Travel Guide Rivas

Rivas is located 111 km from Managua and 40 km from Costa Rica. In fact, you will be on the North road (Granada, Masaya, Managua), the South (San Juan del Sur, border with Costa Rica) or to win the island of Ometepe.Although the city has no real tourist interest, it remains one of the symbols of the national historic heritage. Formerly known as «Villa de Pura y limpia de Rivas», it was the theatre of the historic meeting between the Spanish captain Gil González and the Cacique Nicarao (or Nicaragua or Niqueragua) on 12 April 1523. If it is reported that the conquistador was very impressed by the wisdom of the words of the indigenous, nowhere is it said that it would not empêchât him to continue his work of colonization and exchange old clothes against a certain amount of gold cast and triumphed. La Cruz de España, located between Rivas and the port of San Jorge (access to Ometepe), is on the scene of this memorable interview.In the th century, the financial Cornelius Vanderbilt had its director's office on behalf of the company who sailed New York - San Francisco at the time of the famous gold rush. The surrounding lands, favoured by the proximity of Lake Nicaragua, are very fertile: mangoes abound in particular. Moreover, it is the nickname given to Rivas: " the town of mangoes ". The other local specialty is the small sébiles dug in the fruit of the tree jícara (the fruit is oval and looks like a big Easter egg), which is sold with spoons of the same kind: It does not pay a mine, but it is used by natives to eat for ages. You can buy on-site or at the Artisanal handicraft market. A good memory… rustic but authentic.Among the points of interest of Rivas, the Archaeological Museum deserves a visit. Located in an old colonial mansion, it presents no less than 800 pieces, often interesting.