Corinto (Nicaragua, Leon City)

Corinto is a port town in Nicaragua's Chinandega Department (on the Pacific Ocean coast), with population around 19,000. The town is a former railroad terminus and Nicaragua's largest and single Pacific cargo port (locode NICIO) for commercial shipping (importing/exporting of goods). The Port has its own containership terminal and handles vessels carrying various cargoes - TEU-containers, bulk- and liquid, vehicles/cars, machinery, project cargo, etc.

Corinto is also the principal port and the cruise port to Leon City (Leon Department). Leon spreads along Chiquito River and is located approx 90 km (55 mi) northwest of Managua (the country's capital and largest city). The distance from Corinto to Leon is approx 95 km (60 mi) by road, although the direct distance from Leon to the Pacific Ocean is just 18 km (11 mi/to the west).

Leon is Nicaragua's second-largest city by population (around 180,000) and a major economic center serving various industries, agriculture, trade, tourism. The main exports are cattle, sugar cane, peanut, cooking bananas, sorghum.

Leon City is visited via bus tours from Corinto (~1,5 hours travel time). In 1524, Nicaragua's founder Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba (1475-1526) established the towns Leon (as Santiago de los Caballeros de Leon) and Granada (accessed from San Juan del Sur).