There is more to Mexico and Central America than beautiful beaches and exotic wildlife. In this series, we explore how Spanish and indigenous cultures combine in these regions' colonial cities to create a unique and intoxicating effect. Most of these cities have yet to be spoiled by mass tourism, ensuring that your experience will be authentic and wholly unforgettable.

Granada, Nicaragua

Like Antigua, Granada suffered its share of calamities over the centuries, but in this case, they were mostly man-made. Armies repeatedly sacked and burned the lakefront city. Even so, the former capital of Nicaragua survived, and today it thrives, with an array of elegant courtyard mansions and ornate churches to rival any in the Americas. The butter-yellow cathedral faces the Parque Central, where horse-drawn carriages stand at the ready to take visitors around the city.

The compact colonial center is easy to explore on foot, however, and most major sights are within walking distance of the Parque Central. Visit the Convento y Museo San Francisco, a charming museum housing enigmatic 1,000-year-old basalt statues from nearby Zapatera Island, and the Iglesia La Merced, the bell tower which affords magnificent panoramas encompassing the cathedral, the lake and Mombacho Volcano, rising green and misty in the distance. A short walk up the Calle Real Xalteva, you’ll find the Parque Xalteva, a unique plaza dotted with lantern-topped columns and fronted by the orange-and-white confection of Iglesia de Xalteva. A little farther on, you can observe cigar-rolling at Doña Elba Cigars.

Explore Granada from Jicaro Island Ecolodge, set on an island in an archipelago near the city. From this convivial nine-casita lodge, you can also make memorable wildlife excursions into the wetlands and forests around Mombacho Volcano and kayak around the innumerable surrounding islets. After exploring Granada and the lake, Mr. Harper recommends heading about two hours south to the coast near San Juan del Sur, where you can enjoy secluded beaches, hikes in the tropical dry forest, surfing and world-class golf.

Where to Stay: Jicaro Island Ecolodge

Granada, Nicaragua – Ingeniously designed hideaway on a lush private islet in Las Isletas, a remarkable archipelago in vast Lake Nicaragua under the shadow of Mombacho Volcano.

This article is an excerpt from the July, August, September edition of the Traveler magazine,. Click here to access the full issue.