Masaya (Spanish pronunciation: [maˈsaʝa]) is a department in Nicaragua.

It is the country's smallest department by area (611 km2) and has a population of 397,632 (2021 estimate).

It is famous among Nicaraguan people for its nickname, "La Cuna Del Folklore" which translates to (The Cradle of Folklore).

The Indigenous inhabitants of Masaya are the Nahuas and the Chorotegas, and was the location of the pre-Columbian Nahua chiefdom of Masatepek.

[2][3][4] The Nahuas dominate the cultivation and production of cocoa beans in the municipality of Masatepe.