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Managua has several places to learn salsa and merengue if you are in town for a longer period of time. If you prefer something more low-key, there are lots of bars and clubs with atmospheres that range from sultry to suspect, but they change on an annual basis, as Managuans flock inexorably to the newest scene.
For party and event listings, check online at BacanalNica or Hecho Magazine. Live music at The Reef Wed. Another zone of tightly clustered fun spots where the bars serve food and the restaurants have a good bar scene in Zona Hippos off Carretera Masaya. Piratas on the corner opposite the Hotel Seminole, is always packed on the weekends, and a good place for cheap cocktails. El Tercer Ojo just down the road caters to a cosmopolitan, creative crowd, often hosting live DJs with an electronic, ambient, and international soundtrack.
A few blocks east from here, just south of the Monte Olivos landmark, Santera Bar is a central favorite for cheap, frosty beers. Two other discos are largely spurned by the trendy crowd; that makes them unpretentious, inexpensive, and still great places to dance. The former is air-conditioned and glassy, the latter has an icy-cold VIP room and large terrace overlooking the crater. Both are recommended and open FridayβSunday starting around 8 p. Soca , reggae, and country create the mish-mash soundtrack.
Luis Enrique does Latin rhythm nights on Friday, and Sunday features other Nicaraguan or international performers. The brothers are born showmen and present a theatrical mix of stories, bawdy jokes, and famous songs. The club is expensive by Nica standards, but well worth it by any measure. A few blocks north of here, alternative hotspot El Caramanchel is a riotous haunt playing everything from rock to reggae, and is the best place to catch local indie bands.
