Managua is the capital and largest city of Nicaragua, situated on the southern shores of Lake Managua with a city population of approximately 1,055,247 as of 2020 and a metropolitan area of roughly 1,401,687 people. Founded in 1819 and elevated to the national capital in 1852, the city has been repeatedly rebuilt following major earthquakes — most notably in 1931 and 1972 — yet remains the country's primary political, economic, and cultural center. Visitors today encounter a sprawling, energetic metropolis blending modern infrastructure with local markets, lakefront monuments, and neighborhoods that reflect decades of resilience and reinvention. In S16E06 of Expedition Unknown, Gates uses Managua as his launching point for an expedition tracing Cornelius Vanderbilt's ill-fated 19th-century Nicaragua transit route, describing the city as 'a vibrant city of over a million proud and resilient people in a country that caught America's eye long before anyone had heard of the Iran-Contra affair.' He stops at the Mercado Carlos Roberto Huembes to gather supplies before chartering a private plane eastward toward Nicaragua's remote Caribbean coast.
Managua is formally founded as a settlement on the shores of Lake Managua.
Cornelius Vanderbilt outfits the steamship Orus for its inaugural voyage along the Nicaragua transit route, the story at the heart of the Expedition Unknown episode.
Managua becomes the official national capital of Nicaragua.
A major earthquake causes widespread destruction across the city.
A devastating earthquake largely levels Managua, prompting extensive rebuilding efforts.
Josh Gates films the Expedition Unknown S16E06 episode 'Vanderbilt's Lost Steamship,' using Managua as the expedition's base of operations.
Managua's history is one of recurring disruption and reinvention. Founded as a small fishing village on the shores of its namesake lake, it grew steadily through the 19th century before becoming the national capital in 1852 — a political compromise between rival cities León and Granada that gave neither the prize. The city experienced significant urbanization between 1842 and 1930, but that progress was dramatically interrupted by the 1931 earthquake and even more catastrophically by the 1972 earthquake, which killed thousands and required the city to be substantially rebuilt.
The broader historical context Gates explores in his episode centers on Nicaragua's unique geography: Lake Nicaragua, which he describes as 100 miles long and 44 miles wide and covering nearly 15% of the country, connects to the Atlantic via the San Juan River. This natural waterway made Nicaragua a serious candidate for an interoceanic canal long before the Panama route was chosen. Cornelius Vanderbilt moved quickly to exploit this geography in the mid-19th century, and Managua — as the country's capital — sits squarely within that story even if the action eventually shifts eastward.
Historians generally agree that the Nicaragua canal route was a viable and seriously pursued alternative to Panama throughout much of the 19th century, and that Vanderbilt's Accessory Transit Company briefly made it a functioning commercial reality. The question of what happened to the steamship Orus on its inaugural voyage is the specific mystery the episode pursues, with Managua serving as the modern logistical hub from which that investigation fans outward.
Gates' episode does not present new historical findings about Managua itself — the city functions here as a vivid, well-observed backdrop and supply point rather than an investigation target in its own right. His on-camera narration, however, does an effective job of grounding the Vanderbilt story in the geopolitical reality of U.S.-Nicaraguan relations, reminding viewers that American interest in this region predates the Cold War controversies by more than a century.
Managua was chosen as Nicaragua's capital in 1852 as a compromise between the rival cities of León and Granada, neither of which would accept the other holding the title.
The city sits on the southern shore of Lake Managua, which is separate from the much larger Lake Nicaragua — the lake at the center of Vanderbilt's transit route — located further south.
Despite major earthquakes in both 1931 and 1972, Managua has been rebuilt each time and today has a metropolitan population of approximately 1.4 million people.
Gates noted on camera that visiting Nicaragua made it his 115th country — and deadpanned, 'But who's counting? I am.'
Managua is generally accessible to international visitors, with Augusto C. Sandino International Airport serving as the main entry point. The city offers a range of markets, museums, and lakefront areas to explore, though travelers are advised to check current government travel advisories before visiting, as conditions can vary.
Managua is itself the nearest major city; the next significant urban center is León, approximately 90 kilometers to the northwest.
The dry season, roughly from November through April, is generally considered the most comfortable time to visit Managua, with lower humidity and reduced rainfall. The wet season brings heavier rains from May through October but can also mean fewer tourists.
Ecuador Cloud Forests
Ecuador Cloud Forests represents another Latin American wilderness environment that Gates has investigated, reflecting the broader Central and South American expedition territory explored in this episode.
Inca Trail
The Inca Trail appears in Gates' South American investigations and shares the thematic thread of tracing historic routes through challenging terrain — much like the Vanderbilt transit route Gates follows from Managua.
Historical data sourced from Wikipedia