Chinandega, Nicaragua

CHINANDEGA, 35km northwest of León, is primarily a working city and forms one of the many cogs in the Nicaraguan economy. Set on a plain behind the looming form of Volcán San Cristóbal, the area's dry, kiln-like climate is ideal for growing cotton, the area's main economic activity, along with Flor de Caña rum, Nicaragua's export-grade tipple, produced in a distillery on the outskirts of town. Almost always overlooked by travellers – and not without reason – Chinandega is really best visited as a stop-off on the way to the Honduran border.