San Ramón, Matagalpa
Encyclopedia
San Ramón is a municipality
in the Matagalpa
department
of Nicaragua
.
San Ramon lies 12 kilometers northeast of the departmental capital of Matagalpa (city and department are both named Matagalpa). The 12-kilometer drive takes about 25 minutes by bus as the road is for the most part unpaved, as they have not yet fully reconstructed the routes that existed prior to Hurricane Mitch.
San Ramon was established in 1800, having previously been called by the indigenous name "Abai". San Ramon was historically settled by a mixture of Sumo and Miskito peoples from Nicaragua's Atlantic coast, as well as by Chontales Indians, who are a branch stemming from the ancient Mayans.
San Ramon has only the rainy season from May through December, and a dry season from January to May. Because of a relatively high altitude, the climate is cooler than the majority of Nicaragua, having year-round lows in the low 60s and highs around 90 degrees.
It is an integral part of Nicaragua's Coffee trail, and is the jump-off point for a significant amount of tourism.
Some of the touristic attractions include: taking an English-speaking guide to the abandoned gold mine "La Reina" (5 kilometers from town), the waterfalls "La Lima" and "La Garrota" which are respectively about 1.5 kilometers and 3 kilometers from the city center, a guided historic tour of "Cerro de la cruz" (Hill of the cross) where you can eat your fill of fresh fruit and see the city and surrounding countryside from rustic wooden benches, and finally trips to see local artisans creating artisanal textiles, recycled paper stationery, and jewelry from seeds and other local commodities.
Other tourist attractions that are nearby and directly affect the town's revenue are the eco-resort "Esperanza Verde" and "La Selva Negra".
There is generally a high presence of foreigners in San Ramon due to its hospitable climate and a history of international aid stations being placed there. The Vermont charity Planting Hope brings brigades yearly, the local tourism office is supported by the Interamerican Foundation and is currently working on a web page, and USAID and Peace Corps have frequently been present there. Additionally, San Ramon is a sister city of Durham
, North Carolina
, USA
, and the location of the Associacion Catalana where Spaniards consult and assist the locals in coffee production, adult education, building initiatives with wood and bamboo, medical consults, and teaching scholarships.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the Matagalpa
Matagalpa (department)
Matagalpa is a department or region in central Nicaragua. It covers an area of 8,523 km² and has a population of 644,900 . The capital is the city of Matagalpa with about 250.000....
department
Departments of Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a unitary republic, and for administrative purposes, it is divided into 15 departments and two self-governing regions based on the Spanish model:-Zelaya Department:...
of Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
.
San Ramon lies 12 kilometers northeast of the departmental capital of Matagalpa (city and department are both named Matagalpa). The 12-kilometer drive takes about 25 minutes by bus as the road is for the most part unpaved, as they have not yet fully reconstructed the routes that existed prior to Hurricane Mitch.
San Ramon was established in 1800, having previously been called by the indigenous name "Abai". San Ramon was historically settled by a mixture of Sumo and Miskito peoples from Nicaragua's Atlantic coast, as well as by Chontales Indians, who are a branch stemming from the ancient Mayans.
San Ramon has only the rainy season from May through December, and a dry season from January to May. Because of a relatively high altitude, the climate is cooler than the majority of Nicaragua, having year-round lows in the low 60s and highs around 90 degrees.
It is an integral part of Nicaragua's Coffee trail, and is the jump-off point for a significant amount of tourism.
Some of the touristic attractions include: taking an English-speaking guide to the abandoned gold mine "La Reina" (5 kilometers from town), the waterfalls "La Lima" and "La Garrota" which are respectively about 1.5 kilometers and 3 kilometers from the city center, a guided historic tour of "Cerro de la cruz" (Hill of the cross) where you can eat your fill of fresh fruit and see the city and surrounding countryside from rustic wooden benches, and finally trips to see local artisans creating artisanal textiles, recycled paper stationery, and jewelry from seeds and other local commodities.
Other tourist attractions that are nearby and directly affect the town's revenue are the eco-resort "Esperanza Verde" and "La Selva Negra".
There is generally a high presence of foreigners in San Ramon due to its hospitable climate and a history of international aid stations being placed there. The Vermont charity Planting Hope brings brigades yearly, the local tourism office is supported by the Interamerican Foundation and is currently working on a web page, and USAID and Peace Corps have frequently been present there. Additionally, San Ramon is a sister city of Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the location of the Associacion Catalana where Spaniards consult and assist the locals in coffee production, adult education, building initiatives with wood and bamboo, medical consults, and teaching scholarships.
External links
- Our Time in Nicaragua: Bievenidos a San Ramon, Matagalpa
- http://www.manfut.org/matagalpa/ramon.html