Leon Viejo consists of the remains of a colonial town founded in 1524 which had largely declined by 1580 before being finally abandoned in 1609. It then became covered by volcanic ash and was “lost” until 1967 and excavations took place. Around 18 structures have been identified, together with a plaza and main street - reflecting just how small the intial colonial settlements and populations were. The remains are set in a wooded/grassed site in sight of the town’s ultimate nemesis – the volcano of Momotombo (photo). They consist of a series of low walls rarely rising above a metre or so high which are capped by modern cement to preserve them (together in some cases with more substantial steel framed structures). The buildings include a cathedral, a convent, a fort, houses of the governor and several merchants and a number of structures of unknown purposes. There are no paintings, carvings, pillars or statues as in many classical “Old World” archaeological sites – just the rough layouts of the exterior walls/rooms and, in the religious buildings, a few graves.

At first sight there is not a lot to see! Yet we found the place well worth the 12+ km detour off the Carretera Nueva from Managua to (New) Leon to the very rural village of Momotombo on the banks of Lake Managua (It could well be an “all day” job to get to and from by public transport from Managua or Leon). The site is surprisingly well set out and each structure has a sign with an informative description in Spanish and English, together with a site plan showing its location.

The requirement, mentioned by the previous reviewer and in the guide books to have a (Spanish speaking) guide, was not enforced when we were there in Dec 2005. We did however tag along for part of the visit with another small group who did have a guide and we had the Footprint Guide to Nicaragua which has almost 2 pages on the site. The book, the signs and the guide (in that sequence), together with one’s own imagination, help bring to life what could otherwise be a rather dull site.

Whilst there are many extant American “Colonial Cities” on the UNESCO list (see the “Themes” section on this site) in my view none of them preserves the essence of those very earliest days of the European conquest and most are now bustling towns full of “accretions” from the 18/19 and 20th centuries. At Leon Viejo you can sense the newness and remoteness of the frontier. We enjoyed Panama’s Portobelo for much the same reason.

The description on 1 house states that Hernando de Soto lived there as a “Corregidor” (Magistrate). At the time he had yet to join Pizzaro on the expedition to Peru and the execution of Atahuallpa in 1533. At the Cathedral in 1532 (?) the “Apostle of the Indians” Bartholome de las Casas preached against further conquest of the Indians and was run out of town! This was all VERY early in the Iberian conquest of the continent. The town’s brief history fully reflects the brutality and treachery of the Conquest. The original founder Cordoba was beheaded by the first governor Davila – who, ironically, was later buried next to him until both bodies were removed some 475 years later during the excavations (their remains still share a modern memorial on the site)!

Nicaragua’s population is significantly mestizo even if it doesn’t have the indigenous cultural reputation of eg Guatemala. A modern statue on the site of an Indian being attacked by a dog recalls one particularly brutal early event which occurred at Leon Viejo when the governor murdered 12 Indian hostages in 1528 using his killer dogs as the executioners. At other locations in Nicaragua you will also see things which reflect the sense of hurt and pride in the “indigeno” background shared in varying degrees by some 96% of the population. To miss Leon Viejo would be to miss a significant piece of the jig saw which makes up the “whole” picture of this touristically undervalued country.