Granada is the oldest colonial city in Nicaragua and the entire Western Hemisphere, it is also the all-time-rival of León. It is located on the upper side of the Lago Cocibolca. Its coloured colonial buildings, the interesting history and its relative safety make it more and more important for tourism. Granada is known to be one of the most beautiful cities of Latin America for its rich colonial heritage, seen in its architecture and layout. Granada is commonly nicknamed the "Gran Sultana del Gran Lago" - the Great Sultan of the Great Lake.

Tourist Offices
The Intur office is located just south of Iglesia San Francisco.

Around and closeby
Take a boat tour around the thousands of islets in the Cocibolca Lake, or discover local farming and the area around the Mombacho Volcano on horseback.

Sightseeing
There are six main churches which you can visit, the Cathedral, La Merced, Guadalupe, Xalteva, San Francisco and María Auxiliadora, which all have interesting historical backgrounds and are in very different states. The Central Park, with the Cathedral and the colonial houses surrounding it, is the lively centre of town. There are lots of stalls where you can buy snacks, drinks and souvenirs, or you can just relax and watch the world go by.

Getting there
There is a small airport a few miles from Granada on the highway to Masaya. The airport is served only by Nature Air, which offers flights from San José and Liberia, Costa Rica. It's less expensive to land in Managua and from there make your way by bus (every half hour from Mercado Huembes or the La UCA station) or taxi. Alternatively, flying into San José, Costa Rica's capital, can be a cheaper option. From there, bus connections to Granada and rental cars are available. You can also take the boat from San Carlos, on the Caribbean Coast, going up the Rio San Juan and finally getting in the Lago Cocibolca which borders Granada.

Getting around
In Granada everything is comfortably reachable by foot. Buses go just about everywhere at all times, you see them and if you look like you want to go somewhere, they'll be sure to load you onto their bus. Another option are the mini buses which have a bit more of a set time and you can book in advance, they're more comfortable but cost a bit more. Horse-carts are something else, ancient and useful and found everywhere but often the horses are so worn out that you should seriously ask yourself if you want to contribute to their suffering.