Travel
Another gorgeous church that I like visiting is the cathedral. What I like the most about it is actually its splendid, yellow and majestic facade that dominates Granada's main square. However, my favourite place to visit in town is the tower of the Iglesia de la Merced. This was destroyed by pirates and later on by William Walker and finally restored. While I like the church, I admit that the best thing to me is climbing to the tower to get a 360º view of the city. It is the perfect location to get incredible aerial pictures of the famous yellow cathedral of Granada.
Volcan Masaya is one of the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua. Visitors can walk all the way to the Santiago crater although I should warn that the sulphurous gases that come out of the crater really do stink of rotten eggs.
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Travel
How to Have a Great Time in Granada, Nicaragua
Granada is the most visited city in Nicaragua, and it is not hard to understand why. On the shores of Lake Cocibolca (known as Lake Nicaragua internationally), this gorgeous colonial city has anything a tourist may want. The colonial architecture, the cobbled streets and colours are splendid, and capturing them on the perfect picture is just a great way to spend a few hours. Even though it is the top tourist destination in the country, it still is pleasantly quiet. There are plenty of churches and museums to keep any visitor entertained and there are plenty of out-of-town activities to do.
One of my favourite activities in Granada is exploring its many churches. My typical church tour would include the oldest church in the city, the Iglesia de San Francisco, which has a pretty blue facade. It is Central America's oldest church, built in 1585 and subsequently destroyed by pirates and by the infamous William Walker, sent in 1854 by the US government to take control over the country. Right next to the Iglesia de San Francisco, there is a great museum with a beautiful exhibit of indigenous art and a scale model of the city. I like it because it has a beautiful patio at the back, from which there is a nice view of the volcanoes that surround Granada.
Another gorgeous church that I like visiting is the cathedral. What I like the most about it is actually its splendid, yellow and majestic facade that dominates Granada's main square. However, my favourite place to visit in town is the tower of the Iglesia de la Merced. This was destroyed by pirates and later on by William Walker and finally restored. While I like the church, I admit that the best thing to me is climbing to the tower to get a 360º view of the city. It is the perfect location to get incredible aerial pictures of the famous yellow cathedral of Granada.
On the side of the cathedral Calle La Calzada is Granada's pedestrian street. Quieter during the day, it buzzes with life at sunset and at night, when locals and tourists alike crowd the many bars and restaurants and enjoy the cool breeze coming from the lake, just one km east of the centre. Truth be told, I am not a real hipster so if I want to see the lively side of Granada I actually go to the market, which is lively, full of colours and smells.
The best thing about Granada is that it is really easy to get away from it. Not that anybody would want that, as it really is chilled but it is great to know that there are many chances to get closer to nature even without having to travel far. At just one km from the centre of town, Lake Nicaragua and Las Isletas (said to have been formed by an eruption of volcano Mombacho) are perfect for spotting some incredible wildlife kingfishers, weaving birds and 3 different kinds of monkeys. I am hardly the kind of person who can stare at birds for hours, but having the right guide who could spot them as well as a pair of binoculars helped in shaking some enthusiasm out of me. Besides, the sunset on the way back is stunning. In fact, the best time to leave for the tour is at 3:45, so that the animals start coming out of after the day's heat.
I have been on many day trips from Granada, but the one I like the most is that to Masaya, a small city about half hour drive from Granada. In my opinion it is actually better to participate in a guided tour in order to make the most of all the places, have someone that can explains the local history and culture, and save time with transportation. The best tour to me is the one that goes to the Fortaleza de Coyotepe, a prison built in 1893 on the Cerro de los Coyotes, where political prisoners were kept in the times of the Somoza dictatorship. The next stop is usually the Mercado de Artesanas, and finally a family run pottery farm in Santo Domingo. The last stop is the Parque Nacional Volcan Masaya.
Have you been to Granada? What did you like the most about it?
About the Author: Claudia Tavani of My Adventures Across the World is from Cagliari (Sardinia) and is obsessed with travelling. A former human rights lawyer and academic, after devoting her life to the protection of cultural identity, in November 2013 Claudia decided to give in to her biggest passion and started travelling around Latin America, and she has hardly stopped since. Blogging came as a natural consequence, for Claudia wanted to let her family and friends be updated with her adventures. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
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