Granada, Nicaragua
Welcome to Granada
By now you have heard all about Nicaragua and of course the beautiful colonial city of Granada. We highly recommend this as a great vacation destination and expect this guide will help you along the way. We share what we’ve experienced, our friendships and contacts and hope you have a wonderful experience while visiting this beautiful city.
Places to eat
Breakfast
My favorite place is Kathy’s Waffle House two blocks from Casa Blanca down Calle Cervantes and right in front of Convento San Francisco. Get the fresh fruit ‘smoothies.’ I prefer it with water, not milk and without sugar (they love to put sugar in juice. I don’t know why.
The Garden Cafe offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is located on Calle La Libertad, just one block from the house.
Hotel Gran Francia offers a fantastic breakfast too. Pricey for Granada but still inexpensive.
Another is Café de Arte located in the Calzada Art Center just off Calle La Calzada. Here you can get American style breakfast, Nica style, or pancakes and French Toast.
Lunch
El Camello, located on Calle Caimito, just two blocks from the park, offers Mediterranean fair which is fresh and hearty. They have the best Hummus and Baba Ganoush we have ever tasted!
El Garage has a limited menu but what they offer is fabulous. The menu normally includes some type of Asian or Indian dishes as well as huge burritos and quesadillas. Don’t miss the Tandoori Chicken Sandwich! El Garage is located on Calle Corrales, just 2.5 blocks from the Convento San Francisco.
Road House is our answer to a sports bar and they have the best burgers in town (plus air conditioning) Located two blocks from the park on Calle La Calzada
Café de los Sueños is a sweet café with fresh food, good coffee and delicious desserts. It is located on Calle La Calzada across from the Carlos Brava school.
Dinner
El Zaguan is probably the most visited restaurant in town as it has some of the best grilled meats you will ever taste. Located on Calle La Sirena, it is one block east of the park off of Calle Calzada.
Hotel Dario, is a really nice hotel restaurant. Eat inside by the fountain. It’s a beautiful and elegant place to eat.
El Marlin, located on Calle Xalteva Sur is one of the best seafood restaurants we have experienced n Nicaragua. The service is good, the presentations beautiful and the taste, incredible.
La Claraboya, located next to el Zaguan, offers grilled meat and delicious fidh entreees in a very inviting setting.
Ciudad Lounge-A little bit of Manhattan in Granada! This is a great place with a beautiful setting, good atmosphere, exceptional food and the best service around. A little pricey for Granada but well worth it. Calle La Libertad, one block from the Old Hospital.
Mediteraneo is great too. Beautiful gardens. It’s on Calle Caimito.
La Hacienda just a little bit past Kathy’s Waffle House. Great Mexican food.
Imagine on Calle Cervantes just past GPS. Really good food run by a transplanted American chef.
Night Life
There are really too many to list here. Wander down La Calzada or head over to Kelly’s Bar, located on Calle Martirio, an very short walk from Casa Blanca.
Places to go
Calzada Centro de Art
A great place to take painting or mosaic classes. You can also browse the art center
for great deals on original art from local artists. Located on Calle La Calzada, one block
from the park.
Convento San Francisco This is the oldest church in the Americas (if not it’s a close runner up). Recently renovated, it has a museum with the history of Granada and the natives plus a fantastic outdoor exhibit of pre-Colombian petroglyphs – really amazing. I forget how much it is to get it but it’s very very inexpensive.
Olé BoutiqueIf you are looking for some unique souvenirs to take back home, stop in at Olé Boutique as everything they have is made in Nicaragua. Olé works with many cooperatives in Nicaragua which helps support families in rural areas. They have jewelry, clothing, pottery and much more, all made in Nicaragua. You can also do shopping around the edges of Parque Central, gifts are not as nice but less expensive.
Tres MundosBeautifully restored theatre turned info a cultural museum that often exhibits works of art, hosts concerts and a great place to check out day or night.
Masaya markets (2) The Mercado and the Mercado Viejo. The el Viejo means ‘old’ but it is actually the newer, cleaner and more tourist-oriented place. I suggest trying both for the experience. You will want a guide at the Bazaar due to its size and the fact it is easy to get lost or turned around. El Viejo is in the middle of the little town of Masaya and is easy to negotiate The kids are helpful but a little aggressive and will tag along, long after you have told them NO a hundred times. Choose one you like and tell the others to leave you alone. They still won’t. They work and guide and carry your purchases for tips. We find them to be endearing and sweet but sometimes as a large group, a little intimidating. Don’t give them money for anything other than working for you. If you’re going to Masaya see if you can go to the lookout over their volcano crater lake – it is pretty amazing.
Mirador de CatarinaHalf way between Granada and Masaya. High on a mountain, look out to see Lake Nicaragua, the city of Granada and below is the Volcano Apoyo and it’s turquoise blue water. Beautiful. Would not recommend having lunch here as it is expensive and the food is not very good. Having a small snack and drink is okay though. The town also has lots of vendors so be on the look out as you drive by homes. Can be very windy at times so be prepared.
San Juan de OrienteTown outside of Catarina- famous for its wood workers, furniture, and pottery, lots of artisans working outside their houses. The road here and beyond a few miles after has several antique stores along the wayside with all sorts of great stuff. Be on the lookout for great bargains.
Laguna de ApoyoThis is a great place to spend a day or a few nights. The temperature is cooler, the water is clean and clear and the wildlife abundant. If you would like to stay the night, we suggest a beautiful villa at the Villas de Apoyo. Get a taxi (Hector or Rene – see below) to take you to Restaurant/Hotel Nerome for lunch and a swim.
Lake Nicaragua Island ToursTours by boat to see islands in the lake can be hired through Leo Tours or any other travel agency or any hotel in town. Trips range from a few hours to day-long. You can also rent kayaks if you want to explore the area immediately around the marinas. If you are the independent type, you can make your way by cab to either of the two small marinas. Go to Puerto San Francisco and ask for Ramon Herrera and his boat, Argentina. He will tour you around the islands for about $10.US per hour. Two hours is all you will need. Groups up to 12 people, same price. The Isletas tour for about two hours is a must if you want to see how the old Rich and Famous of Nicaragua spent their weekends on their private islands years ago. Many are still for sale.
Tours
There are several tour offices in Granada that can provide you with safe and fun tours. Please be very careful when booking a tour from someone off the street. I would recommend Tierra Tours located on Calle La Calzada, three blocks from the park toward the lake; Oro Travel, located on Calle Corrales, a few doors west of Hotel Casa San Francisco; Nica Adventures, located on Calle La Calzada. However my favorite is Leo Tours just a few doors down La Calzada from the house on the same side of the street. Tell Leo that Guillermo from New York/Panama sent you and you’ll be warmly greeted (you’d be greeted warmly anyway).
Granada Home ToursEnjoy a morning walking tour of some of Granada’s most beautiful and historical Colonial homes. Learn about the history and the Spanish Colonial architecture while viewing the city’s private homes. Proceeds benefit the children of Nicaragua by providing books, education and other activities through Biblioteca Puedo Leer and the Sacuanjoche International School. Cost is $15 per person. Arrange this one through GPS as they have the best access to the homes (see below)
Canopy Tour The Mombacho Canopy Tour is a thrilling way to spend a morning. Zip through the trees and rapel down a tree. Great for almost any age! Ask Leo to book you a tour! (the added coffee plantation tour they suggest in is not really that great)
Mombacho Crater HikeThis is a great trip. Unless you’re super fit, have them take you to the crater rim and then hike around the rim. Ascending the volcano might not leave you with enough energy to walk the rim. (the coffee plantation tour is not really that great)
Nicaragua Butterfly Reserve I haven’t done this myself but my in-laws did it and LOVED it.
Masaya Volcano This is truly cool! You get to walk along the rim of and look into a live volcano crater. The observation area is set up so that the prevailing winds blow the sulfuric fumes away from you. However if for some reason the winds are blowing the fumes back over the observation area I would not recommend going; you’d be breathing sulfur dioxide which is harmful.
Horse Back Tour See Nicaragua in a whole new way with a Painted Pony Horse Tour. Tour is of two of the Pueblos Blancos and the Laguna de Apoyo. Tours are approximately three hours long, two on horseback. A snack and transportation is included. Ask Granada Property Services (GPS) to book a tour for you. $35 per person.
Grocery Stores
There are two really good stores in Granada and they are pretty much side by side with each other on Calle La Imaculada. They are about 1-1/2 kilometers from the house. One is called La Union and the other La Colonia. These will carry local produce and products along with many things that you will find in the United State or Canada. If you’re taking a taxi, just say “La Colonia por favor” and they will take you.
At the store when you checkout, an employee will load up your groceries in a separate cart and will help you load your vehicle, or if you need to get a taxi (like I almost always do) they will take your groceries out by the street and hail a taxi for you…waiting as long as it takes…then they will load your groceries into the taxi’s trunk. Usually the taxi driver will also get out and help load groceries into the trunk. We always tip the grocery carry out guy before getting in the taxi, and the taxi driver when we get home, because he will usually also help us unload groceries and put them just inside the doorway. Give the grocery guy at least 15-20 Cordobas.
If you find yourself short of something there is also a mini-market just a block down Calle La Calzada on the same side of the street as Casa Blanca. More expensive than most stores but if all you need is a stick of butter of a bottle of soda, it’s a great place to grab it quickly.
There is of course always El Mercado which is the open air market. More of an adventure than really for your shopping. It’s fascinating! Great to explore and to buy some things but not a very hygienic place. If you lived there year round and were accustomed to the local bugs it would be no problem but if you’re only in town a week be careful of what you buy.
About Taxis
Most rides around town are 10-20 Cordoba. With the influx of tourists they may demand more. Ask them the price BEFORE you take a cab. I typically just give them $1US or 20-25 Cordobas and call it a day. Note: they sometimes stop and pick up other passengers on the way, unless you ask them specifically not to. You may want to give them a little more if you want the cab strictly to yourself.
If you’re making a trip to/from the airport contact GPS (505-2552-7954). It is the best for this. If you want to hire a reliable taxi driver to do some local things call Hector at 8687-4868. Hector only speaks Spanish but has a partner called Rene who does and can usually be reached at the same tel. Rene can also be reached by email at rbejaranogomez@gmail.com
Most of all have FUN! And enjoy some of Nicaragua’s fantastic rum, especially the 12 year old Flor De Caña.
Guillermo & Melanie
