Diriamba is a city and a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the Carazo department of

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

, with a population of 65,243 (2022 estimate). It is located 41 km south of

Managua Managua () is the capital city, capital and largest city of Nicaragua, and one of the List of largest cities in Central America, largest cities in Central America. Located on the shores of Lake Managua, the city had an estimated population of 1, ...

, the capital of Nicaragua.

Geography

The city's elevation (just above 500 meters above sea level), and the geography of the cordillera upon which it sits, lend it a constantly mild weather (though notoriously windy January through March).

Climate

Managua, like much of Western Nicaragua except for the Sierras, has a

tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of or higher in the coolest month, featuring hot te ...

with constant temperatures averaging between . Under Köppen's climate classification, the city has a

tropical wet and dry climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

. A distinct dry season exists between November and April, while most of the rainfall is received between May and October. Temperatures are highest in March and April, when the sun lies directly overhead and the summer rainfall has yet to begin.

Description

Diriamba is the largest city in Carazo. The Basilica of Saint Sebastian, which stores several antique objects, stands out within the central park of this urban area. Its streets show visitors the pretty facades of the houses and buildings, in addition to the iconic clock tower, famous for being a reference point for everyone in town. An interesting site is the Dry Forest Ecological Museum. Here, visitors will find abundant information about the local flora and fauna. Another destination is the municipal football stadium, which functions as the headquarters of the football team 'Caciques de Diriangén', national league's champion on multiple times. Moreover, the House of Culture features many performances and art workshops. Diriamba is also home to important manifestations of the Nicaraguan folklore. The religious festivities of the city, which are held from January 17 to 27 in honor of Saint Sebastian, are the perfect time to see them. The main dates happen to be the 19th and 20th, which is when visitors see the traditional dances of El Toro Huaco, El Viejo y la Vieja, Las Inditas, El Gigante and the renowned comedy-dance El Güegüense. The last one was declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO back in 2000. The municipality also has a wide rural zone, constituted by 60 villages. There are a lot of coffee plantations, farms, and sites where tourists can observe nature. Such places are the La Maquina Ecotourism Center and the 'Salto de la Culebra', with its multiple ponds and waterfalls. La Boquita and Casares are another attraction in Diriamba. Tourists can get to both destinations very easily, by taking a road that leaves from the city center (30 kilometers). The first one, a sandy beach with rock formations, features multiple restaurants, bars, and hotels. Casares is located right next to it and also has rock zones and various summer private houses in front of the coast. It is also possible to buy fresh products from the fishermen of the area. Because the urban area of Diriamba is crossed by the Panamerican highway, it is very easy to get here either by private or public transportation. The city is located 42 kilometers away from Managua. If you take the Carretera Sur, you will be in Diriamba in approximately half an hour. There are daily and frequent buses at the UCA bus station and the Israel Lewitez market. Diriamba is also connected to Jinotepe and some other cities of the department of Masaya. You can also take buses, taxis or 'moto-taxis' to the beaches and other rural attractions of this municipality.

Economy

Historically, Diriamba had

mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinat ...

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

writer, John Baily, wrote in 1850 that the plantations lacked in management, and that great amounts of

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

could be produced if more care was shown to the plantations.

Attractions

Diriamba is home to three principal churches, one of them being La Basilica de San Sebastian, the foundation stone was laid out in 1891, but the Basilica was not inaugurated until 1939. Other important landmarks are the clock tower and the former site of the El Aguacate hydroelectric dam, now simply a waterfall. They have other attractions such as: Casares Beach, Centro Turistico La Maquina, La boquita beach, Ecologic museum dry tropic, Salto de la culebra waterfall.

Sports

The city is home to Nicaragua's most successful football club,

Diriangén Diriangén was a native Nicaraguan king who controlled land from Diriamba in Carazo to the Ochomogo river in Rivas, outside the boundaries of Macuilmiquiztli's Nahua chiefdom of Kwawkapolkan, as well as the Nahua chiefdom of Kakawatan, also ...

. They play at the

Estadio Cacique Diriangén Estadio Cacique Diriangén is a multi-purpose stadium in Diriamba, Nicaragua. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and is the home stadium to Diriangén FC. The stadium holds 7,500 people. In April 2012, it was ...

, located northwest of the city center.

Notable natives and residents

* Sheynnis Palacios, Miss Universe 2023; grew up in Diriamba''Nicaragüenses celebran en ciudad natal de Sheynnis Palacios, a la nueva Miss Universo 2023''
/ref>

References

External links

* {{Authority control Municipalities of the Carazo Department