Leon, Nicaragua is the second largest city in the country and is home to cathedrals, museums, galleries, colonial architecture…and pharmacies.
Visitors can marvel at the many cathedrals, including Catedral de la Asuncion…and visit a pharmacy.
A trip to Leon can also include a pleasant perusal of the many art galleries in the city., including the Ortiz Foundation Art Centre…and a browse of a pharmacy.
One of the cities most famous landmarks is the Museo Archivo Ruben Dario, which houses a collection of the works and the life of famous Nicaraguan poet, Ruben Dario. Visitors in search of answers might also find them in the local…pharmacy.
El Museo de Tradiciones y Leyendas is a former prison building which uses various art forms to tell the story of Nicaraguan folklore. Anyone spending time in Leon might also arrive at the conclusion that Pharmacies are integral to Nicaraguan culture, or at least the culture of Leon.
They are everywhere.
So ubiquitous were they that an unsuspecting traveller might assume they were a tourist attraction in themselves.
Why are there so many pharmacies in Leon?
I really don’t know. All I know is that they seemed more abundant in Leon, Nicaragua, than in any other city I visited in Latin America.
The only reason I can proffer is one suggested to me in Mexico. This theory suggests that many people medicate at pharmacies in Latin America because the public health system is not trusted or is simply too inefficient to treat people’s daily maladies, and the private health system is far too expensive for the average person. Thus, they seek remedies at the ‘farmacia’
Thus, one should not fear illness or injury in Leon, because one is always nearby a ‘farmacia’.
Image: Rachelle Blake
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