Granada: Nicaragua’s Yellow Jewel

In the southeastern part of Nicaragua, just an hour from the capital, hails Granada, one of the country’s most historical cities. Built along the coast of Lake Nicaragua, Granada is famous for its Spanish colonial heritage and being the oldest city in Central America. Both first-time travelers and backpackers alike can explore this sunny city in no more than a couple of days

How to Get There

Managua to Granada: It is just an hour drive from the capital to Granada. If you are coming from Augusto C. Sandino airport, shuttles to and from Granada, whether arranged by your hotel or hostel, or directly from the airport, should cost no more than $35 USD. Depending on your bargaining skills, a taxi can run for around the same price, or even cheaper. There are tons of options outside of the airport. I would not reccomend going by public bus as you may or may not get robbed, but for a drastically cheaper option, the UCA bus station will cost you only $1 USD to get to Granada.

Leon to Granada: About a fifteen minute walk from the main hub of Leon on Calle 6A, you will find the bus station (by the way, most bus stations do not have actual names). From here you must first ride to Managua’s UCA bus station, and then transfer to Granada. All of the buses will have the destination’s name on the windows, if you cannot hear the drivers aggressively shouting the city’s name fifty times per second.

San Juan del Sur to Granada: From San Juan del Sur, you must catch the bus to the Rivas bus station in order to transfer directly to Granada. Remember that most buses stop running after 5 PM.

What to See

Granada is easily walkable, and you can hit the major points of the city in just two days. Most activities can be arranged by your hostel or the many (overpriced) tour companies in center.

The Cathedral of Granada

This is the bright, yellow church you see when you type in “Granada, Nicaragua” on Google. Built in 1583, this church is in the center of Parque Central, where there are restaurants, cafes, and an open-space to relax while taking in Granada’s busy ambience. You can also climb to the top for only $2.

Iglesia La Merced

Another iconic church (one of Central America’s oldest), La Merced is a five minute walk west of Parque Central. You can climb to the top of this church as well.

Admire the Colorful Walls

The colorful architecture makes Granada one of the cutest cities I’ve traveled to yet. Even venturing outside of the center, you will find many of the homes and buildings a bright, rainbowy color that will add even more positivity to your day!

What to Do

Basing yourself in Granada is a great way to take many day-trips and explore the natural surrounding areas.

Visit the ChocoMuseo and the Mansion de Chocolate

Learn about the history of chocolate at this cool chocolate museum. In addition to the many chocolate-making classes and variety of unique chocolate products available for purchase, the museum also offers day trips to Nicaragua’s chocolate farms. When you’re done, lounge around the elaborate pool at the Mansion de Chocolate, the museum’s boutique hotel. Don’t forget to sample the free chocolate rum shots before you go!

Swim in the Laguna de Apoyo

One of my favorite spots in Nicaragua, Laguna de Apoyo is a nature reserve 30 minutes from Granada with a beautiful lagoon to swim and go kayaking in. Most hostels and tour companies have trips to and from the lagoon, but it is possible to get there from Masaya by bus and a bit of hitchhiking.

Be Stunned by the Red Lava of Masaya Volcano

Masaya is one of Nicaragua’s most active volcanos. Over 9,000 years old, the red lava is best seen at night so make sure to clear up your evenings for the best view!

Hike Mombacho Volcano

Start your day with a hike up at Mombacho Natural Park. There are several trails depending on difficulty and time, and the park also offers zip-lining.

Take a boat tour to Islets Granada

Explore all 365 miniature islands that run along Lake Nicaragua by boat. Hop-on, hop-off tours are available for food and a quick afternoon swim. You can also see monkeys along the way!

Shop at the markets in Masaya

Masaya is a beautiful little city filled with potted flowers and ginormous artisan markets– only a super simple public bus ride from Granada.

Where to Party

With Granada being so small, there are only a few main places tourists go to party.

O’sheas Irish Bar

Any place affiliated with the Irish is always a go-to for drinking. An easy walk from the square, O’sheas is your typical Irish pub that luckily offers not-so-typical Irish prices. A great spot to eat chicken wings during the day and party at night, the pub has a DJ and a swarm of both foreigners and young locals looking for a good time.

Treehouse

Every backpacker who passes through Granada will party here at least once. Treehouse is a huge hostel in the jungle, an hour outside of Granada, in the form of a giant treehouse. Treehouse is reachable by shuttle (aka pick-up truck) from Backyard Hostel, or by taxi for only $5 USD. At Treehouse they party every single day of the week, excluding Saturdays, and the both the guests and staff go hard. Imagine getting wasted with the sound of monkeys in the background.

Encuentros Club

This is one of Granada’s bougier clubs. The club has two sizable floors, and if you’re feeling extra you can even take a swim in the pool during the party.

Additionally, a few hostels have their own bars opened to non-guests, such as the Selina hostel, in Parque Central.

Tips

1. Use common sense: Do not flaunt expensive electronics or jewelry. Parque Central is relatively safe during the day, but at night it’s not hard to run into a bit of sketchiness if you aren’t careful. Some people I’ve met, including myself, have been victims of attempted theft. At night, I would suggest leaving your phone and large amounts of money behind at your accommodation. Whenever converting money from the men on the streets, make sure you know your conversion rate.
2. Learn to haggle: Haggling for better prices is fun and a great way to practice your Spanish. The taxis and the markets will try to make as much money off of you as possible, so before you pay make sure you are happy with the price. Anything over $5 USD is way too expensive.
3. Book tours through hostels, not tour companies: Many of the tour companies in the center will charge almost double the price compared to your hostel or hotel. Prices are the same both solo and with a group for almost all forms of transportation to and from the location, so find a few people to split the price with.