Tag: Murals

Exploring Estelí Nicaragua

Estelí is a big city in the northern highlands of Nicaragua. It feels smaller than León, but I think that’s mainly because the traffic is better. In León, I always felt like I was about to be hit by a car (pedestrians do NOT have the right of way here!). Estelí traffic is better because the streets are mostly one way which makes exploring Estelí Nicaragua easy peasy.

getting to know estelí

I had plenty of time to get to know Estelí today, so I walked around town for a bit, went to a museum and visited the cathedral.

estelí street art

There is a quite a bit of street art in town. I am not sure if it’s a direct result of the political importance of this town during the revolution (it was a Sandinista stronghold), or just lots of artists. The variety is really engaging and it made for a fun day looking for more murals.

Mural Esteli
Mural Esteli
Mural exploring Esteli
Robot Mural Estelí
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Free Leon City Tour

León is an interesting city to walk around, but it’s always better to have a guide! I happened to find a new company that offers free walking tours every morning so I signed up. Here’s my experience on the free Leon City tour.

About the Tour

The tour lasted 90 minutes and covered the centre of the city. I learned more about the history of the city and the country and saw some of the murals depicting these stories. On the tour with me were a Canadian couple and 3 Germans, which is not surprising! Germans and Canadians are the most common tourists in Nicaragua right now.

City of Churches

I already mentioned the enormous amount of churches here, and the guide, Sebastian, pointed out León is known as a city of churches. This is because there are 2 Catholic churches per neighbourhood here. I don’t know why that’s necessary but the churches are pretty to look at and have some crazy icons inside.

He also informed us that the main cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, has tunnels to 5 different churches in the city. These were created to fend off pirates!

Cathedral de Leon a stop on our free Leon City Tour
Crypt entrance in the Cathedral of León
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Reykjavik Street Art

For a small city, Reykjavik street art is plentiful. Some of it is more commercial than others, but there’s a large variety and it makes it fun to explore the downtown. From murals to store decorations to statues and sculptures, there’s something new around every corner.

I read that a lot of the street art was supported in conjunction with the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival, trying to bring another component to the concerts they throw annually. It’s not all modern graffiti in Reykjavik. There’s a mix with some historic and old art in the streets of Iceland’s major metropolis. We learned about some of this Reykjavik street art on the walking tour, and some we found on our own.

SCULPTURES and statues

The sculptures and statues offer a glimpse into Reykjavik’s history and humor.

The statue of Skúli Magnússon, known as the father of Reykajvik, is prominently placed in the main square of the city.

  • Skuli Magnuson Statue Reykjavik
    The father of Reykjavik
  • Reykjavik Street Art
    Memorial to the Unknown Bureaucrat in Reykjavik

The Memorial to the Unknown Bureaucrat is a satirical tribute to all the thankless servants by Magús Tómasson.

  • Heavyweight Sculpture Reykjavik
    Water Carrier Sculpture from 1937
  • Sculpture Reykjavik
    Sad man Sculpture Reykjavik
  • Harborfront searchers street art Reykjavik
    Harborfront Searchers
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