Estelí, the main center between Managua and the Honduran border, is a quiet, pleasant, friendly town in a valley between the mountains, and it's a good stopover on the way to or from the border.

Capital of the department of the same name, Estelí is the center for the surrounding agricultural area, where tobacco, grains, sesame, potatoes, many other vegetables and fruits and also livestock and cheese are produced. During the Sandinista years many farming collectives were established in the region around Estelí, and many internacionalistas came here.

There was heavy fighting in Estelí during the revolution, and the town continued to be one of strongest support bases for the Sandinistas. Estelí, along with León, was one of only two important cities where the FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional) won a majority in the 1990 and 1996 elections.

As the major city between Managua and the Honduran border, and the capital of a large department, Estelí has a large number of places to stay and eat.