Geography and Climate

Ocotal, the capital of the department (province) of Nueva Segovia, is located in the north-central mountainous region of Nicaragua, 15 miles south of the Honduran border, 144 miles north of Managua and at an altitude of approximately 1,800 feet above sea level.

Today, Ocotal is a center for timber and coffee industries. Several sawmills are located here to prepare the cut wood for selling while coffee cooperatives are located here to buy the beans from the surrounding mountain growers and dry them for exportation.

Ocotal is set in an east-west oriented valley with the highest mountain range (Cordillera Dipilto) in Nicaragua to the north and a plateau to the south. Occupied by the US Marines in the 1920s and 1930s, Ocotal also has the distinction of being the first city in the western hemisphere to be aerial bombed (Agusto Sandino, a legendary Nicaraguan rebel opposed to US intervention in Nicaragua attacked the Marine base, and the Marines responded with planes from the capital city of Managua).

Like most parts of Nicaragua, Ocotal experiences two seasons: the dry season occurring from mid-November to mid-May, and the wet season occurring from mid-May to mid-November. Temperatures vary throughout the year but not by much. The coolest months are December and January with daytime highs around 80º F and nighttime lows in the mid-60s (I know this because I am a weather buff who constantly checks his thermometer throughout the day). April and May are the hottest months with daytime highs around 90º F and nighttime lows around 75ºF. The rest of the months of the year fall between the two extremes explained above.

History and Demographics

Nueva Segovia has an interesting history. The first city of the province was located about 25 km east of Ocotal's present location and was founded by the Spanish in 1534. Abandoned in 1611 and moved to a new location, the new city - today called Ciudad Antigua - became a lumber center because of the plentitude of pine trees in the area. Ciudad Antigua was abandoned in 1654 because of the many invasions by pirates from the Caribbean (including Henry Morgan) and was moved close to the present location of Ocotal. Later, from 1791 to 1800, the government of what later became Nicaragua formed the department of Nueva Segovia. (the information in this paragraph was gathered from the Ocotal's Ministry of Education office)

Ocotal has a population of 29,544 habitants occupying an area of 140 square kilometers. It has an urban population of 99.18% -- the highest and densest in Nicaragua (211 people per square kilometer). Half of the population is younger than 17 years of age, 53% are women, and the population of Ocotal is growing at a rate of 4.66% annually. Ocotal has a total of 26 preschools, 10 elementary schools (6 with which I work), and two high schools. (the information in this paragraph was gathered from the Ocotal's mayor's office)

Public Service

Ocotal is serviced by a mayor's office, a police station, a hospital, various neighborhood health centers, an Enitel (Telcor) office, a post-office, a catholic cathedral with several neighborhood churches, several evangelical churches, and a basketball/boxing arena (poledeportivo).

Social Activities

Ocotal's primary social gatherings are for quinceaños, piñatas, weddings, resos, mass, religious processions, and fiestas. The most festive and active time of the year is the month of August when the town celebrates its fiestas patronales. Other important occasions are Semana Santa, Independence Day, Mother's Day, and the New Year. Two discos also make their home in Ocotal - the Infinito disco and the Starlight Disco. Another bar, Parqueo, occasionally beings in live music, and it then essentially another disco.

Bike Rides

If you are interested in biking, there are several good roads to bike on near Ocotal. My favorite ride is to put my bike on a bus to the border at Las Manos. The bus ride is all uphill to the mountain divide which makes the 15 miles back to Ocotal all downhill. From Las Manos, one passes through the lush, wet coffee plantations. As one continues, the moisture gradient declines, and the coffee changes to thick pine forests, then to thinly populated (in terms of trees) pine forests, and finally to the dry mountain scenery which Ocotal shares. Most of the highway one travels on on this trip follows the Rio Dipilto which is Ocotal's water source. Furthermore, the highway is completely paves and in my opinion is one of the best conditioned roads in Nicaragua. The road was probably the most heavily damaged by Hurricane Mitch, but has been repaired.

Other roads to take rides on are the highway (a paved road except for a small stretch just outside Ocotal) to Monsonte, and the highway which goes to Managua.

Fritangas

Finding a great place to eat can be difficult. In fact, many great places, wherever one finds himself, are hidden and off the beaten path. Upon moving to Ocotal, one notices the two eateries (I am talking about supper places, not lunch) just to the north and to the south of Enitel (Telco). These are popular with the Ocotal population, but they are not the best. It was not until a year and a half into my service until I found the best in all of Ocotal. We call it Francis's (one of the daugher's has this name). From the instituto, go one and a half blocks to the west. You'll find it on your left. The reason all of us PCVs in Ocotal prefer Francis's is because it has a comfortable atmosphere, friendly people, good service and the best tacos in Ocotal, and is less crowded than the other eateries.

Ocotal, Nueva Segovia
Kevin McCord
May 28, 1999