El Fortín de Acososco

León


The Guardia Nacional’s last holdout in León can be reached by the 2.5km dirt road from the western side of Guadalupe cemetery, on the southern border of Barrio Subtiaba. The large, squat, gray building was originally constructed in 1889 to take advantage of the great city views. It was abandoned until the 1950s, when the Somozas realized that they needed to keep an eye on León itself. They lost the fort on July 7, 1979.

You may need to ask for permission to enter this grim place; check out the abandoned torture chambers in the basement. Muggings are common on this stretch, so go with other people and take a taxi.