The Unknown Ahead

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America and is known as “the land of lakes and volcanoes”. There are 40 volcanoes in this country (which is the size of New York state) and nearly half of them are currently active. In addition to many volcanoes, there are also a ton of gorgeous lakes that are home to a wide variety of birds and monkeys. The largest lake in all of Central America resides near Granada, so large that it seems like an ocean! It goes by three different names – Lake Granada, Lake Nicaragua or Lago Cocibolca – but no matter what you call it, it boasts the title of 19th largest lake in the world. If that isn’t enough to peak your interest, Nicaragua also has two different coast lines with plenty of gorgeous beaches and islands. There are two islands in particular, Calala Island and Corn Island, that are dubbed the NiCaribbean due to their beautiful waters and white sandy beaches. I have a separate post about Calala Island that you can check out HERE.  

Let’s address the proverbial elephant in the room up-front…Nicaragua is currently governed as a dictatorship. As recent as 2018, there was a protest by university students that did not end well. As a traveler, just be aware that Nicaragua has a Level 3 travel advisory from the USA due to “arbitrary enforcement of laws”. However, I think it’s also important to realize that there are a lot of common vacation spots that are also a Level 3 that we frequently travel to without a second thought – Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Colombia, and Egypt just to name a few. Level 2 advisories include most of Europe (the UK, Italy, Germany, France, etc). I’m not trying to downplay these warnings, but I do think it’s important to put it into perspective compared to other countries so that travelers can make educated decisions. While we were in Granada I never felt unsafe, but it’s also just good to know that you shouldn’t bring up politics with locals. It’s a touchy subject.    

If you want to visualize this trip on a map, check out my interactive Google map HERE. You’ll likely fly into Managua which is a pretty small and easy airport. Grab a taxi and head 45 minutes down the road to our main destination.  

Founded in 1524, let’s start our trip in the gorgeous Granada… 

Granada

The history of Granada is nothing short of remarkable. It’s been burned to the ground thrice, overtaken by a dude from Tennessee in the 1800s, was often raided by pirates, is home to ancient Aztec artifacts, boasts the title of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is surrounded by active volcanoes. Whew! 

The architecture here is really lovely. None of the buildings are taller than the churches, so they pop out of the skyline in a really pretty way. Granada boasts exquisite examples of Spanish colonial architecture and most buildings have lush courtyards once you enter from the street. The homes are all brightly colored, the tile work on the sidewalks is unique, and the doors are massive! 

Let’s take a walk around town. We’ll start at the Guadalupe Church. Built in 1626, this church offers the best view in town. Go up the very narrow spiral staircase up to the bell tower. From there, you get the most iconic views of Granada all the way to the lake.   

After relishing the view and snapping photos, we’ll carry on down Calle La Libertad and then north to a little museum called the San Francisco Convent Museum. The museum is tiny, so you’ll really just need an hour or so here. Built in a converted old convent, this museum houses some really great art, information on the city’s history, a miniature replica of the city, and a lot of Aztec pottery and sculptures. The coolest part are the giant stone carvings found locally on Isla Zapatera left behind by the Aztec people. Make sure to check them out! 

Head south toward the Parque Central de Granada. This is the central hub of the city and is right next to the bright yellow Immaculate Conception of Mary Cathedral and City Hall. There are several little cafes and restaurants here, so sit outside and enjoy the warm air with a Toña beer. There are also little markets set up selling souvenirs and street food. 

Tired of walking in the heat? There are a ton of carriage rides available throughout the city! We hopped on and enjoyed a great ride through the city to see the various sites. You can see the old railroad station with it’s bright red facade, La Polvora Fortress, and pop into Doña Elba’s to see how they hand roll local cigars. I’m not really a cigar smoker, but when in Granada…

Next, it’s time to check out the local market Mercado en Granada. I absolutely love markets, but this one was a little intense even for me. There is no organized layout here at all. It’s super packed (we were told it was a slow day when we visited!) and like a labyrinth of food, clothes, and oddities. Most markets are sectioned by goods – meat in one area, flowers here, clothes over there – but this was total chaos. I don’t recommend getting anything edible here unless you have a really strong stomach. I saw a lot of raw meat being handled by bare hands and no refrigeration in sight. Have the hand sanitizer ready when you leave…   

The last stop on our little tour is a little weird, but it’s the Cementerio Municipal or local cemetery. This place has to be seen to be believed. It’s on the outskirts of town, but the cemetery itself is huge. It’s the final resting place of six Nicaraguan presidents and opulent doesn’t even begin to describe the tombs. This whole cemetery is all about showing off the richest and most notable families in Granada. We’re talking insane marble statues crafted by Italian artisans. Each family trying to out do the other for the most palatial graves. 

If you’re looking for good dinners, I have two great spots for you! The first is NM Culinary which is more upscale and modern. We did a multi-course tasting menu with a wine pairing that was delicious. Everything was created with local ingredients and prepared with attention to detail. I would also suggest checking out Restaurante El Zaguán which was recommended to us by multiple locals. This has a steakhouse vibe and had a good chimichurri sauce.

For lodging, look no further than the Tribal Hotel. The decor is insanely beautiful. You walk into a gated reception area and beyond that is a super chic courtyard with a pool, lounge chairs, and plenty of spots to have a cocktail. The rooms are large, the bed is comfortable, and the bathrooms are very modern. There was also a fan and air conditioning, which is good, because it was hot.  

The Lake

Being from Chicago, I’m used to huge freshwater lakes, but this one is particularly beautiful. The lake seems to go by three different names: Nicaragua, Granada, and Cocibolca. There are a ton of “lanchas” or boats that you can hire to tour the lake and it’s little islands. The coast of the lake here is a park, so you’ll see a ton of local families swimming, BBQing, and hanging out on the lakefront. There are also many local fishermen using the lake as well. 

Once you’re in a boat, enjoy the vegetation, plethora of birds, and keep your eyes open for monkeys! The view of the volcano in the background is simply stunning. This freshwater lake is particularly interesting because it houses several saltwater fish. The San Juan River feeds out of the lake to the Caribbean Sea, and over the years, even bull sharks have made it into the lake! You can also find crocodiles, tarpon, and swordfish. 

If you’re ready for a drink, snack or meal then boat over to Restaurant El Pirata. This is a really lovely spot to sit with a drink and watch all of the boats go by. It’s popular with tourists and local families alike. They also have a little pool if you need to cool down and don’t want to jump in the lake (considering I just informed you of sharks and crocodiles, I would prefer the pool!).   

The Volcanoes

You can’t look anywhere in Granada without seeing evidence of volcanoes, so let’s check them out! A 40-minute drive from Granada brings you to Masaya Volcano National Park. There are two volcanoes here: Masaya and Santiago. When you enter the park, drive and make a stop at the visitor center which houses a little museum. There are some really interesting stories about the Aztecs and their encounters with the volcano. They used to call it “the mouth of hell” and believed there was a witch who lived at the top. They actually used to do human sacrifices here! In 1528 Father Francisco Bobadilla performed an exorcism at the mouth of the volcano and a cross still marks that spot today.

When we visited the volcano it was quite windy and the volcano was emitting a lot of gases. When the wind was coming at you, it was tough to breathe and smelled pretty bad. We powered through and completed all of the hikes, but visibility wasn’t the best. Hopefully when you visit, the weather will treat you better. Even with the smelly air, these hikes were really interesting. You can walk all along the crater and up to a look out point. It was pretty crowded around sunset when everyone was trying to get the best photos. 

The park is open during the day starting at 9AM. They briefly close around 4PM and then re-open for a night shift. We arrived early around 4:15PM hoping to be one of the first cars in the park when they re-opened. The car line got really long full of tourists hoping for those sunset photos, so definitely get there early! It’s about $10 per person to visit. 

San Juan de Oriente

There’s one other spot that I want to highlight near Granada – the town of San Juan de Oriente. This spot is well known for it’s pottery and clay artisans. There are several shops along the streets where pottery is hand made and the kilns are right in people’s homes. There’s a lot of variety within the pottery styles, and we found a beautiful little pot for $35. It’s a great place to get souvenirs and also support the locals. We bought ours at Galería Ortíz Artes.

This town also has a nature reserve overlooking Laguna de Apoyo. This park has hiking trails, zip lines, horseback trips, and more! The view of the lake is stunning. It’s a caldera from a volcano and actually has fish that can be found nowhere else in the world. While you’re there, grab some food at Restaurante Carolina and enjoy the view. 

Tours

You could easily spend 3 days exploring Granada and the surrounding small towns and nature reserves. We blitzed the whole thing out in a day and a half since we were heading to Calala Island next for some beach-side relaxing. I would highly recommend using Va Pues Travel. I’m sure all of their guides are amazing, but Rene Mena was one of the best guides ever. His English is flawless, and he knew everything about Granada. His history lessons were a joy to hear! I felt like an enthralled little kid listening to his stories about conquistadors, pirates, Aztecs, and volcanoes. We set up a private tour, and I’m so glad that we got Rene all to ourselves. He had the whole thing timed perfectly, so we were always a little ahead of the big bus crowds. They tailored everything especially to cater to our interests. I was extremely impressed.     

See everything mentioned in this post on an interactive map HERE.