Is Granada just another colonial City? Almost all travellers who come to Nicaragua will end up passing through it at some point and of those we questioned the response was similar, it’s too touristy and it’s just like any other colonial city. So with pretty low expectations we left Managua and arrived at the 500 year old city of Granada.
Having low expectations is not such a bad state of affairs, for starters you can’t be disappointed and the experience can only get better. We happened to arrive during Independence Day and the atmosphere was electric. It being a national holiday, there were celebrations with bands dressed in local attire playing rhythmical drum beats creating a carnival like ambience throughout the day.
Rather than take a ride around the city in the traditional horse and cart we decided, rather unromantically but economically, to take the option to walk the main sites. The first stop was the central plaza and the fantastically colourful cathedral which has been then centrepiece of many a postcard.
Around the central plaza there are colonial buildings, shops, restaurants, crafts and arts and it’s a pleasant place to spend an evening. We enjoyed sampling the local dish of Cerdo con Yucca. Which is pork and yucca served on a banana leaf with salad and spicy sauce.
We then made a move to find La Merced Church, the church was first built 1539 and then rebuilt in 1862 has an impressive photogenic façade.
In truth we didn’t come here to see the church but arrived based on a recommendation to climb the bell tower for views of the city. For $1 you can climb the incredibly narrow and vertigo inducing steps. Once at the top don’t ring the bells!
The views were impressive in all directions with volcanoes lining the horizon.
We continued the self-guided walking tour back across the plaza and down the main tourist street. Lined with bars and restaurants and with outdoors seating on either side this road it has the feel of a Spanish tourist resort. There really is little to see here during the day but its nice place to spend the evening drinking Flor de Cana and people watching.
We headed further down the road towards the lake and a few horse and carts passed carrying carefree tourists along the road towards the lake. We reached the water and wished we hadn’t as there’s nothing too see and the heat had taken its toll. We headed back towards the main plaza turning right at another old church towards the Convent of San Francisco where we stopped across the road for a much needed lunch break.
At the side of the convent there is a small museum which is worth a quick look. Inside you will find this rather strange scene. Which apparently is a game!
We finished the day learning about chocolate at the Choco Museo and Café where we tasted quite possibly the finest chocolate ever.
Granada was actually much better than we expected, it may be touristy but after all we are tourists.
