San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua - Background - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

Krazy Kruizers · 12-20-2007, 01:39 PM

Archaeologists have unearthed human remains as old as 30,000 years. Since glaciers blocked land-based migration routes from the Bering Strait bridge until 20,000 years later, it has been proposed that the first immigrants may have arrived by sea after their ancestors made their way down the Pacific coast. Others speculate that a group of Polynesian seafarers may have been swept off course to Central America. The true story will never be known, and no one is sure the original tribes stayed, but it is certain that people have inhabited the volcanic region ever since, with only brief lapses.

By 8000 BC, First Nation communities were well established throughout the Americas. The Niquirano people, who occupied the region between Lake Managua (aka Lake Xolotlan) and what is now the Costa Rican border, represented the largest group, by a long shot, in the immediate vicinity. Their society was evidently influenced by the Aztec civilization, and they had the advantage of being a unified nation in a land of small clan based groups. They spoke a dialect of Nahuatl, the pre-Columbian language of central Mexico, and used cacao as currency like the Aztec nation did. Their bucolic world-view is reflected in their intricately decorated pottery and detailed carving styles.

Columbus made a brief visit to the Moskito Coast in 1502 (4th voyage) after his ship was almost wrecked in a storm. The conquest of Central America, however, did not begin until a few decades later when Gil Gonzalez Davila explored the Pacific Coast from his base in Panama. A few years later, Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba followed with an armed contingent. The conquistadors subjugated the Nicaro and then turned against the smaller tribes. It didn’t take long for the land to become a Spanish colony. Native people were enslaved and Spaniards built a grand colonial capital at Leon. Ironically, internal fighting and greed led to the murder of Hernandez de Cordoba himself, and later, as if under divine judgment, Leon was all but leveled in a powerful 1610 earthquake and then it was rebuilt. No one knows the magnitude, but it may have been a big one.

Krazy Kruizers · 12-20-2007, 01:41 PM

San Juan del Sur and Rivas
When gold was discovered in California, San Juan del Sur became a busy Pacific port Cornelius Vanderbilt’s rail line completed the short land route between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific coast. Just 10 miles from the port, the old city of Rivas was the first meeting point between the Niquiranos and Spanish explorers. Nearby Chococente and Tola, are among the Pacific coast’s most popular nesting grounds for green sea turtles and leatherbacks. Noc-turnal nesting activity occurs between July and January. Chococente National Park represents 4000 acres of protected habitat.

Masaya
Masaya, halfway between Managua and San Juan del Sur, is the center of Nicaraguan traditional life and features the country’s largest handicraft market.
Just outside the city, Masaya Volcano National Park centers around the twin Masaya and Nindiri volcanoes. A road leads to the rim of 1600 foot wide Santiago crater where steam vents remind you it is still active. In 1529, the Spaniards placed a crucifix at, at the top of a 184 step staircase, to ask for divine intervention against volcanic eruptions. The views are spectacular. There are lava caves and a small anthropological museum at the park.

Granada
Established in 1524, Granada is Central America’s oldest city. Just west of Masaya, the colonial city is built on the shores of Nicaragua. Towering above the city are the orchid-covered slopes of Molbacho Volcano. Spanish conquistador Hernandez de Cordoba founded Granada in 1524 and although it has come under attack several times it has been restored. Horse-drawn carriages ply the old cobbled streets as you examine the city’s Spanish colonial buildings and baroque churches. Excursions to Las Isletas and other Lake Nicaragua destinations depart from the city pier. Many of the 365 islands are uninhabited. Just opposite Granada, the Spanish San Pablo fort was built in the mid-18th century to guard against marauding pirates. It was restored in 1974. Zapatera Island was an ancient burial ground and is now a national Park. Several restored Spanish colonial structures and ancient artifacts can be seen.

Krazy Kruizers · 12-20-2007, 01:42 PM

Managua
Managua has suffered earthquake and other damages, but there are still interesting colonial structures. A good starting point for exploring the capital is the old city center. The skeletal structure of the old cathedral is a powerful monument to natural forces that can, in the twinkle of an eye, reclaim the land. The old clock remains frozen at 12:32 AM, the minute the quake struck. The adjacent Palacio Nacional still houses the government. The Palace is also the national art gallery. At the corner of the Palace, the small emerald colored Centro Cultural Managua is a pretty wooden building that was the Gran Hotel in the pre-quake days. On the other side of the plaza, the modern Ruben Dario Theater honors the nation’s most famous poet. Past the malecon, along Calle el Triunfo, huellas de Aacahualinca are fossilized human and animal footprints fleeing a volcanic eruption 8000 years ago.

Char · 12-20-2007, 06:43 PM

That sounds SO interesting! Ports have so much more than the touristy adventures. Thanks Yonnie for filling us in on these towns