VISITING THE WHITE CATHEDRAL OF LEÓN, NICARAGUA
The white cathedral of León, or the Cathedral Of The Assumption Of Mary (Real E Insigne Basílica De La Asunción De La Bienaventurada Virgen María), is one of the two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Nicaragua, and probably León’s most recognizable pieces of architecture. Built between the years 1747 and 1814, the cathedral still holds the title of the largest in Central America.
One of my favorite memories of this trip was walking on the beautiful roof of the cathedral overlooking the city below and the volcanoes all around in the distance.
The Cathedral Of The Assumption Of Mary, León
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THE CATHEDRAL’S HISTORY & OVERVIEW
After the original building (built in 1531) was burned to the ground by an Englishman in 1685, the cathedral was designed in 1762, finished in 1814 and built so well that it has survived multiple earthquakes, volcano eruptions, wars and more over the years.
The church is so big and so extravagant compared to the rest of the small city, it is honestly really interesting. Along with the beautiful architecture, the cathedral is also filled with beautiful old statues and murals.
Not only is the inside of the cathedral itself stunning along with the rooftop, there is also a really fascinating series of tunnels under the building that lead to the other churches around the city in the event of earthquakes that may hit.
HOW TO BUY TICKETS TO GO TO THE ROOF OF THE WHITE CATHEDRAL
To get access to the roof, you will have to go to the back of the church through a door-into essentially the basement-to buy the ticket, which will cost you $3. Visiting the inside of the cathedral itself is free during open hours.
From there, you’ll go back towards the front of the church and enter through the side and walk straight up a couple of very narrow flights of stairs. A couple of young boys will be at the top that work for the cathedral and they will take your ticket and make sure you take your shoes off so the perfect white, warm rooftop will stay perfectly bright white.
From there you are free to walk almost the entirety of the roof and admire the beautiful sights around the city. I probably spent around an hour on the roof, just admiring the surroundings and sounds around me.
BEST TIME OF THE DAY TO VISIT THE CATHEDRAL’S ROOF
The cathedral and the roof are open every day, in the morning from 8am-12pm, and from 2:30pm-5pm.
Of course as the Central American sun can get so extremely hot, the best time of the day to go is earlier in the morning, or later in the day as the heat dies down.
Sunset is probably the most preferable time of the day to visit, as not only is it beautiful and a cooler time of day, the sunlight will not make the white roof as intensely bright as it does during the peak of the day.
The entrance to the roof will close at 5pm, but while I was there they would keep it open for people that were already up there to watch the sunset.
HOW TO GET TO LEÓN’S WHITE CATHEDRAL
Right in the center of the city on the central park, the cathedral is hard to miss. As León is not too big, as long as you are staying within the city limits it will not be a long walk at all. If you do not want to walk, there are taxis (both actual cars, and bike taxis) to get around town.
Getting To León By Bus:
Nicaragua has a fabulous bus system, and getting to León is simple from most points of the country, and from the neighboring countries as well. Of course the chicken buses are the most economical option, if you choose not to take one, there are multiple shuttle buses for less than $2.
The main big bus company up and down Central America is Tica Bus, and they make it so unbelievably easy. You can check bus time tables and book tickets online here. You can also take shuttles as well, there are multiple options, and the most popular hostel in León (Bigfoot Hostel) offers shuttles around Nicaragua and the area for good prices too.
You can check Bigfoot Hostel’s shuttle schedule and book your tickets online here.
Getting To León By Car:
As Nicaragua has good roads, and (somewhat easy driving culture), lots of people do rent cars to travel around. Unfortunately, unlike lots of European countries
Getting To León By Plane:
The closest international airport to León is Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport in Managua, around an hour and a half drive away from one another.
There are multiple ways to get to and from the airport, the most economical option would be taking a bus, and again Nicaragua has a fabulous bus system. There will be lots of transportation options outside of the airport, see the bus section above again.
THINKING OF TRAVELING TO LEÓN? DO IT.
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FLIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATION: BOOKING.COM IS WHAT I WILL ALWAYS USE TO BOOK FLIGHTS AND STAYS. NEVER DONE ME WRONG.
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TRAVEL INSURANCE: SAFETYWING HAS ALWAYS BEEN FABULOUS. THE BEST EVER.
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