Diriá and Diriomo

Named for the indigenous Dirian people and their leader, Diriangén (the famed rebel cacique and martyr whose spilled blood at the hands of the conquistadores is immortalized in Carlos Mejía Godoy’s anthem, “Nicaragua Nicaragüita”), Diriá and Diriomo face each other on both sides of the highway.

Both towns are well loved for their unique celebrations throughout the year, mixing elements of pre-Columbian, Catholic, and bizarre regional traditions (like the “dicking” festival in which participants smack each other with dried-out bull penises, sometimes practiced in San Juan de Oriente [1] as well).

Diriá, on the east, has a mirador smaller and less frequented than the more famous one at Catarina [2], as well as additional trails down to the Laguna de Apoyo [3].

Across the highway, Diriomo is renowned for its sorcery: The intrepid traveler looking for a love potion or revenge should seek out one of the pueblo’s brujos (or at least read the book Sofía de los Presagios).

Less famous than Catarina, Diriomo has a crater overlook of its own: Diriomito Mirador, which occasionally offers paragliding, or parapente (tel. 505/2522-2009).