Known as the ”The Hermit of Estelí’, Alberto Gutiérrez spent more than 40 years carving rocks of El Jalacate in Tisey Estanzuela Natural Park mountains in Nicaragua. He has a private farm and a house in the park, and he welcomes visitors all around the world every year who want to see his art. Alberto has been carving the rocks in the park since the late 1970s.
Alberto has been carving pictures of all kinds into the rocks with a stone hammer and hand-made chisel. He has carved various animals like elephants, anacondas, and birds. There are also carvings of some cathedrals, the ships used by Christopher Columbus, and the Twin Towers. He makes individual statutes as well.
The most famous of his creations is an almost 100-meter-long stone wall into which he carved various images. His carvings generally follow a theme like religion and animals. One part of the wall is dedicated to Christ and Christian imagery. Another part depicts hunters and animals, especially elephants and lions since Alberto likes them. There are also images like library books, a helicopter (a nod to wars Nicaragua had to endure), and characters from mythology. One of the main reasons for El Jalacate becoming a popular tourist spot in Nicaragua is thanks to these carvings.
