Posts tagged Colonial Houses
Select A Great Vacation Rental In Mexico
Oct 7th
Mexico is a friendly and colorful country to visit with its rich culture and fun outlook on life. There is so much to do and see that it would be best experienced while living in the Mexican way.
You can get a vacation rental in Mexico which will see you staying in gorgeous villas and old historic buildings that lay testament to the culture of the Mexican people.
A vacation rental in Mexico can be quite cheap, right down to ultimate luxury. You can find villas that sleep up to 12 guests and some that are made just for a family of four.
You can choose if you wan to be on the beach front, on the mountain side or in closer to the urban center with music and dancing late into the night. You must fist decide which area in Mexico you would like to visit as there are many beautiful areas.
The Yucatan peninsula is lovely and has plenty of beach front vacation rentals, as do the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. The costal areas offer large expansive houses that are surrounded by the natural beauty of the jungle.
Some of the larger vacation rentals have full staff members and chefs so that you can have your own private vacation and feel like royalty. In central Mexico you can find various cabins and villas and apartments that will give you an idea of what it is like to live in Mexico.
There is nothing fancy, just real life. This is great for those that will be touring most of the day as there are no pools or huge gardens.
The vacation rental in Mexico [http://www.vacationpackagesmexico.net/mexico-vacation.php] can be very modern and interesting, especially along the coastal area that are popular like Acapulco and Cancun. You will find circular patterns on the walls and there will be a sofa shaped in a semi circle.
Most of these paces have air conditioning as it does get very hot. You also get many colonial houses that are used as a vacation rental in Mexico when the owner is away during certain times of year.
To find out about a vacation rental in Mexico, you would have to search many websites to find the best one for you in the correct price range. There are hundreds to choose from in some areas so you should do this well before your vacation time.
Mexico Vacation Rentals With Activities
You should also plan to do some activities and site-see with the help of the information office as well as websites. You can usually find out from other travelers which places are the best to go to in terms of food and night life, but you can also see the ancient ruins and temples of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations.
There are plenty of shops where you can get souvenirs and buy fine jewelry, art, books, clothes and handcrafted furniture. Just about everything you can imagine will be right outside the door of your vacation rental in Mexico.
You can horseback ride on the beaches, swim with the dolphins, whale watch, bird watch, go on jungle tours, water ski, scuba dive, and much more.
The Colonial Style and Character of Leon, Nicaragua
Sep 18th
The city of León was founded in 1524 by the conqueror Francisco Hernández de Córdoba. This city was abandoned in 1610 after an eruption of the Momotombo volcano left extensive damage and flooding from Lake Managua. The city was moved some kilometers further away from Momotombo, to the location where it is today, next to the indigenous town of Subtiava, which it later merged with. The ruins of León Viejo or Old León were excavated in 1960 and placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in the year 2000.
León has always been one of the most important cities of Nicaragua, economically and culturally. The city functioned several times as the capital city after Nicaragua’s independence from Spain in 1821 until Managua was established as capital in 1858.
Some things that won’t go unnoticed in León are that it is very hot and the many students make the city seem young and vibrant. It is considered the intellectual center of Nicaragua with its several universities, the first founded in 1813.
León is regarded as an important agricultural, industrial and commercial center of the country due to its production of sugar cane, cattle and peanuts. León used to be the hub of cotton growing but the cotton economy has declined. Tourism is not very big although it is popular amongst more seasoned travelers and is growing.
The culture of León reflects Spanish and Native American heritage. León holds many colorful celebrations to commemorate local saints’ days and ecclesiastical events. A majority of the citizens are Catholics but Protestants and Evangelicals continue to grow.
León still has an architecturally interesting center with many old, colonial houses, streets, monuments, and churches. The churches La Merced, El Calvario, San Juan, San Francisco, Sutiava and La Recolección are among the most interesting. The Cathedral in the central square is one of the highlights of a visit to Leon. A very stunning display of grand neo-classical architecture, the place is beautifully maintained, and the walls are decorated with exquisite frescoes.
Another major attraction in the department of León is the volcanoes. A range of volcanoes, the Maribios Range cuts across the department. Among the volcanoes is the youngest in all of Central America: Cerro Negro or “Black Hill”. Nicaraguans refer to some of the volcanoes as “cerros” or hills but the name “volcán” is also used. This black hill offers great possibilities for hiking as well as for sand-skiing or volcano boarding. More climbing can be done on the Telica Volcano, which has a huge crater and fantastic views. The Momotombo active volcano is one of the most challenging volcanoes to climb.
Located in one of León’s most notorious former prisons, the Museum of Traditions and Legends offers paper-mache style exhibits detailing the site’s gruesome history. The museum also explores the region’s legends and folklore. The exhibitions themselves aren’t very impressive but the prison itself is an interesting building and its bullet-scarred walls hold a lot of history. There are also some interesting political and historical murals painted outside as well as in other parts of León.
