# Cerro El Pilón, Nicaragua: what it is and when to go

> Cerro El Pilón is a mountain in Nicaragua on Isla Zapatera (Granada, Nicaragua), at 245 m above sea level. Interests: Nature and Mountains. The best time to visit is November to March. In June there are 12 h 41 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 19. It has an article in one Wikipedia, so it is not one of the busiest places in Nicaragua: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip.

- Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/cerro-el-pilon/
- Reviewed on: 2026-10-12
- Language: en

## In a nutshell

- **What it is:** Mountain in Nicaragua on Isla Zapatera · Nature, Mountains
- **Where:** Nicaragua
- **Elevation:** 245 m
- **Best time:** November to March.
- **Nearest airport:** MGA Managua, 55 km as the crow flies
- **Coordinates:** 11.74177, -85.87147

## What it is and where

Cerro El Pilón is a mountain in Nicaragua on Isla Zapatera (Granada, Nicaragua), at 245 m above sea level. It has an article in one Wikipedia, so it is not one of the busiest places in Nicaragua: one to enjoy at a calmer pace.

It is in [Granada, Nicaragua](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/granada/), where this site lists 32 more places to see, 23 km from the centre.

Its coordinates are 11.74177, -85.87147; the nearest main airport is Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA, Managua), 55 km as the crow flies. How to get around Nicaragua (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/#moverse).

- [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=11.741771%2C-85.871467)
- [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=11.741771%2C-85.871467)

It is one of the [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/naturaleza/) and [Mountains](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/montana/) places in Nicaragua. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap.

## When to go

The best time to visit Cerro El Pilón is **November to March**.

| Mes | Época | Hours of daylight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | Best time | 11 h 23 |
| February | Best time | 11 h 37 |
| March | Best time | 11 h 55 |
| April | Possible | 12 h 16 |
| May | Possible | 12 h 32 |
| June | Better not | 12 h 41 |
| July | Possible | 12 h 38 |
| August | Possible | 12 h 23 |
| September | Better not | 12 h 04 |
| October | Better not | 11 h 44 |
| November | Best time | 11 h 27 |
| December | Best time | 11 h 19 |

In June there are 12 h 41 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 19. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather.

| What you come for | Best time | Possible |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nature | November to March | April to May and July to August |
| Mountains | November to March | April to May and July to August |

It is not the same trip whatever you come for: Cerro El Pilón has a different season depending on what you want to do here, and [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) puts it in the right month for you.

When to go to Nicaragua in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/#cuando-ir).

## Before you go to Nicaragua

To enter Nicaragua there are 10 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Travel clinic appointment and daytime repellent”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Nicaragua checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Córdoba (NIO); plugs: Type A and B · 120 V · 60 Hz; emergencies: 118 police · 115 fire brigade · 128 Red Cross.

In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it.

## What is nearby

- [Bajo Los Robles](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/bajo-los-robles/): Bay in Rivas Department, Nicaragua · 2.6 km
- [Ensenada del Viejo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/ensenada-del-viejo/): Cove in Nicaragua · 3.0 km
- [Ensenada Los Chiqueros](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/ensenada-los-chiqueros/): Cove in Nicaragua · 3.0 km
- [Cerro El Llano](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/cerro-el-llano/): Mountain in Nicaragua, Isla Zapatera on Lake Nicaragua · 3.4 km
- [Plazoleta Isla El Muerto](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/plazoleta-isla-el-muerto/): Archaeological site · 3.9 km

Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Nicaragua guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/).

## More in Nicaragua: Nature

- [Gulf of Fonseca](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/golfo-de-fonseca/): gulf of the Pacific Ocean in Central America
- [Momotombo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/volcan-momotombo/): volcano in Nicaragua
- [Concepción](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/volcan-concepcion/): Volcano in Nicaragua, Ometepe Island
- [Maderas](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/volcan-maderas/): Extinct vulcano in Nicaragua on the Isla de Ometepe
- [San Cristóbal Volcano](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/san-cristobal-volcano/): Highest volcano in Nicaragua at 1,745 m (5,725 ft)
- [Mombacho](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/volcan-mombacho/): Vulkan in Nicaragua, Granada Department, near Lake Nicaragua

Every Nicaragua place under Nature, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/naturaleza/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Cerro El Pilón?

It is a mountain in Nicaragua on Isla Zapatera. It has an article in one Wikipedia, so it is not one of the busiest places in Nicaragua: one to enjoy at a calmer pace.

### When is the best time to visit Cerro El Pilón?

November to March. In June there are 12 h 41 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 19.

### How do you get to Cerro El Pilón?

The nearest main airport is Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA), 55 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=11.741771%2C-85.871467) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Nicaragua is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/#moverse).

### How do I add it to my trip?

With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Nicaragua map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby.

### What else is around here?

Nearby you have [Bajo Los Robles](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/bajo-los-robles/), [Ensenada del Viejo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/ensenada-del-viejo/), [Ensenada Los Chiqueros](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/ensenada-los-chiqueros/). The rest is in [the Nicaragua guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/nicaragua/).

Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2894568647), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21052680), CC0. Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).