Estelí

Estelí (Spanish pronunciation: [esteˈli]), officially Villa de San Antonio de Pavia de Estelí is a city and municipality within the Estelí department. It is the 8th largest city in Nicaragua due to the high urbanization of its municipality, at 84.8%, with an urban population of 111,244 (2022 estimate). It is also the eighth-largest municipality, and an active commercial center in the north, known as "the Diamond of the Segovia" (this name being created by Oscar Corea Molina in his radio show "Trampolin 43”) and the de facto capital of the north.

Located on the Pan-American Highway, 150 km north of Managua, Estelí is a fast-growing and progressive city. It enjoys a pleasant climate most of the year due to its location in the north central highlands at a mean elevation of 844 m (2769 ft) above sea level. The city is also surrounded by forested mountains of pines, oaks, and walnuts, and plateaus up to 1600 m above sea level, some of which are protected as natural reserves.