Three Days in Granada

When I went on this trip to Granada, I remembered the advice of a fellow traveler I met during my first visit here in December 2006. He absolutely raved about La Siesta and its owners so, when I returned to Granada in March 2007, I figured I'd give it a try.

I sent an email to La Siesta to get some general info, and was immediately impressed with the way Boris, the owner, responded the same day with a very friendly and helpful reply. Some other places took days to even acknowledge my email). Boris not only took my reservation without any deposit, but he also offered to provide transportation from the bus station. When he told me the rooms were $12/night, I knew I had to check this place out!

When I arrived, I was pleasantly greeted by Kattia, an employee who showed me to my room and immediately offered me a cool refreshment that she made in the kitchen. On my nightstand was a note from Boris welcoming me to Granada and letting me know that he and his wife, Marcela, would return the following day. When I asked Kattia about payment for my room, she told me I could take care of that the next day. This warm and relaxed attitude beautifully sums up my stay at the La Siesta.

The place is cozy - only five rooms - so it feels like you are a guest in Boris and Marcela's home rather than simply one of many paying customers. The house is conveniently located only minutes away from the bustling "downtown" of Granada, but far enough away for a quiet night's sleep. My room had a very comfortable full-size bed, a large fan (not one of those tiny/ineffective ones!), and a closet much larger than I needed. I didn't have a private bathroom, but I never had any problems with waiting. In addition to bedsheets (no blankets are needed in Granada!), I was provided with a towel and a bar of soap. Every morning, someone offered me coffee or tea, and on my final morning I indulged myself with their lovely crepes francesas served with bananas, honey and carambola jelly, all for only 40 cordobas (approx. $2.25 USD) - YUM!

La Siesta felt very safe, the front gate is locked at all times, and there is a "no visitors" policy, meaning only paying guests are permitted inside. There is an open courtyard with a couple of tables and chairs, a living room with a television, and a kitchen that is open for guests to use for only a few cordobas per day. Some other services: they will do your laundry for about 40 cordobas; they'll refill your water bottle from theirs for a lot less than you would pay in a local store; they offer French and Spanish lessons (both Boris and Marcela are native speakers); and they offer free tourism advice.

Next time I'm in Granada, I'll be staying at La Siesta!

Looking for some coffee, ice cream, or a light meal? The Euro Cafe is located in the northwest corner of the Parque Central, and is a perfect spot to recharge as you explore sunny (and hot!) Granada. I've been there a few times, and love their cold coffee drinks. Caffeine and ice go great together when you are tired and sweaty! They also have some tasty panini sandwiches, and a very friendly staff.

If you're in Granada, and want to get out on the water—it is right on a lake, after all—consider a two-and-a-half hour tour of the Isletas de Granada, 365 tiny islands formed when Volcan Mombacho blew most of its top into the air thousands of years ago, some of which landed in Lago Cocibolca (also called Lago Nicaragua. I signed up with Tierra Tours, a well-known tour service located a few blocks east of the Parque Central. Although I was traveling solo, I was able to latch on to a group of elderly ladies from Quebec and a couple from the States, thereby bringing the total cost down to only $10 (for groups of 6 or more). The tour guide, Roberto, a very friendly and jovial man, met us at the Tierra Tours office and took us by van to the docks, where we hopped on an open-air boat that had a canopy for shade. We took a tour among a few dozen islands that were relatively close to shore, learning about their history, seeing the diversity of houses built on many of the isletas (ranging from small cottages to mini-mansions), and seeing local fishermen bring in their catches. The tour included a 30-minute stop at an isleta with a small bar, where we had our choice of a free refreshment, or a beer (for a whopping 3 cordobas, or about $0.16!). By the way, Tierra Tours operates a number of other tours in the Granada area, and I'd definitely go with them the next time I visit Granada.

I loved Granada, but by the third day I needed a break from the crowds of the city. Fortunately, there is an active volcano less than an hour away! There are multiple outfits that have a "Volcan Masaya" tour package. The prices from Granada were $20-25 USD, which included transportation, a guide, and a stop in the market area of Masaya. But, if you are feeling a bit more adventurous, prefer a more open schedule, and enjoy a lot of walking, you can do all of that on your own for about $7, and I guarantee the experience will be all the richer for it! I caught an Express Bus to Managua from the station just south of the Central Park. The bus costs 18 cordobas ($1), and takes about 35 minutes to get to the Park. After being dropped off at the Park Entrance, I walked up to the gate and paid the entrance fee of 70 cordobas (~$4). This is where the walking begins! The Park Visitor's Center is a comfortable 1.5 km (~1 mile) walk from the Gate. Once there, check out the five different educational rooms to learn about the science of volcanoes (plate tectonics, magma, etc.), the area’s biodiversity, the cultural history from pre-Columbian peoples to the present, and more. From here, you can take a shuttle ride up to the crater, or you can walk. If you're in decent shape, I'd recommend the latter, but definitely bring a couple bottles of water. It is only 4 km (2.4 miles) each way, but on a sunny day you're going to feel it! The walk takes some time, but along the way you can see things you'd miss from a car or shuttle. I stopped in awe of the extensive fields of jagged lava from an eruption in the 1700s, took photos of various plants that have colonized the area since the last eruption, heard and saw many birds, and a large iguana that ran off much faster than I thought possible! Once you arrive at the top, you can walk right up to the Santiago Crater (the one that is currently active) and peer down into an enormous hole into the earth. The day I visited, it was spewing forth an impressive exhalation of gases and steam. Not only would I occasionally get a whiff of the gases, but I could actually hear the rumbling from below! It’s easy to imagine why the pre-Columbian peoples believed that the eruptions were signs of anger from the gods. To appease them, they would offer sacrifices that sometimes included small children and maidens. Later, the Spanish Conquistitors placed a large, wooden cross on the crater lip in an attempt to exorcise the Devil from "La Boca del Infierno", or Mouth of Hell, and it's still there! While up there, I also did the short hike up to the inactive Masaya crater to see the revegetation that has taken place over the past few hundred years.