Granda, Nicaragua

Nestled on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, one of the largest lakes in Central America, Granada invites travelers to experience colonial architecture and vibrant cultural history. The shadow of an extinct volcano, known to locals as Mombacho, lures the adventurer to climb the steep slopes and gaze into the lush rainforests hidden in one of it’s many craters. Singh and I didn’t need to be convinced to travel to this Latin American country, we were champing at the bit.

Just a short hop on Spirit Airlines from Fort Lauderdale, Singh and I made the red eye flight into Managua and rested in an extremely nice Best Western right across the street from the airport. I highly recommend staying here if you take your child with you on the late night flight (link provided at the end of this post). We just walked across the street past the chanting crowd of taxi drivers and checked into our room. I felt very secure here in the hotel despite the many reports that Managua isn’t the safest at night for American travelers. Armed guards and tall fences on the perimeter kept us comfortable as we drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning we hit the free breakfast offered by the hotel, one of the best free breakfasts I’ve experienced on my travels, and waited for our hired car to take us to Granada. Another tip I keep trying to recommend to those who travel with children is to hire a private car service while in foreign countries. They tend to be on par if not cheaper than local taxis and they are always cleaner and more efficient. Exactly what I need when traveling with a toddler. We were picked up by an expat from Europe and enjoyed hearing about his recommendations as we drove through the hot and humid countryside. Nicaragua is HOT. Make sure you pack shorts!

After the hour drive, we were dropped off at our AirBnB we rented right in the heart of town. For an incredibly low price ($35 per night), we were able to rent a two bedroom villa with a beautiful courtyard, pool, roof terrace, and outdoor kitchen. The perfect spot to escape the dusty and crowded roads outside. The large hammock near the pool was by far our favorite spot, spending every free moment we had cuddling in it together and watching Moana on the ipad.

We settled into our new oasis by unpacking and jumping (naked) into the pool. I forgot to pack our bathing suits…oops! Good thing this pool was private! After relaxing, I strapped Singh on my back and we ventured out to explore the city and find some lunch. Our villa was about 3 blocks from the main city center. We ate lunch at a local restaurant with a quant atmosphere and unique freshly squeezed juices. I tried a glass of hibiscus juice (a bit tart) while Singh enjoyed his pulp-filled orange. The restaurant offered hammocks and a gardened courtyard. Take three guesses where Singh spent most of our lunch?

To work off our meal, we explored the large open city squares, sampled some fruit from local venders, and climbed to the top of Iglesia de La Merced for roughly $1. They use the Nicaraguan córdoba throughout the country, so make sure you either bring some with you or exchange some US dollars once you arrive. Fun Tip: If you are an airline employee in uniform and you go and exchange your money in the MCO airport, they will wave the fee.

The views from the top of this colorful church were incredible. Green and luscious trees juxtaposed with brightly painted red and yellow buildings told a story of colonial empowerment in this tropical land. A history rich in local customs and pirate attacks, the city of Granada had unveiled her secrets to us as we walked back to enjoy our siesta in the hammock of our villa.

Our original plan was to embark on a night tour of the nearby Masaya Volcano, an active volcano where you can hike and watch molten lava from the rim of the crater. Sounds amazing, right? However, the day before we traveled down, our guides emailed us saying that the volcano was too active and it was unlikely it would be safe for us to hike there. The park was closed to visitors and it would remain so for the following weeks. So we came up with a plan b, relaxing around the villa and watching movies in the hammock!

For dinner we brought food back to eat in our open air dining area and watched bats fly over the pool. Local cats came and visited us as we ate delicious Mediterranean fare while the moon began to illuminate the towering palms and greenery near the pool’s edge. A final dip in the cool waters before calling it a night under our mosquito nets was much needed as we came to find that our unit had no working air conditioning. Make sure to check with the owners before you book if you are used to sleeping with comfortable temperatures as the majority of places in Granada lack room AC units. Well, we wanted to experience Nicaragua, so sweating under netting seemed like no better way.

Our next morning was an early one as we were picked up by our tour company, Tierra Tours, and headed out into Lake Nicaragua to explore the Islets of Granada. About five minutes outside the city center, a series of docs with long boats take tourists out among the 365 tiny islands created by ancient explosions of the nearby volcano. As we jumped into a boat and wound our way out into the lake, it felt like we were on a real version of Disney’s Jungle Cruise. This was much better than the Disney attraction because there were no lines, complaining tourists, or cheesy puns.

Meandering through the thick overgrowth of rainforest, we explored the series of islands and large outcroppings of volcanic rocks. We saw mansions built atop some of these tiny isles, while others were barren and full of wildlife. Our favorite spot was a small atoll roughly the size of basketball court. When we approached with the boat, we saw that it was inhabited by a family of large spider monkeys! Kayakers from a nearby hotel had followed us and we were able to get extremely close to our tree-dwelling cousins. Singh laughed and pointed out the different monkeys as they jumped from branch to branch and perched atop the beach of rocks. This kid is so spoiled, he isn’t even four yet and he has already seen monkeys in the wild twice! Another example of why I want to show him the world and travel together as much as we can.

We easily could have stayed all afternoon to watch the monkeys play and screech in the trees but there were more islets to see! Our next stop was a colonial fort used to protect the city from pirates. Now, Lake Nicaragua is a freshwater lake and isn’t near the ocean. So I’m sure you are wondering why pirates were even an issue with the old and colorful town. Well, the large lake is connected to the Caribbean Sea by the San Juan River and in the 17th and 18th centuries Granada was considered the “jewel” of the Spanish colonies, serving as a major trading spot among sea merchants. In the later half of the 1600s, Captain Morgan (yes of the famed rum brand) plundered and pillaged the city several times, leaving it open to more attacks. In the early 1700s a fort was established to help stave off these pirate skirmishes. And we were heading there to explore it!

The fort was very small and contained. It was obviously rundown and in need of restoration, but we were allowed to climb it and were treated with amazing views of Mombacho and some distant volcanoes and mountains. Singh enjoyed trekking up the crumbling stairs and scaling the old cannons while I sipped a fresh coconut in the shade of swaying palm trees. What a neat little find! We were the only ones on the island and it turned out to be a really cool experience.

The views of Mombacho didn’t end at the colonial fort, we were able to snap some fantastic photos on our way back to the dock, an extinct volcano the prominent feature in all of our pictures. After the tour, we were dropped off at the company’s office and headed to grab some lunch on our way back to the villa. A small café around the corner from our AirBnb made, quite possibly, the best falafel sandwich I have ever eaten. We happily ate lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon lazing by the pool and watching movies in the hammock.

Across the street from our villa was a yoga center that we explored and drank freshly made fruit smoothies. Named after the large tortoise they have living in the middle of the yoga retreat, the Tortuga yoga center was a fun little escape from the busy city and the smoothies were delicious! Singh happily drank his as he played with the ancient creature.

Our last morning in Granada was another early one. This time we were heading up the steep slopes of Mombacho to climb the strenuous Puma trail around the volcano rim. Mombacho is made up of several different craters, and this trail snaked its way around all of them. I use the word snake because not even ten minutes after we started the trail we met a venomous coral snake slithering along the rocks. Yeah. The snake from the rhyme: red touches yellow, you’re a dead fellow. That snake. I may have peed my pants a little as I held onto Singh tighter. He just laughed and pointed from his secure spot in my back carrier.

We kept hiking and I, slowly, got over the adrenaline of seeing a venomous snake in the wild. The trail was very steep in spots and the steps were extremely uneven. It was a practically deserted trail as many people just hike around the crater near the road, a much easier walk. This trail was a great option because we were able to experience views unobstructed by other hikers, a truly unique experience. About halfway through the trek Singh insisted on hiking. I wasn’t sure how he would handle it, as this trail was the equivalent of a black diamond course, but the kid did absolutely amazing. (There was just one time he had some problems with his shorts being too big so he decided to hike in his underwear, but that’s another story.) He giggled as he scrambled up moss-covered rocks, smiled for the many pictures we took along the way, and trekked proudly behind the guide with his own walking stick. I was shocked and thrilled how much he enjoyed hiking himself, and my back was much happier sans child carrier.

The hike lasted about two hours and then we drove back down to the city. The nice thing about Granada is that so many activities are within a short drive from the center. It was only about 15 minutes back to town and we were eating lunch and relaxing in our villa before we knew it. Relaxing and resting was of utmost importance the rest of the afternoon as our evening would consist of taking a late-night drive back to Managua and then a red-eye back to Fort Lauderdale.

Our flights home went smoothly and we were even able to hop a flight home to Orlando, snagging the last two seats in the back of a crowded Spirit flight. Beats driving three hours up the turnpike!

Nicaragua is a must see for anyone looking for a nice combination of adventure and relaxation with a dash of cultural history. I learned a lot this trip, from discovering the plundering exploits of Captain Morgan to realizing that my son loves hiking as much as I do. Nicaragua has so much to offer that I know we plan on going back to try a few other adventures (Volcano-boarding and the Corn Islands). It was a very inexpensive trip, the vegan food was amazing, and we felt safe and secure in both Managua and Granada. Make sure to make this colonial city a stop the next time you are exploring Central America.

TRIP PLANNING LINKS:
Best Western Managua: http://www.lasmercedes.com.ni/
Car Service to and from Granada: http://www.armadillo-nicaragua.com/mobile.html
Tierra Tours: http://www.tierratour.com/