The chicken bus Los Rivas came to a stop on the edge of the main square in Granada. Rows of white horse drawn carriages lined the western edge of the Central Park as other bus’ continued past billowing out plumes of black smoke. After a short look on google maps we confirmed that we were dropped off within walking distance of our resting place for the next few nights.

We checked into Hotel Boutique Mosaico and were pleasantly greeted by both the english speaking host as well as the quality of the hotel in general. We made short work of the hotel room as we dropped our bags and proceeded to explode our contents over any surface that can support us.

Once changed out of our still sweaty travel clothes we received direction to a restaurant to tide over our taste buds. Stepping into the classy yet casual ECO Restaurant we felt a little under dressed but once the food was served our mind quickly shifted to the superior things that lie before us.

Granada is an older colonial town founded in 1541 at the north end of Lake Nicaragua. With a population of a little over 100,000 people however, we were left baffled on where everyone was as the roads seemed empty. Like most colonial cities, as you walk the narrow streets the building walls are all joined together and encompass the entire block. The building colours shift between every pastel shade on the pallet and the wooden doors tower overhead. Once the building entryways open however they seem to reveal more of a peaceful and magical homeliness as you walk through. Polished tiled floors that open up to courtyards with fountains and foliage. It is basically an inverted home like I am used to where your yard is enclosed within your living space rather than the other way around. The central square is always the focal point of these Central American countries, sort of like the heartbeat of the city. Historic buildings line the perimeter while vendors jockey for the space within and friends and families gather to relax.

The first order of business, well second after laundry, was to arrange for a trip to the ever active Masaya Volcano. The hotel host arranged for a shuttle to pick us up and fill our afternoon with activities. For $25 US per adult, kids under six are free, we were taken through the gates by 4:00 pm and parked alongside a massive hole in the ground releasing copious amounts of gasses into the air. You can walk right up to the edge of the crater and peer down inside with nothing but a one meter high stone wall between you and molten rock. Still being daylight we took a short 25-minute walk to the top of the original and much larger crater edge. From here we had the opportunity to enjoy the sunset beyond the smoking volcano.

By now bus loads of people were starting to collect, we were definitely not the only ones with this evening plan. As the light shifted to darkness we made our way down and back to the star of the show. Here we jockeyed for position and gained the perfect vantage point to pear down into the glowing eye of the beast. The blazing red centre lit up the inner crater walls as well as the faces of innocent onlookers. It’s moments like this where I begin to wonder, is this safe or just stupid? I choose to believe it is a bit of both.

The following morning, after our included breakfast of rice, beans and eggs we were off to our next Granada experience, La Isletas. Down to the lakes edge we went where our noble pink steeds awaited. Life jackets on and girls between our knees we took to the water. The owners had somehow fibreglassed in a leg-less plastic patio chair that made it surprisingly comfortable.

The surrounding waters started off rather less than appealing but dramatically improved in quality after a few paddle strokes. At first we were guided through towering trees with birds galore. The guide could somehow spot these things like he had just placed them there himself. This area is dotted with 365 little islands and I would have had myself lost after ten minutes of circling them time and time again. We wove through the calm waters as we watched both man and birds plucking fish from the water. White egrets would sit perched in a tree then take flight as we glided in to close.

We even saw a couple monkeys relaxing in the shade, high in the branches. As we got further away the scenery shifted from rustic shacks with wooded piers to now concrete mansions and even the odd ski boat. These island appeared also to be a fan favourite of the upper elite of both locals and expats alike. One could only imagine the logistics of constructing one of these getaways.

After a short stop on Isla San Pablo to explore the fortress, and to stretch our legs, we casually made our way back to the kayak marina and returned to our hotel. This three plus hours including transportation, rentals and guide set us back only $25 US per adult which seems to me like an extremely fair value.

We finished the day with lunch down at the square and a swim in the pool before returning to the ECO again for dinner.

A third Granada excursion was back to the water once again. This time however it was at La Lagona de Apoyo. This 35 square kilometre pristine swimming hole lies a short ride out of Granada and can easily be reached by a combination of local buses and taxis or a shuttle bus service. The water is actually contained with the crater of a volcano and the water temperature hovers around a delightful 28 degrees. Being also engulfed within the crater means that there is no outsource of the water and the only inlet source is collected with rainwater that falls within the craters six and a half kilometre diameter rim. As a temporary visitor you can pay an entrance fee to one of the many lakeside resorts or lodges which traditionally grants you free use of the premises and all the amenities. We were dropped off at Laguna Beach Club and promptly located a table in the shade near the waters edge to spend our day.

After offloading our bags we proceeded to the water and plopped ourself down on a pair of kayaks. With in a few paddle strokes we were now making our way along the shore line in search of monkeys that we overheard of from the table next to us. 25 minutes later we returned without any sightings but the views of the lake and shoreline were more than satisfying. It was now time for a swim in the magical waters. Being the inside of a volcano, as one can imagine, the shore drops off rather quickly. The girls took over the floating dock and proceeded a seemingly endless pattern of jumping off and splashing about. They would only leap off the one side of the dock into the two meters of water as the other edges disappeared into the black abyss with just a few steps. The in-house restaurant served food and drinks with prices comparable to the big city.

Come our pre-arraigned 3:30 pickup time we were full, satisfied and ready to get out of the sun. This was however elongated until nearly 5:00 as the only road into and out of the lake was temporary closed due to construction. With transportation and entrance coming to $15 US per adult we were left with nothing but smiles as we completed another day within one of Nicaragua’s satisfying treasures.

Somewhere in our six days in Granada we also shifted hotels to El Caite Hostel and extended our stay for more relaxing days in the city. This place was half the price of the previous one we stayed at. It proved to be much busier as well.

Shannon would go out for runs in the morning then we all would wander new streets before taking a dip in the pool to cool off from the afternoon heat. Once the girls were asleep our evenings were spent sorting out the logistics of what to do and where to go next. Eventually we made the decision to hop on the local bus with Managua being the temporary destination. This was followed by catching the morning flight out to the Corn Islands, 70 kms off the Caribbean coast.

Click HERE to figure out how we get ourselves into these situations. As well as HERE to continue on to the Corn Islands!