The lookout
The crater lake below.
Zuluniga — CC0 · BluesyPete — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Martin Kulldorff — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zuluniga — CC0 · Martin Kulldorff — CC BY-SA 4.0
Catarina is a small town in Masaya department, home to about 4,500 people and one of the «white towns» on the Meseta de los Pueblos tourist route. It is known for its lookout over the volcanic Laguna de Apoyo from the crater rim, about 13 km in a straight line from central Granada. The town sits on a plateau at about 620 metres, some 40 km from Managua along the Masaya road, and its highest point is Cerro Pacaya. Its old name, Namotiva, comes from an indigenous confederation recorded in writing from the 16th century. Neighbouring white towns include San Juan de Oriente and Diriá. From the lookout the blue Laguna de Apoyo opens below inside an extinct volcanic crater about 4 km across, ringed by dense green slopes. The town has a white church with a simple front and a bell tower, and streets lined with plant and flower stalls spilling onto the pavements. The light on the lagoon is best in the morning and late in the day. The track from town down to the lagoon is unpaved and steep, so only go down with proper shoes or a guide.
The crater lake below.
A simple front and tower.
Plants along the streets.
Catarina, Masaya Department, Nicaragua
In the morning or late in the day for the best light.
Yes, by a steep dirt track, with good shoes or a guide.