaragua. We stopped by Catarina on our way to Granada and really enjoyed our time in this little town. Here is my suggestions for the top things to do in Catarina, Nicaragua.
Is Catarina safe
Catarina is a small, quiet and safe town with Mirador de Catarina being the only touristy place. While safety is a relative and sometimes very subjective term, Catarina is a very safe place to explore for families as well as for solo travelers.
How to get to Catarina
There is no direct service between Catarina and Granada or between Catarina and Managua as of the time of writing this post. So, the best way to get to Catarina is to take a bus to Masaya and in Masaya switch to the bus heading south that stops at Catarina. The bus stop in Catarina is about 10 minutes walk to the outlook point.
You can also take a taxi from Masaya to Catarina.
There is a large parking lot at Mirador de Catarina where you can park if you a driving.
TOP THINGS TO DO IN CATARINA
Mirador de Catarina
Mirador de Catarina is a large observation deck with a stunning view of Aapoyo Lake and lake Nicaragua on the back. It was super windy when we got there. The view was not super clear, but we were able to see Masya volcano and Lake Nicaragua.
The observation deck has many stone benches overlooking the lake where you can relax, enjoy the view and watch a beautiful sunset. It was super windy when we get to the observation point. We spent some time on the top taking pictures and enjoying the view then walked around the lake. We didn’t hike the entire trail as we were planning to spend more time exploring the town. I strongly suggest hiking down to the lake or taking a horseback riding tour around the lake if you have time.
Hike around the lake
There is a trail that starts from the outlook area and goes around the lake. You can get all the way down to the lake. The trail is in a great condition, I’ve seen couple of people hiking it in flip flops. I suggest wearing sneakers or hiking shoes for your own safety.
Shop at Masaya market.
There is a small Masaya market right around the observation point parking lot. You can get some local food there and buy good quality wooden souvenirs for a fraction of a piece that you normally pay in Managua or Granada. We spent some time shopping around, got couple of souvenirs and headed to town.
Stroll around the town streets.
Catalina is very clean and colorful town. Once we left the Mirador de Catrina parking lot we saw many more souvenir shops, small cafes and nurseries. The nurseries are very compact and have variety of local pants for sale. It is common to see a small table filled with cactus and other succulents for sale just in front of the houses. As you walk around the town streets look at the street art, tile mosaic and colorful houses.
Iglesia Calvario Catarina
A small very photogenic Catholic church. There was a minor renovation going on when we got there, so we were not able to get inside or closer. I love the bright orange color with white details. There is a small park with couple of benches and large trees where you can hide from midday sun and a playground in front of the church.
Go on a tuk-tuk ride
Tuk-tuks are a small three-wheel carts that can transport up to two people. It is kind of motorized rickshaw. While those little covered tricycles do not look powerful at all, in fact they are. Back in Antigua I was super lazy to hike up the hill and took a tuk-tuk to Cerro de la Cruz overlook. The ride was super bumpy, but I was pleasantly as the cart made it there no problem.
See “Chicken” buses
Chicken buses are old US or Canadian School buses donated to Nicaragua. The name ”chicken bus” came from the time when those buses were used by local to transport chickens in cages and other produce between villages and small towns.
While chicken buses in Nicaragua are not as colorful compared to the buses in Guatemala, those are still interesting to see or take a ride in
Final thoughts
We enjoyed spending time at Mirador de Catarina and walking around the town .If you are in Granada, Leon or Managua and have a day to spare, I suggest spend time exploring Catarina area.
