GRANADA, NICARAGUA

                                                                                                                                                                                    Despite many minor and a few major setbacks in Nicaragua over the last 450 years-- such as the erupting volcanoes, pillaging pirates and blazing fires. Granada is a must do for anyone wanting to visit Nicaragua. It is also only a two hour car drive to the Nicaraguan/ Costa Rican border crossing, so for visiting travelers in Costa Rica, who want to see another Central American culture,, this is the easiest place to get to from the northwest region of Costa Rica. The port city of Granada is very attractive & it shines, offering visiting tourists much to see and do in the region.

                    

Granada is as colonial a city as you will find in Central America. It is without the large crowds of tourist areas, that tend to take away from an area's authenticity. Full of architectural and historical splendor-- Granada provides a window into the past, which one can experience just by strolling through the peaceful parks or along the narrow cobblestone streets. But don’t confine yourself only to the city limits, there is a lot to see and do in the area,

Situated on the northwestern shore of the impressive Lake Nicaragua (or Cocibolca in the old indigenous language) and flanked on its southern side by the cloud-covered peak of the Mombacho volcano, Granada is also a great place from which to make various excursions, such as island hopping or volcano climbing!  

                                                                                                                                       LAKE NICARAGUA                                                                                                        Covering over 8,000 square kilometers, Lake Nicaragua is the 10th largest freshwater lake in the world, and by far the largest in Central America. Its natural history is fascinating and its natural beauty is totally breathtaking.

Lake Nicaragua is believed to have once been part of the Pacific Ocean, and it is theorized to have been subsequently cut off from the ocean, by massive volcanic eruptions. This is possibly why so many unusual aquatic exist. Including Guapote, Saw Fish & Freshwater Sharks- that do inhabit Lake Nicaragua, offering evidence to substantiate this theory.

As to the presence of sharks in the lake (which, unfortunately, have been seriously depleted over the years due to over-fishing), others suggest that these species swam up the Río San Juan from the Caribbean, acclimated to their new environment, and then stayed.

In any event, fisher-people from all over the globe come to Lake Nicaragua to enjoy the fine fishing. In fact, the lake is host to Central America’s largest fishing contest. With its lush shorelines and numerous islands, the lake also supports a wide variety of birds and other wildlife.

Lake Nicaragua is a tourist destination in its own right, and it’s darn fun (and easy) to see Lake Nicaragua up close. Head over to Port Asese, a quick, cheap taxi ride or just a hot and sweaty walk from the port city, Granada. In Granada-- colorful motor boats and competent, knowledgeable local boat captains will be waiting gladly, to show you around the lake, and for a very affordable price.