Granada | Nicaragua
Granada is a city of color.
Its buildings are a rainbow of pastels that pop against the bright blue sky and rolling green hills that surround the town. The food, in the market and open-air cafes, is filled with vibrant hues; shiny red tomatoes, rich green avocados, and deep purple passion fruit with sunny yellow centers. Granada is a place that fills me with joy every time I think about it.
We spent two weeks traveling around Granada, Nicaragua for my 30th birthday. Our plans for trekking across the country were cut short when I caught my first-ever traveler’s stomach bug, either from eating a cheese-filled pastry that I bought out of the bus window or swimming in a waterfall (mistakes I would happily repeat again). Instead of backpacking, we spent a week recovering in the calm, colorful Granada, appreciating the beauty of the city and invention of antibiotics.
Lake Apoyo
The first week of our Nicaragua adventure was with 10 of our closest friends. We rented an incredibly beautiful, serene house called Apoyo Lodge that sat at the very end of a long, windy dirt road on the shores of Nicaragua’s deepest, and cleanest, lake. We spent hours cooking huge family meals in the open air kitchen, practicing yoga on the platform that looked out over the lake, and counting how many steps we could make on the slackline before falling into the sand below. Almost every evening was spent floating on our backs in the great lake watching the stars slowly appear while we discussed life, love, and the state of the world.
Explore
While we could have never left the Apoyo Lodge compound, we did want to see some of the surrounding areas and so we organized a few field trips for the group, complete with a bus and frequent rollcalls. My favorite was day was spent visiting the Mombacho Volcano National Preserve. We pilled into a huge monster truck up steep roads with hairpin turns to the top of the 4,000-foot inactive volcano. Once at the top, we hiked through a lush, misty forest until we reached an open field that looked out over cities and farmlands of Masaya and Granada. We spent an hour picking out points in the landscape, cat napping in the sun, and racing each other up the volcano’s slope.
Another favorite was our trip to Mirador de Catarina, a viewpoint over Lake Apoyo. There are touristy restaurants and a little popup market of handcrafts, but by far the best part of Mirador de Catarina is sitting on the steps carved into the side of hill listening to music from street performers, eating ice cream from a cart, and practicing Spanish with the surrounding Nicaraguans who’ve come to the vista for its view and cool breeze.
Granada
We said goodbye to our friends and boarded a bus for the West, headed towards rolling hills of farmland and beautiful beaches. But a day into our trip, we had to change plans and instead find a doctor, running water, and a dose of antibiotics. Granada had all three, and lots of lodging options.
Stay
We were lucky to find the tranquil, quiet La Siesta Hostal. I slept and recovered for a full 24 hours, only venturing out of my room to sit in the hammock in the open air courtyard.
Eat
My first meal post recovery was a simple plate of beans and rice from Cafetin Claudia. It was delicious and we loved the tiny cafe so much that we ate breakfast or lunch there every day for the remainder of our trip. I loved picking one of the specials from the chalkboard and devouring the mix of beans, rice, fresh cheese, and salsa while watching the town pass by through the storefront.
We also loved the vegetarian dinner options and kind wait staff at Pure, a local yoga studio, cafe, and hotel. But my favorite dinner spot in Granada was The Garden Cafe. It feels like a big, welcoming house. The front room is like a living room, complete with couches and a little library for lounging. The more formal seating is in the back garden, filled with light and greenery. And the food feels like good home cooking with fresh ingredients and attention to detail.
Explore
When we weren’t eating in Granada, which was seldom, we walked through the brightly colored streets. We spent several hours wandering down the aisles and side streets of the municipal market, sifting through the wares and chatting with vendors.
My favorite thing in Granada was escaping the heat by climbing the stairs of Iglesia Catedral Inmaculada Concepción de María and looking out over the town as the sun set. We had the whole tower to ourselves for an hour and were finally joined when a teenage church volunteer sprinted up the steps to ring the huge bell, indicating the next hour. We ended most days sitting in Parque Central, watching little ones play soccer and couples walk hand in hand deep in conversation through the streets of Granada.
