Part I – Granada
Let’s start with the one question I heard the most in the months leading up to our trip to Nicaragua – “Why Nicaragua?” And it was generally asked in a tone that suggested isn’t that a war-torn, drug infested, and crime ridden country and shouldn’t you just go to Hawaii or Disneyland instead? Granted, economically Nicaragua is a poor country but you could never tell that by looking at or interacting with the people. I see a country on the rise and with the tourist potential of Costa Rica its neighbor to the south .
Our route in Nicaragua. We didn’t make it to the Caribbean coast or the Northern highlands but that’s just a reason for a return visit.
I can assure you that Nicaragua is not at war (that ended over 25 years ago) and it is neither drug nor crime infested. Actually the people of Nicaragua are some of the nicest you’ll meet anywhere and violent crime is rare and it is considered one of the safest countries in Latin America.
That is not to say that there are not places within the larger cities, especially Managua, where you should tread carefully but with some common sense precaution visitors to Nicaragua should feel very safe. I have traveled in some pretty dicey places and have developed a bit of a sixth sense for imminent danger and can generally feel in my bones that I should not go down a particular street or when I should move my valuables to a safer place. I felt none of that in Nicaragua.
So back to the question of why visit Nicaragua? One of the obvious reasons is the weather in the country during November and December versus the wet and cold of my home town of Portland, OR. We were in the country for 3 weeks and consistently had temperatures in the mid-80’s and lows around 70 degrees. There was definitely some humidity but the mornings and evenings were very comfortable. It was dry season in Nicaragua and we only experienced a couple of quick downpours during our stay.
I’m a big fan of colonial architecture and the cities in Nicaragua, especially Granada, have some stunning churches and beautiful, brilliantly painted colonial houses are everywhere you turn.
From the bell tower of the Iglesia la Merced with the Virgin Mary in the foreground and Iglesia de Xalteva in the background.
By any standard Nicaragua is a bargain for visitors. Local beer runs about a dollar a bottle and rum drinks like mojitos will set you back $2 and if it is happy hour you are likely to get two for that price. We stayed in centrally located, nice, clean hotels with air conditioning and swimming pools for about $60 a night and that included breakfast. Of course you could spend more if you wanted and far less if you are willing to stay in a hostel.
The pedestrian street of Calle La Calzada is lined with restaurants and bars and is quite lively at night.
Though not a foodie destination, the farm to table movement has caught on and there is a growing number of restaurants of every variety popping up in the cities. Some of the best meals we had were at local restaurants that generally dished up healthy portions of grilled chicken, beef or pork, gallo pinto (rice and beans), a lettuce or cabbage salad, and fried plantains or plantain chips. A meal like that for two with beer or wine was typically less than $15 and that price could double or triple in more touristy restaurants and that was still a bargain.
Iglesia de Xalteva
Churches of Granada - click on image to enlarge
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The iconic Cathedral of Granada pictured from Lake Nicaragua is the heart of the city and sits on the central plaza. Volcano Mombacho looms in the background.
The Cathedral of Granada is particularly beautiful and every time we made our way through the center of town I found myself snapping photos from different angles and in different light.
From the bell tower of the Iglesia la Merced with the Cathedral of Granada in the foreground and Lake Nicaragua in the background.
The Interior of the Cathedral of Granada - click on image to enlarge
The Cathedral of Granada - click on image to enlarge
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And Nicaragua being known as the “Land of Lakes and Volcanoes” means there is an abundance of both. Granada sits at the Northern end of huge Lake Nicaragua, the 19th biggest lake in the world and about the size of the state of Maryland.
About 15 minutes outside of Granada lies the Nature Reserve of Laguna de Apoyo. The lake rests in a collapsed volcano (like Crater Lake) with warm underground springs inviting swimming and other non-motorized boating activities.
In 1665 Granada was famously attacked by the Pirate Henry Morgan (of Captain Morgan’s Rum fame). One of the more infamous Pirates of the Caribbean, Morgan led his men from the Caribbean up the Rio San Juan and into Lake Nicaragua. Under cover of night they crossed the huge lake and surprised the Spanish at Granada, burning buildings and the Spanish fleet and making off with an estimated 500,000 sterling silver pounds from the city’s treasury.
About 20 minutes outside of Granada lies the active Masaya Volcano, a caldera with a gurgling lake of magma. The area is Nicaragua’s first and largest National Park. Visitors come by car and get about 20 minutes from various observation points to experience the sites and sounds of the flowing lava.
At the edge of the city just off shore in Lake Nicaragua is an area called Las Isletas. This archipelago of 365 small islands was created when nearby Mombacho Volcano blew its stack thousands of years ago. Most of the islets are covered with lush vegetation and trees and are inhabited by an abundance of birds.
You can tour the area via tour boat but could just as easily rent a kayak and do it yourself. Many of the islets are occupied – some of them have lavish homes built upon them with yachts anchored nearby and one even had it’s own helipad.
Local fisherman ply the waters of Las Isletas casting their nets to catch fish.
Other islands have hotels or restaurants and one island contains the fort of San Pablo built by the Spanish in the 18th century for defense against pirates.
One of the islands of Las Isletas – we dubbed this one Gilligan’s Island.
And then there are the monkeys. One island was inhabited by friendly white faced Capuchin monkeys that climbed aboard our boat to get a treat from our guide. Another island dubbed Monkey Island had a group of spider monkeys that were playing to the crowd by leaping from tree to tree. I’m pretty sure that the monkeys on those two islands were brought there by some entrepreneur that saw a way to make a quick tourist buck. However, on two of the other islands we heard and then spotted several howler monkeys that have the capacity to swim from island to island in search of food.
Monkeys of Grenada - click on image to enlarge
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As you can see Nicaragua has some compelling reasons to visit – It has a growing tourist infrastructure, it is safe, it has excellent weather, beautiful colonial architecture, and nature abounds with beaches (more about beaches in the next post), lakes, volcanoes, birds, and monkeys. And I didn’t even mention that Nicaragua produces very high quality coffee, chocolate, and cigars for your hedonistic pleasure. All this and at bargain prices especially with the strength of the dollar. Lastly, the Nicaraguan people are fantastic – they are friendly and hospitable and willing to help out gringos with poor high school Spanish.