To arrive at Masaya from Managua, one crosses one of the most picturesque regions of Nicaragua called "The White Towns" (Los Pueblos Blancos).

This region, well known for its coffee plantations, has rich and secular traditions, inherited from the old tribes of Chorotega and Mangue, who lived in the area before colonization.

In the region where Masaya is found, lived the Dirianes tribes. Many towns in the surroundings still conserve popular traditions and handcraft of that time. Villages like Nindiri Niquinohomo, Masatepe, Catarina, Diriá and Diriomo are known for their typical cuisine, their crafts and their folklore, transmitted from a generation to another.