Granada, Nicaragua
March 19-25, 2012
Granada is located along the edge of Lake Nicaragua and it's historically, one of Nicaragua's most important cities both economically and politically. It was founded in 1524 and has a rich colonial heritage seen in its architecture and structure. With all its brightly painted buildings its like a rainbow sorbet. Since there's a international presence here, the larger variety of restaurant options is a big bonus for us since we've been feeling some cravings for different foods; goodbye rice and beans!
Our Accommodations - Hospedaje Ruiz
There are a lot of good places to stay here so there's never any shortage of options. Based on a recommendation, we found a nice little guesthouse called Hospedaje Ruiz located along the main tourist street in Granada making its location ideal. It was a simple hotel with a friendly owner but certainly did the trick.
Spa Day at Hotel Granada
We couldn't resist getting a massage at the Hotel Granada which included the use of the pool area. The treatments were great and the hotel would be a lovely place to stay. We highly enjoyed sitting by the pool, reading our books and going for a swim. Oddly, there were three ducks that have made their home in the swimming pool and were quite aggressive if you tried to swim in their 'turf"!
Laguna de Apoya - The Village of Catarina
We started our day with a trip to a famous market in nearby Masaya but it wasn't a surprise that the market was like many we have already seen with hundreds of tables all selling exactly same things! Within minutes, we opted to leave and jumped on a bus heading to the small village of Catarina which is part of the "Pueblos Blancos" tourist circuit, a group of small villages just north of Granada. Catarina is known for its beautiful lookout point (called a Mirador) that provides views of Laguna de Apoyo which is a lake inside the crater of an extinct volcano and behind that, a view of Granada, and a hazy view of the far Lake Nicaragua.
Photo's of Granada