Granada Guide: Where to Eat, Sleep, & Explore in Nicaragua’s Grungy Yet Gripping Colonial City
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Granada is a place that exudes an air of well-worn sneakers or ripped jeans, a little rough around the edges and caked with the dust and debris of life through the ages of volcanic eruptions, pirate attacks, revolutions, and moto exhaust. It’s grungy, but endearing, and you can’t help but feel part of its timeworn and “as is” fabric and folds when you walk its cobbled streets. When I arrived, I could tell it’s a place you slowly slip into, not rush the exit. So slowly slip I did. I extended my 3 booked nights to 5, and allowed the days and nights to shape themselves, following what felt like a breadcrumb trail laid just for me. I boated and biked, I downward dogged and dug into delicious cuisine dished up on banana leaves, I had my mind read and tarot cards pulled, I peered into volcanic craters bubbling with lava and swapped life stories with the souls I met along the way. By week’s end, Granada, for me, felt and will always feel like a soft landing I can always return to, underwhelming and unkempt in the most sweet and soul-nourishing way. Here’s where my Granada days took me.
Restaurants & Cafes
The Garden Cafe
A beautiful cafe centered around a lush garden with a menu of delicious and healthy cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Pita Pita
Exceptional Israeli cuisine that lures even the locals away from their classic gallo pinto plate.
Restaurante El Zaguán
On the more upscale end, but by no means expensive, this restaurant serves some of the best grilled meats and Nicaraguan cuisine I tried in the country.
Panaderia Pan de Vida
Come for the pizza or the cinnamon rolls, either way you won’t be disappointed. The ambiance, with picnic table seating in an open air courtyard, is also well worth the trip.
Cafe de las Sonrisas
This social impact cafe employs and is managed entirely by deaf people, so brush off your biggest grin and give signing a go when you put in your order.
Vigorón Doña Nereyda
Located in the central plaza of Granada, grab a seat at one of the plastic tables and dig into this classic Granada street eat alongside an ice-cold glass of tamarind juice.
La Chicharroneria Granada
A cheaper version of the same dishes you’ll find at Restaurante El Zaguan in a much more casual atmosphere.
Gaia Forest Cafe & Market
A rare spot in town where it’s okay to bring your laptop and hang out for hours working. And their coffee is exceptional.
Tostometro
Located just outside the municipal market and home to the famous banana burger, this spot is a must-visit.
Things to Do
Visit Volcan Masaya
This is a must-do. Time your visit for sunset and watch the firey pit suddenly take on a mesmerizing reddish glow. All Masaya tours will drop you right at the crater, so there’s no hiking involved, though you can wander the trails around the crater for some different viewpoints of the volcano and surrounding landscapes.
Explore the Isletas de Granada By Boat
Head out for a relaxing few hours on Lake Managua, home to the 365 little islands called Isletas de Granada. Meander past forts and islands both inhabited and uninhabited, some of which have monkeys swinging from the trees or the luxurious private residences of Nicaragua’s rich and famous. You can arrange a tour through your accommodation or check out these tours on Viator.
Climb the Merced Clock Tower at Sunset
For $1, you can climb up to the clock tower of the Iglesia de la Merced. It’s open all day, but I’d recommend timing your visit for sunset. Keep in mind, however, that the last available entry is at 5:30pm so you’ll want to get there a bit before then. They’ll let you stay up there taking in the views until just after sunset.
Spend a Day at Laguna de Apoyo
This crater lake is the perfect spot to spend a sunshine-soaked day lounging or exploring by kayak. You can visit by way of a day trip from Granada or spend the night at one of the hostels or hotels right on the lake (Paradiso Hostel and Casa Marimba are two of the more popular lodging choices).
Shop at the Masaya Crafts Market
The city of Masaya is considered a Cultural Heritage of the Nation for its rich customs and culture. At the Masaya Craft Market you can shop for handcrafted souvenirs or catch a folkloric dance performance. In town, you can also admire the views of the lake from the boardwalk, grab a bite to eat, or visit the old fortress. It’s the perfect day trip from Granada, and en route to other sites like Laguna de Apoyo and the Masaya Volcano.
Hike Volcan Mombacho
Though dormant, the Mombacho Volcano beckons with three cloud forested trails for you to explore around its crater. A visit can be done by way of a tour from Granada or on your own via taxi or public transport. If you go on your own, keep in mind that two of the trails (El Puma and El Tigrillo) do require that you pay for a guide. You’ll want to give yourself a full day to explore as each trail takes around one to four hours to complete.
Go on a Free Walking Tour
This one is a no-brainer. A free walking tour through Granada gives you a lay of the land and introduces you to the city'’s riveting history and architectural marvels. Many of the hostels in town regularly host a weekly free walking tour for their guests, specifically I know Selina, Hostal Azul, and Hostal de Boca en Boca do. If you’re not staying at any of those, just pop in and ask if you can join their tour or go the classic route and sign up for one via GuruWalk.
Drink and Dine on Calle la Calzada
This pedestrian-only street is lined with restaurants and tables on the sidewalk. It’s atmospheric and the perfect way to end a day of exploring with a cocktail, beer, or full on dinner. Nectar and Monna Lisa are good options to get you going.
Attend a Show at the Magician Lounge
This is perhaps the best $5 you could spend in Granada and the perfect evening plan. The Magician Lounge offers twice-nightly shows (6pm & 9pm) every night of the week with a very talented mentalist from Denmark. He’ll read your mind and blow you away with his unexplainable mentalism tricks. Cocktails and light bites are available on-site should you get thirsty or hungry and they often offer promotional rates that include drinks, snacks, and even a tarot reading with the mentalist’s third-generation tarot reading partner.
Rent a Bike
Do yourself a favor and explore Granada on two wheels. It’s my personal favorite way to get to know a city and Granada has some beautiful streets and lakefront lanes to cycle down. If you’re staying at Hostal Azul, they actually include a free two-hour bike rental with your stay. If not, you can rent bikes at Maximus Bicycle Rentals or book this well-reviewed bike tour with Andemos Tours & Bikes.
Keep Fit at Pure Gym
Many of the hostels in town (Hostal Azul and Hostal Boca en Boca to name a couple) offer guests a free day pass to Pure Gym. Use it for their morning yoga or Zumba classes and then hit the fully equipped gym afterward. If you’re not staying at a spot offering the free pass, day passes cost $3USD or $6USD with an exercise class included. It’s a genius concept and one I’m surprised I haven’t seen more often in my travels.
Hostels & Hotels
This $10usd/night hostel includes more amenities than $10 should ever buy: free breakfast, daily activities, bikes you can borrow, a day pass to the local gym, and a communal kitchen.
This is the hostel I found myself returning to again and again. It’s clean, comfortable with fans by every bed, and hosts a weekly calendar of activities, all for $10/night. This hostel, too, offers a communal kitchen and day pass to the local gym.
This social enterprise hotel has a sister property in my other favorite city. The profits from your stay at this beautiful boutique hotel go towards providing local children with the funds to finish school.
Getting to Granada
By Public Transportation
From Managua: Buses to Granada leave from the UCA bus station (see pin). The buses headed to Granada are typically micro-buses and not the flashy chicken buses. They seat up to 16 people and they will likely try and pack in far more than that. I rode on the dashboard during my first journey from Managua to Granada by micro-bus, just to give you an idea of what you might expect. Depending on weather and space in the bus, they may store your bags on the roof or up front by the driver and they are likely to charge you a bit extra for your bag. The total price shouldn’t be more than 100 Cordobas per person to include your bag. The journey takes about 1.5 hours.
From Rivas (the unavoidable hub): From Rivas, the unavoidable hub if you’re traveling from San Juan del Sur, Popoyo, or the ferry port from Ometepe, you’ll look for the chicken bus headed for Granada. Just ask someone if you can’t find it and they’ll point you to it. It should cost no more than 50 Cordobas, and maybe a bit more for bag if they have to store it. Buses depart almost hourly starting at 6am, just be aware that the last bus to Granada departs around 5:55pm, so if you arrive into Rivas after that, you’ll have to take a taxi the rest of the way. Also, Sundays operate on an extremely limited schedule. It’s best to ask your hotel or hostel for the latest schedule.
By Taxi or Shuttle
Both taxis, private transport, and shared shuttles are available between most destinations in Nicaragua, as well to/from destinations around Nicaragua, like Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Whenever available, I usually book a shared shuttle or private transport through Bookaway or 12Go, two reliable sites that aggregate vetted local transportation operators and that offer the added benefit of 24-hour live support should anything come up during your trip.
Explore Bookaway’s Nicaragua routes
Explore 12Go’s Nicaragua routes
Taxis will typically run you between $50 and $70 between destinations within Nicaragua.
Useful Links
Along Dusty Roads
I found this travel blogging couple’s Granada content really useful while in the city. They break down all of the information you could possibly need for day trips from the city, getting to and from Granada by public transport, and what they wish they knew before visiting Granada.
If you found this post helpful, one of the best ways to say thanks is by booking your hotels, transport, tours, and trip insurance through the links on my Travel Resources page or by clicking any of the trip-relevant links below. This sends a bit back my way at no additional cost to you and helps to keep this blog up and running. Thank you for your support!
Accommodations: Booking.com, HostelWorld, Trivago
Tours & Experiences: GuruWalk, Viator, GetYourGuide, EatWith, TripAdvisor
Trains, Buses, & Transfers: Bookaway, 12Go, BusBud
Car Rentals: DiscoverCars.com
Trip Insurance: Squaremouth, WorldTrips
Learn Spanish: Rosetta Stone, Babbel, Pimsleur
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