things to do in granada, nicaragua

Nicaragua is not quite on the tourist trail yet but, in recent years, many publications (see here, here and here) have been touting the country as a great place for Americans to retire due to the lower cost of living. When I heard "lower cost of living," I immediately thought that the country would be great to travel cheaply. I was not disappointed. 

On one long weekend, Mr. Sazy Rock and I ventured to Granada, Nicaragua. I found this small colonial town quite pleasant. It did not have the same cobbled stones charm of Antigua (a colonial town in Guatemala), but, it certainly still had a lot to offer (and for a little less money).

If you visit Granada, these are my recommendations:


1.  Tour the islands in Lake Nicaragua.

The town abuts Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. Within the lake are tiny islands. 

Some islands we saw had strategic importance during the Spanish occupation and were fortified. Most islands, however, had been sold off to private landowners and housed some beautiful homes. Additionally, our little cruise allowed us to watch fishermen catch the delicious Guapote, a type of fish found in Lake Nicaragua. It was a nice relaxing way to spend the morning (or afternoon).


2.  Eat Guapote.

Speaking of Guapote, I found this white fish delicious. El Zaguan restaurant grilled their guapote over an open fire and served it with a side of a type of lime. Las Colinas restaurant dredged the whole fish in flour, deep fried it and served it with a topping of a sweet and sour type sauce with tomatoes and onions. In either preparation, the fish turned out flaky.

Guapote from Las Colinas.

Guapote from El Zaguan.

3.  Visit the market.

The market.

Mr. SR and I like to visit markets when we travel because we find them fun, a great place to explore new food, and the perfect place to see locals do their business. Granada's market was no different. It certainly was lively, full of color and had pungent aromas of freshly butchered meat.


4.  People watch in the town square.

The town square appeared to be the focus of plenty of activity when we visited. There was a parade that went through the square. It was the focal point of a taxi strike (where many taxis blocked one side of the square). And, it also housed many craft vendors. The colorful horse carriages parked along one side of the square and the church across from it ensured plenty of people to watch. Mr. SR and I just absolutely enjoyed watching all the buzz (for free) while drinking the Nicaraguan rum, Flor de Cana (cheaply bought at a nearby store), from our balcony overlooking the square.

View of the town square.

5.  Visit the cemetery.

Tombs of the ex-presidents.

The Cementerio de Granada (opposite direction from the lake) is the final resting place for a few of Nicaragua's former presidents. 

The cemetery.

We paid a visit to the cemetery and paid our homage to them. We also checked out some of the opulent mausoleums there. It was free to visit.



6.  Visit a cigar house.

Cigar rollers.

Dona Elba's Cigar House (towards the Cementerio de Granada) was a fun and free place to watch how to make cigars. They did not pressure me to buy any cigars either. Although I do not smoke tobacco, I found it fascinating to watch the staff roll different cigars.


7.  Get a bird's eye view from La Merced Cathedral.

There were plenty of churches in Granada. One of them, the La Merced Cathedral, offered a nice bird's eye view of the town. The bell tower had unfettered view of the entire town. For a nominal fee (under US$ 2 per person), it was well worth the visit.

360 degrees view of Granada from the La Merced Cathedral Bell Tower.

8.  Visit a Museum.

There were a few museums in Granada that I found interesting. A Chocolate Museum, which charged a fee of under US$ 5 per person, had few exhibits but lots of text about the history of chocolate. The cafe and chocolate making classes cost extra. 

Pre-Columbian statues at the
Museo del Convento de San Francisco.

For the country's history, I enjoyed the Museo del Convento de San Francisco, which had well preserved stone statues from the pre-Columbus era. Again, for a nominal fee (under US$ 2 per person), it was more than worth it to see the exhibits.



Have you visited Granada? If so, please share your experience with us.