Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Known as "La Perla del Septentrión" – "Pearl of the North" – MATAGALPA is spoken well of by virtually everyone in Nicaragua, principally, perhaps, because of its relatively cool climate: at about 21–25°C, it's considered tierra fría in this land of 30°C-plus temperatures. Located 130km northeast of the capital on the Carretera Interamericana, Matagalpa is a small, quiet town set among blue-green mountains covered in coffee plantations. Most visitors come here to visit the Selva Negra, to the north of the city and one of the country's premier tourist attractions.