El Coyotepe was a prison and torture chamber used by both the Somoza dynasty and the Sandinistas to torture political prisoners.

Pura Vida Travels - A Guide To Travel In Latin America

On the way home from San Juan de Oriente we decided to stop and see El Coyotepe. El Coyotepe is a fort that sits on top of a big hill outside of Masaya. (The entrance is on Carratera Masaya just after the road to Tipitapa.) It was used for centuries as a lookout for spotting advancing enemies. Later the Somoza's turned it into a torture chamber for political prisoners. After the revolution the Sandinista's used it to torture prisoners as well. With the fall of the Sandinista's El Coyotepe was turned over to the Boy Scouts and today they maintain and operate the site. Guided tours are available 7 days a week for the cost of a donation to the Boy Scouts.

El Coyotepe Entrance	View From The Prison	The Boy Scouts Run The Place
The Main Gate	Entrance To The Dungeon	Underground Torture Chamber

One of the scouts offered to unlock the doors and let us go into the dungeon for a few pesos. I think I gave him 20 Cordobas ($1) and he happily unlocked the door and let us in. There aren't any lights underground so they give you the tour by flashlight. It's truly a spooky place. Prisoners were kept in large pens like cattle and then taken to smaller rooms to be beaten. There are still blood stains on the walls after all these years from the many victims.

Underground Torture Chamber	Underground Torture Chamber	The Bathroom
Juniett Inspects The Door	It's Dark Down Here	Lots Of Graffiti
The Devils Workshop	Comfy Cell	Fancy Spray Painting
Blood Stains On The Wall	A Spiral Staircase	Exiting The Dungeon

Today, El Coyotepe is a popular hangout place for the locals. At night, it's the place to come and party as you can see from all the graffiti on the walls. From all the condom wrappers laying around it's a popular place to do something else as well.

Juniett Wants To See More	Ja, Ja, Ja	Gun Turrets
Hanging Out	The Pit	Skull And Bones
Windows Made For Shooting	I Was Bad	Let Me Out
I Don't Belong Here	The Front Porch	Great View Of Masaya

The views from El Coyotepe are amazing. While I doubt any of the inhabitants got to enjoy the views you can see why it's now a popular spot to visit. You can see the cities of Masaya, Granada, and Managua as well as the volcanos Mombachu and Masaya. Even if you don't care to tour the prison, El Coyotepe is a great spot for taking photos.

Masaya, Nicaragua	Volcanic Lake Near Masaya	Hanging Out
I See My Aunts House	Standing On The Wall	Great View
Juniett	Juniett With Masaya Behind	Tiny Windows
Climbing On The Roof	Hi Honey	Prison Office
The Gun Tower	Not Much Light	Outside Of The Fort