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Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (112) Volcan Mombacho is the most accessible volcano from Granada and you can do this excursion on your own fairly easily.
Start early in the day, say no later than 9:00 am. Best days are Thursday to Sunday (check on other days as the park might be closed or reserved for groups). First take a taxi or southbound bus to a large intersection called "Empalme el Guanacaste", but if you say you're going to Mombacho, they should know where to let you off.
From there a brick road climbs about 1.5 km to the parking lot and and park entrance. This takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes to walk depending how fast you go! The taxi can take you up as well.
You have to pay a park entrance fee which was 115 cordobas (about $8 US) in Nov. 2003. Then you wait for the next "ecomovil" to depart (this is a big monster Russian army truck) and take you further up to 1150 m (half hour). There are nice views along the way.
Once up there, you can take a leisurely 1 hour hike (1.5 km - mostly flat) through the cloud forest with some stupendous views. Or you can hike a more challenging loop path (4 kms - 3 hours) called Sendero la Puma.
When you get back you wait for the next ecomovil to get you down. You might want to ask when the last one departs before starting out.
There is a nice little restaurant a minute down the brick road from the parking lot if you need to re-energize on your way back! Leave a Comment
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Las Isletas are a group of 365 small islands in lake Cocibolca (near Granada) that were formed when Volcan Mombacho erupted 20000 years ago and spit out huge amounts of rock and lava into the lake.
You can organize a tour on your own by showing up at the docks (at the end of the waterfront road south of town) and hiring a boat.
However, I joined a 3-hour tour organized by Tierra Tour in Granada. They were very helful and had a Dutch guy there who spoke perfect English. Since 10 other people had already signed up, the cost per person was only $10, which is probably less than it would have cost me to organize it on my own!
The tour was by boat (see photo) and included stops on one island with an old Spanish fort (nice views of volcan Mombacho from here) , a stop near an island with monkeys, a pass-by several tiny islets where rich families had built all manners of extravagant homes, and finally a stop at a restaurant for a drink (and possibility of swimming). Leave a Comment Directions: Tierra Tour is located on the north side of calle La Calzada (not far from Hotel Central).
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The pedestrian space guarded by the cannon off the northeast corner of Parque Colon (Plaza de la Independencia and Plazuela de los Leones) offers beautiful colonial architecture with colonnade sidewalks. Nice spot for photos.
To the right of the picture (not shown) is a pleasant internet cafe which stays open in the evenings. It also serves drinks. To the left are some tourist restaurants with typical nica food. Leave a Comment
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The museum is located in the Antiguo Convento San Francisco. It's described as perhaps "the most impressive museum in all of Nicaragua", but it's all relative of course. Don't expect anything ressembling a European or North American museum.
It's rather small and has an archaeological exhibit showing the daily life of lakeside indigenous tribes and a large gallery displaying pre-columbian stone statues from the Isla de Zapatera. There are also nice views from here unto the rooftops of Granada.
If you really want "Culture and History" though, get out of the museum and walk the streets. This is where the culture is and history is being made! Leave a Comment Address: Calle CervantesPhone: 552-5535Directions: 1 block north and 1 block east of Parque Colon.
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As the previous tips says: Culture is in the streets.
The best colonial buildings are around Parque Colon, and mostly to the north, east and west.
If you walk south (as on this photo), the streets get progressively busier and dirtier until you reach the market and bus terminal. Leave a Comment
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This is a tropical paradise. In Lake Nicaragua, you'll find the chain of 354 islands called Las Isletas. A Nicarguan woman told me this is the most beautifull place of her country. Just take a little boat and enjoy nature. I had such a great time watching the birds, trees and on the background Mombacho Volcano. I'll never forget this experience. Leave a Comment Address: In the lake of course (to the east)
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When I arrived in Granada I didn't have any high expecatations. A city which had even 'stolen' its name from the beautiful Spanish city of same name. What good could a place like that offer me? Half an hour walk there and I had lost my heart to this beautiful colonial gem. Granada is not very big so it is easy to see by foot. I had a very rough map and didn't need any better. I found everything I was looking for. I was impressed with the colourful colonial houses, which were well-kept and spent a lot of film as I wanted to take photo of each of them. My advice is that you walk without any plan and let Granada take you by its charm. The houses in these photos are in La Calzada street or near it. Leave a Comment Address: La Calzada and its surroundingsDirections: When coming from main square pass the cathedral left and you are on La Calzada. Couldn't be easier!
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This is the main square, with a gazebo (good for hiding when it starts pouring rain unexpectedly), big trees to hide from the hot sun, fountains, and beverage/food vendors.
Unlike other parks in Latin American towns, you don't get hassled here.
Around the Parque are the Cathedral, the bank (yellow building - cashes traveller's cheques and has very cold AC!), and a few tourist shops and cafes. Leave a Comment Directions: Centre of town
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We stopped at one island where there are the ruins of a fortress and beautiful views to Granada and Volcán Mombacho. Our guide sang a beautiful song there and had such great voice. Great benefit! Next stop was to look at monkeys in a small island and admired the posh houses of rich people. The tour ended on an island where we could have lunch or/and swim. The German couple asked if I liked to go for a swim and I said that I would. Water didn't look all that clean but I jumped into it anyway. It was so warm that it didn't really refreshened but I still enjoyed it. As did the German couple.
We had an hour and a half for ourselves and the city tour started. First we went to see the photo exhibition of which I've told in the nightlife tip and to all main sights of Granada. In the Plaza de los Leones our guide sang the national hymn of Nicaragua and it was so touching. The tour took three hours instead of the two she promised us. I really think that we got more than our money's worth! I was very tired when I got back to my room and my head was full of new information about Granada. Leave a Comment
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Besides the Cathedral there are two other beautiful churches in Granada. La Merced, which is located four blocks west of Parque Central and Guadalupe, which is in the east end of La Calzada Street.
La Merced was completed in 1539 and is said to be the most beautiful church in whole Granada. It was restored in 1862 after having been sacked by pirates in the 17th century and later damaged by Leonose forced mid-19th century.
Guadalupe was originally a fort and converted to a church in 1945. Leave a Comment
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on March 30, 2004
on August 12, 2004
on November 20, 2005
