Granada Guide: Where to Eat, Sleep, & Explore in Nicaragua’s Grungy Yet Gripping Colonial City
Rough around the edges but full of character and charm, Granada’s a soft landing on any Nicaragua adventure. Here’s where to stay, eat, and explore when in Granada's grasp.
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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
Things to Do
Hostels & Hotels
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.
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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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