León was by far my favorite city that I visited while traveling in Nicaragua, for its colorful array of streets, its open and approachable people, and to my pleasant surprise, its active Latin dance scene. I was very happy to find a small but high-level salsa and bachata community in León, whose dancers immediately welcomed me into the social scene. I highly recommend dancers stop in León for your salsa and bachata fix while traveling in Nicaragua. Read on for everything you need to know about salsa and bachata in León, including where to social dance, which dance schools you can attend to take lessons, and additional resources for dancing around Nicaragua. ¡A bailar!
Salsa and bachata styles in León, Nicaragua
Salsa dancing in León is a mix of linear salsa and Cuban salsa. The linear salsa timing is predominantly on 1, though while social dancing I did encounter a couple of dancers who could dance on 2. Cuban salsa and rueda de casino are also very popular in León. Some knowledge of both salsa on 1 and Cuban salsa will allow you to get the most out of social salsa dancing in León.
Bachata dancing in León is mostly urban and sensual movements and patterns. I didn’t encounter too much Dominican style bachata dancing, though you shouldn’t hesitate to bust out your footwork anyway!
Otherwise, social dancers may encounter small amounts of merengue and cumbia.
Social dancing in León at La Olla Quemada
Traveling dancers: make sure that you make it to León for the weekly salsa night at La Olla Quemada. This social is virtually the only social dancing spot in León. It occurs every Thursday, and it’s absolutely worth it. I attended this social twice, during two subsequent weeks, and had positive experiences during both occasions.
La Olla Quemada is a bar and restaurant in the center of León, located just a few blocks west of the cathedral. (And by the way, the food there is tasty, in case you need a place to have dinner.) Music starts around 7 p.m., though I found that people started arriving around 8:30 or later. Dancing goes until about midnight or 1 a.m. The venue has a main dance floor, as well as an area with a number of tables and chairs in the back, for those who want to sit, eat, and relax. As of June 2019, there is a cover charge of 30 córdobas to enter (approximately 1 USD).
The dance floor is large enough to comfortably fit about 5 or 6 couples. The floor is made of stone and is fairly slick for turning. Dance shoes are appropriate here. The music is a mix of about 75% salsa and 25% bachata. The salsa music is suitable for both Cuban and linear salsa dancing, and the DJ plays a decent mix of many genres of salsa music. The bachata sets are mostly Dominican and urban bachata. I heard virtually no sensual bachata music.
I was very surprised and impressed with the dancing at La Olla Quemada. It was a great social in many respects: I enjoyed the music, the level of dancing was quite high, and the dancers were all very welcoming. It was a genuine social, and it wasn’t until later on in the night that the dance floor began to get crowded with some non-dancers. Don’t be afraid to ask people to dance, and enjoy this event and the salsa community in León.
Note that it is incredibly hot in León, so you are going to sweat a lot while dancing at La Olla Quemada. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated, and bring a rag or handkerchief to towel off between dances – trust me.
I also want to note that the second time that I attended this social it was on a very rainy night, so things didn’t pick up until around 10:00 or 10:30 p.m., later than the first time I attended.
Finally, for safety reasons I would advise you to take a taxi back to your hotel or hostel upon leaving the event (there will be taxis waiting outside of La Olla Quemada, and if not you can ask the bartenders or bouncers for help getting a taxi). Taxis in León cost 40 córdobas or more at night.
Important note: La Olla Quemada is occasionally closed and reopened per direction from the Nicaraguan government. Make sure to check their Facebook page to ensure that the location is open. If closed and looking for places to dance, definitely check out León’s dance studios (see below) for classes and socials.
Where to take salsa and bachata classes in León
Looking to learn how to dance salsa or bachata during your visit to León? There are a couple of dance studios in the city that offer a variety of classes. For Latin dance studios, check out:
Ritmo Salsero. This studio offers classes in salsa on 1, Cuban salsa, and bachata. They also seem to host special events, such as socials at their studio and salsa events in Las Peñitas (the beach near León, about 30 minutes outside of the city). Check their Facebook page for more information about classes and events.
Leoncitos de la Salsa. This studio offers salsa on 1, Cuban salsa, bachata, and some specialty courses such as mambo, pachanga, and chachacha.
Other resources for salsa and bachata dancing in Nicaragua
Although León was the only city in Nicaragua where I went dancing, there is plenty more dancing throughout Nicaragua. Generally, I find Facebook to be a good resource for finding socials, classes, and events. Managua appears to have a fairly active Latin scene, and it is likely that other cities throughout Nicaragua have salsa and bachata scenes as well, or at least studios where you can take some lessons. Finally, one of the best ways to learn about social dancing events is by connecting with other dancers, whether in person or online. If you meet other dancers, don’t hesitate to ask about where to go dancing.
Travelings dancers can also check out the following resources for salsa and bachata in Nicaragua:
The dance school Cultura Salsera in Managua offers classes and hosts socials. I didn’t get the chance to attend one of their socials, but I did connect with one of the instructors at the school, who gave me lots of information about their upcoming events. I would definitely try to attend one of their events the next time I’m in Nicaragua.
The Facebook group Salsa Nicaragua posts some salsa events, mostly in Managua. This group also seems to be associated with the Nicaragua Salsa Congress, which to my knowledge last occurred in 2017.
There you have it! Everything I know about salsa and bachata in León, Nicaragua. If you liked this post, be sure to check out my other dance travel articles, such as where to dance in Mexico, Colombia, New York City, and Baltimore. Also, for general information about travel in Nicaragua, check out my guide to (solo female) travel in Nicaragua.
Have you ever danced salsa or bachata in León, Nicaragua? If so, what was your experience? What are some cities around the world where you’ve come across really welcoming salsa and bachata communities? What’s your preferred style of salsa dancing? Preferred style of bachata dancing? Let me know in the comments below!
2 comments
My aunt lives on Little Corn Island, and I’ve always wanted to visit Nicaragua! Leon looks amazing.
I’ve taken salsa classes in Chile and Cuba– both were amazing and made me wish I had more of an opportunity to continue learning.
I hope you get to go someday! I absolutely loved traveling in Nicaragua. Can’t speak to Little Corn Island, but Leon was just great, for salsa dancing and otherwise 🙂 Thanks for reading and commenting, Tara!