Go to Granada, Nicaragua for the Views. Stay for the Desayuno
Sometimes the decision to visit a place stems from reading a great Condé Nast Traveler article or from a long-grown association with how we imagine the culture to be. The reason we selected Nicaragua (the southwestern part of the country to be exact) was much simpler: the recommendation of a friend who spoke so highly of her trip we were convinced that we needed to see this country as well.
That, and the fact that after our trip to Cartagena we were further interested in experiencing the places in Central and South America which, until recent years, were not particularly hot travel destinations. In Nicaragua, our experiences ran the gamut: several volcanoes, tropical hotels, a tree house, howler monkeys, unlikely friends, and some of the most intensely attractive bodies of water we had ever seen. Joe and I began our trip in the colonial town of Granada, about an hour's drive southeast of Managua's international airport.
To Stay: Tribal Hotel
A clear standout from our trip to Nicaragua was the desayuno. Generally, we felt the food didn't quite compare to that of Colombia (and was surprisingly more expensive) but the breakfast was beyond belief. Most particularly at the Tribal Hotel in Granada. The first day of our stay I picked up the Spanish word pitaya for our hot pink, fresh dragon fruit juice. The second day I learned sandia for the refreshing watermelon juice that accompanied our breakfast of eggs and sausage. Each morning we were served a multi-course breakfast on our private terrace: just-squeezed juices, nonstop french press Nicaraguan coffee, fresh fruit like local white pineapple, eggs many ways, toast and meats.
This gorgeous lodging was recommended to me by a friend and although Joe and I work to minimize the travel budget especially when visiting countries that are low cost friendly, I was happy to shell out a bit more (135 USD per night) for this plant-filled, boho chic slice of paradise. The location in Granada is just off the beaten path in a residential area; I'm always hyper aware of safety concerns but even in the dark we had no issues. The staff at Tribal was beyond helpful with recommendations, setting up activities and local knowledge. When we arrived it was late in the evening on a Saturday night and the staff directed us to where we could watch the famed Mayweather vs. McGregor fight by joining a street full of outdoor cafes, enjoying a local Toña cerveza and watching on one of the many outdoor TVs. It was not lost on us that friends in the US were paying upwards of $100 to watch a sporting event that was free to watch with Nicaraguan cable. What an introduction to a new country, joining the local crowd to enjoy the border-transcending medium of sports.
The dipping pool at the Tribal is a luxury in itself. The August heat of Nicaragua made a mid-day respite quite important for my Scandinavian blood. Being that the hotel has only six guest rooms it wasn't difficult to commandeer one of the two plush, white-curtained beds by the pool and enter a state of relaxation. Fellow New Yorkers may also be impressed to know that Tribal is affiliated with NYC hot spots Indochine, Acme & Tijuana Picnic. The rustic-cool aesthetic rings throughout these establishments: well curated and a bit scene-y.
To Do: Wander the Colonial City
The town of Granada is relatively small but a day exploring the many colorful streets by foot is well spent. As opposed to San Juan or Cartagena, the paint on a lot of these building walls is peeling and the city has clearly maintained years of wear without a tremendous amount of upkeep. There was so much complexity in the way the once vibrant colors were fading to grainy white, revealing with each lost layer the complicated political history of the place.
The Parque Central has outdoor eateries with local comidas and stalls selling Nicaraguan-themed wares. Being brave and wooed by the advertisements for the ChocoMuseo, the world of Nicaraguan chocolate history and spa treatments, we walked a few blocks past the park for chocolate massages. I hesitate to mention this activity because, for the most part, it is not one I would recommend. The word "massage" indicates bliss and relaxation of which this was really neither. In our separate cabanas, we undressed and were promptly slathered in liquid chocolate and coarse sugar. We were then set to wait for it to sink in, laying still and uncomfortable. In the end, this felt like a touristic activity that sounds interesting in theory but in practice was not much more than a reason to take a long shower.
The city of Granada is propped right up on the shore of the Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. Approaching the water line from our day of walking the town felt like coming upon the ocean. It took reminding that we were not actually by the sea. Further complicating the new landscape was the group of cows grazing casually in a grassy spot next to the lake. This would be the first of many wild animal run-ins we had on this trip. Afterward walking by the lake, we stopped by a little cafe with hippy vibes, Café de los Suenos, for a fresh fruit smoothie to cool down.
To Do: Climb to The Top of Iglesia La Merced
Granada provides many great opportunities to see incredible views. One of these is the Iglesia La Merced, a church from the 16th century with a stunning, crumbling facade. The key is to climb the steep stairs to the bell tower just before sunset. It's a small space and there were a few other people also waiting around for the sunset. While visitors are specifically asked not to ring the bells, a church staffer came upstairs periodically to grab hold of both bell ropes, lurch all of his body weight into the task, and chime the bells. We could clearly see Volcán Mombacho from here, as well as the hundreds of terracotta tops of the low city buildings. This 360 view of Granada shouldn't be missed.
To Do: Hike Volcán Mombacho
While the Iglesia La Merced may be the best view in the city of Granada, the Mombacho Volcano was the best view of the city. We organized private transport and a tour guide through the Tribal Hotel - this made the day run smoothly as we were taken up the volcano in a truck by ourselves as opposed to having to wait for the scheduled rides. There are several trails you can take and we selected the easiest one, made extremely interesting by our guide's insight to the native plants and animals all around us. We actually caught a glimpse of our first howler monkey (named for the screeching sound they make) on the ride up!
The important (and mystical) term we learned on this day trip was cloud forest. Sounds a bit like the clouds go floating by with leafy vines hanging off the edges. Instead, this means that the four massive craters that exist on this volcano are not brown and made of clay or dirt as one might suspect from a volcano - they are filled to the brim with plant life and local animals like frogs and monkeys. During our time in Nicaragua we actually hiked the only two of Nicaragua's 19 volcanoes that have cloud forests: Mombacho & Maderas on the Isla Ometepe.
Our guide took us on a walk around the perimeter of the crater and pointed out a spot near the ground where steam was actually being emitted - he called it a natural steam room. The highlight of our hike was the absolutely jaw dropping viewpoint. Being among the clouds feels normal when flying in a plane but standing on the edge of this volcano with the clouds drifting past at your height level was a bit of an out of body experience. We could see the vast landscape, out past the city of Granada, Lake Nicaragua with its 365 islets, and the Laguna de Apoyo.
On the way down we stopped for a quick tasting of local coffee and within a minute of stopping, our guide had plucked a red eyed tree frog out of a tree and onto his hand. These are somewhat poisonous, nocturnal amphibians and the slow, slimy steps the frog took with his long legs on our guide's arm almost looked as if it was movement created with CGI.
A note on volcanoes in Nicaragua: they are omnipresent. On our travels from town to town I was surprised by the consistent addition of an enormous volcano to the scenery. We got up close with 3 of them but with so much to learn about the ecosystems and history, one could build an entire trip out of experiencing just volcanoes.
Next stop: Laguna de Apoyo