Granada Walking Tour

In spite of being repeatedly sacked and set alight over the centuries, Granada retains its colorful colonial charms. Its compact center, laid out in an approximate grid, invites exploration on foot. Some guidebooks include both the scruffy lakefront and the Fortaleza La Polvora in one walking tour — a ridiculous amount of ground to cover, particularly since the fortaleza (fortress) proves to be even less dazzling than the lakefront. I suggest a more sensible itinerary, covering my favorite sights in the old heart of the city.

Cathedral

This attractive butter-yellow church dominates the lively Parque Central, where locals relax in the shade, and horse carriages await passengers. Walk around the left side of the cathedral down Calle La Calzada. Sidewalk cafés jostle for space on this semi-pedestrianized street, and transform into bars and clubs in the evening. At the intersection of Av. Saavedra, the first corner on the left, stop in Olé, a friendly boutique with a small but high-quality collection of local jewelry, women’s clothes, baskets, ceramics, textiles and other potential souvenirs.

Convento y Museo San Francisco

Continue two blocks up Av. Saavedra to the Convento y Museo San Francisco, what would be the oldest church in the region had the original not been burned down by the American adventurer William Walker. The convent now houses a charming museum; the highlights are the large 1,000-year-old basalt statues found on nearby Zapatera Island, all labeled with brief English descriptions.

Plaza de la Independencia

Descend the stairs of the convent, turn left and walk back to the corner of Saavedra and Calle El Arsenal. Kathy’s Waffle House, a casual café on the corner, has fine views of the convent should you need refreshment at this point. If not, turn right on El Arsenal and walk one block to the Plaza de la Independencia, a quiet square lined with beautiful white-columned arcades. On the east side, the Casa de los Leones served as Walker’s home (until he burned it down). Continuing along Calle El Arsenal, you reach Calle Atravesada and Mi Museo. As delightful as the ceramics collection inside the museum may be, I advise skipping it and pausing instead for a drink at the ChocoMuseo, just to the right of Mi Museo. In its leafy courtyard, we happily sipped icy-cool pinolillos, sweet corn-based drinks infused with cacao powder.

Iglesia La Merced

Make a right out of the ChocoMuseo, and take the next right onto Calle La Libertad. A block down on the left, you’ll see an odd stone in the corner of the building on Calle 14 de Septiembre. This curiosity is La Piedra Bocona, an ornamental stone of unknown origin. According to local legend, it has the power to grant wishes. Turn left there and continue two blocks down Calle 14 de Septiembre to the Iglesia La Merced, another 16th-century church that has been burned and rebuilt a number of times. After passing through the neoclassical interior, it’s worth the small fee to climb the bell tower. The ascent isn’t long, but be advised that the spiral staircase is quite narrow. From the tower, a 360-degree panorama of the city spreads around you, the cathedral poking its dome above the lake, and Mombacho Volcano rising green and misty in the distance

Parque Xalteva

Turn right out of La Merced and make another right down Calle Real Xalteva. On the right-hand side, on the corner of Av. Barricada, stop in Galeria Ubago to browse its extensive collection of colorful ceramics and local paintings. Two blocks down, 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.

Cigars, Lunch and Rum

Smokers with energy to spare should continue a half- block to Doña Elba Cigars (on the left) to observe the cigar-rolling process. Others can backtrack four blocks to the Parque Central and the cathedral. Walk two blocks down Calle La Calzada to the Hotel Dario for lunch (the two tables in the flowery courtyard are most desirable). We enjoyed our (slightly overcooked) Corn Islands lobster tails basted in a savory coconut sauce. Across the street, the grocery has a good selection of well-priced Flor de Caña rums, should you wish to bring one home as a souvenir.

Sunset and Dinner

Return to the façade of the cathedral about 30 minutes before sunset, and head inside Nuestro Mundo, the bar/ restaurant to your right. The balcony tables offer a superb view of the cathedral. We had a fine time sipping glasses of Sauvignon Blanc and watching the play of light on the church, its golden exterior glowing in the dusk. For dinner, everyone you meet will recommend El Zaguan, and I will, too. At this grill directly behind the cathedral, patronized by well-dressed locals and flip-flopped tourists, I savored the rich and tender Nicaraguita (beef tenderloin accompanied by plantains and beans) paired with a remarkably drinkable glass of house red wine served at proper cellar temperature. (Reservations recommended.)

Where to Stay

As much as we enjoyed our time in Granada, none of the hotels in the city met my standards. The best available option is the friendly Hotel Plaza Colon, which boasts an ideal location on the Parque Central overlooking the cathedral (#203-#205 have the best views). This converted mansion has an attractive courtyard and one of the most helpful bellmen I’ve ever met, but service issues and some fraying edges need to be addressed. Better to explore the city from Jicaro Island Ecolodge instead (See “Nicaragua Eco-Lodges”).