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Nicaragua Travel |
Granada NicaraguaThe department of Granada is one of the smallest departments in Nicaragua but also one of the wealthiest since it borders to the entire north-western shore of Lake Nicaragua. The city, and capital of the department, Granada is situated by this shore and is known as the artistic centre of Nicaragua. The city is the oldest colonial city in all of Central America and has been considered to be one of the colonial times most important city. Although not overwhelmingly rich on attractions and sights the city still draws a lot of tourist enjoying the city’s beautiful architecture and rather calm atmosphere. Granada Nicaragua – Some infoThe department of Granada is situated along the north-western shores of Lake Nicaragua and covers 929 km² with a population of around 190.000. The inhabitants support themselves mainly through tourism and agriculture. The city of Granada is the oldest city in the entire Central America and has around 116.000 inhabitants. It is situated right on the shore of Lake Nicaragua and offers a very different experience to the rest of Nicaragua because of its high development in the service area. Granada is considered to be Nicaragua’s equivalent to Mexico’s San Miguel as an artistic and cultural centre. In later years a lot of Europeans and Americans have settled down in the area making Granada a sort of multiethnic city. Granada Nicaragua – HistoryBeing the oldest city in Central America Granada has plenty of history, all of which not very pleasant. Founded in 1524 by Fernando Hernandez de Cordoba and named after the Spanish city Granada the small city soon became a major commercial city in the entire colonial area. This since it was possible to sail from the Caribbean all the way to Lake Nicaragua and Granada via the San Juan River. All the wares passing through the city caught the eyes of pirates though and the city was plundered on several occasions. In the 19th century the infamous William Walker burned the city when he left after a catastrophic defeat. The city was rebuilt though and many buildings that are made out of stone still dates back to that fire. Granada Nicaragua – Tourist attractionsThe city of Granada is one of the few must sees in Nicaragua, not because there is something really special in the city but because it is what Central America is all about. It is a beautiful colonial city with great hotels and hostels, great restaurants and great people. It has a great beach by Lake Nicaragua and although it is a sweet water lake it has oceanic animals living in it. The city lies close to the dormant volcano Mombacho and even closer to Laguna de Apoyo, the largest crater lagoon in Nicaragua. For those interested it is possible to go kayaking in what is known as Las Isletas, an archipelago of 365 small islands created when the volcano blew its cap off in a violent eruption hundreds of thousands years ago. Granada Nicaragua – Getting thereGetting to Granada is extremely easy and that is also probably why it is such a common city to visit. Both private and communal buses go between Granada and Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, every ten minutes or so. From Ometepe Island a ferry will leave for Granada every other day or so and the trip take four hours, making it to use Granada as a hub when moving around Lake Granada.
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