Chilling out colonial style

Our first view of Granada's main square. I've never seen so many horse drawn carriages in my life.
see all photos »

Pete and I rolled into Nicaragua's most famous tourist spot late on a cloudy afternoon.  Granada is a formal capital city that still has many of its classic buildings (if not the prestige of being a capital).  It's full of tiled roof houses with courtyards, churches, and gringos.  But even though there were so many tourists, it didn't feel annoying.

Our first day in the city we spent most of the time wandering around and checking out the various attractions.  Granada doesn't have world class museums or architecture, but the city as a whole has a very laid back vibe.  And, fortunately, it's pretty easy on the eyes.  Red tile, bright facades, and big plazas are everywhere.  And it works.

From the inside of the plaza.
see all photos »

Day 2 was out at el Lago Apoyo, a thermal lake up in a crater of an old volcano.  It was gorgeous, and very chill. After swimming around, kyaking, and hanging out with a group of US college students who also came up to the lake, we ended up back in Granada at a Mexican restaurant with 2 for 1 Margaritas.

It was on what we nicknamed gringo alley: a long stretch of restaurants, hotels, and shops that paradoxically is full of gringos and not nearly as annoying as you'd imagine.  Every night there were tons of locals putting on shows (the breakdancing was really good) and looking for tips.  The little boys who just leaned on your table and demanded money were annoying, but it was otherwise a great place to people watch.

The entrance to gringo alley. Those colors really made the city.
see all photos »

And that was it--Granada is just a couple day city.  It's not a "I could spend a couple weeks here" kinda place.  Check the pictures.  Next stop: Esteli.  A rural town in the mountains that's more about the people than the sights.