Ruins of León Viejo

Situated near the volcano of Momotombo, this 31.87-hectare archeological site was founded in 1524 and was one of the first European settlements in the New World. Discovered in 1967, the city was built in a grid pattern extending from a central square. Sixteen ruins have been partially restored around the Plaza Mayor. The ruins have been further damaged due to natural disasters such as tropical storms and hurricanes in the 1990s.