This map of Nicaragua shows the capital, Managua, and the main cities, with terrain, national parks, main roads, railways, rivers and international airports.
Neighbouring countries (land border): Costa Rica and Honduras. Its coasts border the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
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Key: red star = capital; blue dot = destination covered by a Destination de Voyage guide; blue italic name = region or island with a guide; grey dot = other city; plane = international airport (IATA code); brown triangle = summit (elevation); green areas = national parks (green square = national park shown as a point); thick orange line = expressway, light orange = main road; black-and-white line = main railway; grey dashes = regional boundaries; blue = rivers and lakes; shading = terrain; grid = latitude and longitude.
Sources: base map, cities, roads, railways, airports, administrative boundaries, rivers, lakes and hillshading: Natural Earth 1:10m (public domain). National parks: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL licence) and Wikidata. Summits and elevations: Wikidata and Natural Earth. Places missing from Natural Earth: Wikipedia coordinates. Map produced by Destination de Voyage.
Regions and destinations on the map of Nicaragua
| Region | Our guides | Other cities on the map |
|---|---|---|
| Atlántico Norte | — | Bilwi |
| Atlántico Sur | — | Bluefields |
| Boaco | — | Boaco |
| Chinandega | — | Chinandega |
| Chontales | — | Juigalpa |
| Estelí | — | Estelí |
| Granada | — | Granada |
| Jinotega | — | Jinotega |
| León | — | León |
| Managua | — | Managua |
| Masaya | — | Masaya |
| Matagalpa | — | Matagalpa |
| Rivas | — | Rivas |
| Río San Juan | — | San Juan de Nicaragua |
Straight-line distances between the main cities
Straight-line distances calculated from place coordinates (haversine formula). Actual journeys by road, rail, boat or plane are longer.
| Route | Straight-line distance |
|---|---|
| Managua – León | 73 km (45 mi) |
| Managua – Bluefields | 273 km (170 mi) |
| Managua – Bilwi | 376 km (234 mi) |
| Managua – Chinandega | 107 km (66 mi) |
| Managua – Matagalpa | 93 km (58 mi) |
| Managua – Granada | 43 km (27 mi) |
| Managua – Rivas | 93 km (58 mi) |
| Managua – San Juan de Nicaragua | 312 km (194 mi) |
Terrain, national parks and airports
Main summits (elevations from Wikidata / Natural Earth): Mogoton (2,106 m / 6,909 ft), Volcán San Cristóbal (1,745 m / 5,725 ft), Tepe Somoto (1,703 m / 5,587 ft), Concepción (1,700 m / 5,577 ft), Cerro Kilambé (1,698 m / 5,571 ft).
National parks shown (5): Masaya Volcano National Park, Parque Nacional Kruta, Parque Nacional La Botija, Parque Nacional Patuca, Parque Nacional Saslaya.
International airports shown: MGA (Augusto Cesar Sandino).
Our guide
The 17 regions of Nicaragua and what sets them apart
The Natural Earth base map divides Nicaragua into 17 first-level subdivisions (type: Departamento and Región Autónoma). These are the grey dashed boundaries on the map. The table ranks them from largest to smallest, with the cities, highest point and international airports the map places in each.
| Region | Type | Area | Cities and guides | Highest point shown | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlántico Norte | Región Autónoma | 32,412 km² (12,514 sq mi) | Bilwi | Cerro El Toro (1,669 m / 5,476 ft) | — |
| Atlántico Sur | Región Autónoma | 25,689 km² (9,919 sq mi) | Bluefields | — | — |
| Río San Juan | Departamento | 9,677 km² (3,736 sq mi) | San Juan de Nicaragua, San Carlos | — | — |
| Jinotega | Departamento | 9,454 km² (3,650 sq mi) | Jinotega | Cerro Kilambé (1,698 m / 5,571 ft) | — |
| Matagalpa | Departamento | 8,607 km² (3,323 sq mi) | Matagalpa | Cerro Musún (1,438 m / 4,718 ft) | — |
| Chontales | Departamento | 7,383 km² (2,851 sq mi) | Juigalpa | — | — |
| León | Departamento | 5,328 km² (2,057 sq mi) | León | — | — |
| Rivas | Departamento | 5,256 km² (2,029 sq mi) | Rivas, San Juan del Sur | Concepción (1,700 m / 5,577 ft) | — |
| Chinandega | Departamento | 4,799 km² (1,853 sq mi) | Chinandega | Volcán San Cristóbal (1,745 m / 5,725 ft) | — |
| Boaco | Departamento | 4,306 km² (1,663 sq mi) | Boaco | — | — |
| Managua (capital) | Departamento | 4,232 km² (1,634 sq mi) | Managua | — | MGA |
| Nueva Segovia | Departamento | 3,322 km² (1,283 sq mi) | Ocotal | Cerro Volcán Viejo (1,854 m / 6,083 ft) | — |
| Granada | Departamento | 2,473 km² (955 sq mi) | Granada | Mombacho (1,345 m / 4,413 ft) | — |
| Estelí | Departamento | 2,359 km² (911 sq mi) | Estelí | Cerro Pataste (1,691 m / 5,548 ft) | — |
| Madriz | Departamento | 1,603 km² (619 sq mi) | Somoto | Tepe Somoto (1,703 m / 5,587 ft) | — |
| Carazo | Departamento | 1,225 km² (473 sq mi) | Jinotepe | — | — |
| Masaya | Departamento | 558 km² (215 sq mi) | Masaya | — | — |
- Largest: Atlántico Norte, about 32,412 km² (12,514 sq mi), or 25% of the mapped territory.
- Smallest: Masaya, about 558 km² (215 sq mi).
- Capital region: Managua lies in the Managua subdivision.
- Highest region: Nueva Segovia, home to Cerro Volcán Viejo (1,854 m / 6,083 ft), the highest summit shown on the map.
- Air access: the international airports on the map are spread across 1 of 17 regions (Managua).
How to read the map of Nicaragua
- Extent: the mapped territory covers about 128,685 km² (49,686 sq mi), according to our calculation on the Natural Earth outline; Wikidata gives 120,340 km² (46,464 sq mi). It extends from 10.71° N to 15.03° N in latitude and from 87.69° W to 82.73° W in longitude, about 480 km (298 mi) from north to south and 538 km (334 mi) from west to east (bounding rectangle, including remote territories).
- Outline: the perimeter of the territory on the map (coasts and land borders) is about 2,425 km (1,507 mi). The simplified Natural Earth outline smooths out small detours: the actual length of the coastline is greater. Destination de Voyage calculation.
- Time zone (IANA tz database 2026b): Managua:
America/Managua(UTC−6, all year). - Terrain: shading shows the relief and brown triangles mark the summits. The highest shown are Mogoton (2,106 m / 6,909 ft), Cerro Volcán Viejo (1,854 m / 6,083 ft), Volcán San Cristóbal (1,745 m / 5,725 ft), Tepe Somoto (1,703 m / 5,587 ft), Concepción (1,700 m / 5,577 ft). Wikidata gives Cerro Mogotón (2,107 m / 6,913 ft) as the highest point.
- Rivers (blue lines): Grande de Matagalpa, about 411 km (255 mi) traced within the territory; San Juan, about 307 km (191 mi) traced within the territory; Coco, about 260 km (162 mi) traced within the territory; Mico, about 183 km (114 mi) traced within the territory. Lengths measured on the simplified Natural Earth outline: Destination de Voyage calculation.
- Lakes named in Natural Earth: Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua.
- National parks (green areas): 2 with their centre inside the territory, including Masaya Volcano National Park and Parque Nacional Saslaya. Outlines from OpenStreetMap or position from Wikidata.
- International airports (plane icon): MGA (Augusto Cesar Sandino, about 11 km (6.8 mi) from the centre of Managua). Straight-line distances: Destination de Voyage calculation.
Distances between the main cities (cross table)
Straight-line distances between the capital, our destinations and the largest cities on the map, with the direction from the first city. Roads and ferries always add distance.
| Route | Straight-line distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Managua → León | 73 km (45 mi) | northwest |
| Managua → Chinandega | 107 km (66 mi) | northwest |
| Managua → Masaya | 28 km (17 mi) | southeast |
| Managua → Matagalpa | 93 km (58 mi) | northeast |
| Managua → Estelí | 104 km (65 mi) | north |
| Managua → Granada | 43 km (27 mi) | southeast |
| León → Chinandega | 35 km (22 mi) | northwest |
| León → Masaya | 100 km (62 mi) | southeast |
| León → Matagalpa | 117 km (73 mi) | northeast |
| León → Estelí | 92 km (57 mi) | northeast |
| León → Granada | 115 km (71 mi) | southeast |
| Chinandega → Masaya | 134 km (83 mi) | southeast |
| Chinandega → Matagalpa | 135 km (84 mi) | east |
| Chinandega → Estelí | 98 km (61 mi) | northeast |
| Chinandega → Granada | 150 km (93 mi) | southeast |
| Masaya → Matagalpa | 107 km (66 mi) | north |
| Masaya → Estelí | 128 km (80 mi) | north |
| Masaya → Granada | 16 km (9.9 mi) | east |
Typical itineraries in Nicaragua based on the map
- Our complete guide to Nicaragua: must-sees, detailed itineraries and budget
- When to go to Nicaragua: best time to visit and month-by-month climate
- For a trip combined with a neighbouring country: map of Costa Rica.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Nicaragua?
Managua, marked by the red star on the map.
Which countries border Nicaragua?
Countries sharing a land border: Costa Rica and Honduras.
What is the highest summit shown on the map?
Mogoton, at 2,106 m (6,909 ft) elevation (source: Natural Earth).
Which international airports are on the map?
MGA (Augusto Cesar Sandino).
Where is Managua on the map of Nicaragua?
At 12.15° N and 86.27° W, marked by the red star, in the Managua subdivision.
How many regions does Nicaragua have?
Our map, based on Natural Earth, shows 17 first-level subdivisions (Departamento and Región Autónoma). Wikidata lists 17 entities of type “department of Nicaragua” attached directly to the territory; the official division may differ from the one on the map.
Where is Nicaragua?
Continent: North America (Wikidata). Nicaragua lies in the northern hemisphere, west of the Greenwich meridian. Coasts: the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Land borders: Costa Rica and Honduras.
What is the area of Nicaragua?
About 128,685 km² (49,686 sq mi) according to our calculation on the Natural Earth outline; Wikidata gives 120,340 km² (46,464 sq mi). Differences come from the precision of the coastline and inland waters.
Our sources
- Natural Earth 1:10m (public domain): country and subdivision boundaries, cities, airports, rivers, lakes, terrain, at naturalearthdata.com.
- Wikidata, item Q811 (Nicaragua): area, highest point, continent and subdivisions, accessed 23 October 2026.
- © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL licence): national park outlines.
- Wikidata: location of national parks and elevation of summits.
- Wikipedia: coordinates of places missing from Natural Earth.
- Destination de Voyage calculations: distances (haversine, radius 6,371 km), directions and areas (WGS84 ellipsoid, pyproj library).