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He was a heavy-set man with a shaved head that disguised his receding hairline. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and baggy, faded blue jeans. In the dim light of the hostel courtyard, he sat in a rocking chair with a modest pour of a young Flor de Caña rum on the coffee table in front of him, drawing on what Estelí, Nicaragua is best known for.
The cigar in his hand was produced by an old friend of his, who now runs his own cigar factory in Estelí. The old friends had seen each other only a handful of times since their youth in Cuba. The man in front of me went by the name of Juan.
Best Things to Do in Estelí, Nicaragua
Visit a Cigar Factory
Somoto Canyon
Miraflor Natural Reserve
Salto de Estanzuela (Waterfall)
El Jalacate Hiking Path and Stone Carvings
Juan was a big man with a loud, deep voice and a warm, friendly smile. He brought his family to Nicaragua to visit some old friends. During the day they’d either be out around the town or just relaxing at the hostel. After dinner, Juan was habitually in his chair enjoying one of Nicaragua’s finest puros.
Juan’s friend left Cuba after the agrarian reforms of the early 60s. His family came to Estelí, Nicaragua, as did many Cubans at that time, in large part due to the fertile tobacco growing soil that Estelí has been blessed with. Juan comes to visit every once in a while, but admittedly, not as often as he’d like.
How to Get to Estelí, Nicaragua
Getting to Estelí is pretty easy and can be done from Leon, Managua, or Matagalpa. Buses run regularly and you can arrive at the bus terminal without a ticket and be on your way to Estelí likely within 30 minutes.
Stay safe while on the road. Here are my 21 travel safety tips.
I had come to Estelí specifically to try the cigars here and see the production process. Meeting a Cuban family was the cherry on top of my cigar region visit. Juan offered me one of his friend’s cigars, and while he said it wasn’t of amazing quality, I accepted it appreciatively. Frankly, I didn’t care about the quality – I was excited to be sharing a cigar with a Cuban.
Where to Stay in Estelí, Nicaragua
You don’t have a plethora of options for lodging in Estelí. I stayed in the lone hostel they have in town called Luna International Hostel. It’s a simple place that is nothing to write home about, but I’d have no problem staying there again. I rate it a 2/3.
The great thing about this hostel is that they also operate tours. Wherever you want to go in Estelí, you can just walk to the reception desk and find all the information you need and book a tour to Somoto, Miraflor, or a cigar factory.
The even better thing about this place is that they are a non-profit eco-tourism organization that supports the community through childhood education programs, environmental conservation projects, and creating employment for the community.
Juan and I enjoyed our cigars and spoke about what brought us here, albeit with some difficulty; the Cuban Spanish accent is difficult to understand for newly trained ears. He knew my hometown, Winnipeg, Canada, because of the Pan-Am Games we hosted in 1999 where Cuba won gold in baseball. Juan loved baseball and cigars; he was as Cuban as they come.
After I visited a cigar factory in town and came home with my own collection, I went to return the favour by gifting Juan a cigar. He politely refused saying he had plenty already.
Visiting a Cigar Factory
The highlight for me in Estelí was visiting a cigar factory on a tour I booked through Luna International Hostel. The cost is about $8 USD and will take you to a cigar factory in the town. You’ll get to see the process of making cigars from when the leaves arrive at the factory to how they are dried, sorted, and eventually rolled.
You may have the opportunity to roll your own cigar and will get to taste cigars as well. The quality of the cigars here is very high, and you can purchase as many as you like afterwards for around $2 each. A steal at this price when they would easily go for 10x that price in Europe or North America.
It was very cool to see all the different shapes, sizes, and colours that the tobacco leaves were rolled into.
If you want to see the tobacco plantations, you will have to get out of the city and contact one of the cigar factories privately to see if they will show you around their property.
It wasn’t much, but being able to chat with a cigar enthusiast from Cuba and enjoy one with him made my trip to Nicaragua’s cigar capital all that more memorable. After a few days in Estelí, Juan and I went our separate ways. Though my cigar experience is limited, my time with Juan raised my appreciation for puros. Muchas gracias amigo.
Where to Eat in Estelí, Nicaragua
I was on a pretty tight budget during my time in Nicaragua, so majority of my meals came from streetside cookouts which are plentiful and easy to find in this city. Surrounding the central plaza you can find a lineup of stalls frying, barbecuing, and grilling a variety of meats and vegetables.
As far as nicer restaurants go, Rincon Pinareño came highly recommended to me.
I hope this mix of narrative and information was helpful and entertaining. You can keep up with my travels and ask any questions by finding me on Instagram. Safe travels!
We are taking a trip to Esteli and can’t seem to find a way to schedule ahead of time for cigar tours, can you confirm that the best way to schedule a tour is through the front desk there?
Hey Jason. I would start out by contacting them. They were great and could certainly help you find what you’re looking for. You can find contact info on their website here: https://cafeluzyluna.org/