Granada, Nicaragua
Viewpoints around Granada
*Pro trip! You can climb the bell tower of either church listed above for about $1. However, note that if you clime the Church of Mercy (Iglesia de Las Mercedes) you will get a great view of the well-known Granda Cathedral.
Masaya Volcano
Have you ever wanted to see volcanic lava? Well, if you visit the Masaya Volcano at night you are able to! This is obviously an active volcano, so visit at your own safety/risk.
The two easiest ways to get here are by tour bus or private car.
There are quite a few trails you can hike around so I would recommend getting there about an hour before sunset. This way you are able to hike to the other craters, get 360 views of the area, and see the red lava after dark.
Apollo Lagoon
Apollo Lagoon is a crater of a volcano that erupted thousands of years ago. You can swim, dive, or kayak here, but no motor boats are allowed. The lagoon is surrounded by a forest, allowing only a few access points.
An easy way to relax at one of the lagoon’s beaches is by visiting Paradiso Hostel. This restaurant/hostel is open to those who stay at the property, as well as day visitors who pay for access (assuming availability). An easy way to get here from Granada is by a shuttle. There is a shuttle that leaves from Hostel Oasis in Granada at 10am and leaves the Paradiso Hostel at 4pm. Round trip for this is $10 a person which is paid at Paradiso at the end of your day. This way if you buy food or drinks at Paradiso, it is all added to a tab and paid for before you head back to Granada.
In order to sign up for this shuttle, you must arrive at Hostel Oasis before 10pm and add your name to the list at the reception table (see location tagged below). This day trip could fill up and hostel guests may get first dibs. Assuming there is availability, this is a very convenient way to spend a day at the lagoon!
(The shuttle I took also stopped at Hostel De Boca en Boca, so if you are closer to this location, you could check to add your name to their list.)
Paradiso Hostel has a restaurant with a wide variety of options available. They have a few lounge locations, ping pong tables, and a beach. Leading down to the beach are tiered platforms with beach chairs. The Hostel has kayaks, tubes, and a floating raft available for use as well.
Hike Mombacho Volcano
Another good day trip from Granada is to hike the Mombaco Volcano. There are three trails available with varying levels of difficulty and length.
1. Crater Trail
~~ 1 - 1.5 hours
~~ Medium level of difficulty
~~ No guide is necessary, but if you prefer one, it costs $8 in Spanish / $12 in English (Max 1-10 people)
2. Tigrillo Trail
~~ 2.5 - 3 hours
~~ Hard level of difficulty
~~ A guide is mandatory and costs $12 in Spanish / $17 in English (Max 1-7 people)
~~ This hike offers the best of both worlds. You overlap with the Crater trail and Puma trail, you just don't continue on like you would hiking the Puma trail. It still offers multiple Crater views, a few lookouts, and a walk through the sulfuric 'dead forest'
3. Puma Trail
~~ 4 - 4.5 hours
~~ Hard level of difficulty
~~ A guide is mandatory and costs $17 in Spanish / $22 in English (Max 1-7 people)
How to get there? You can bus, taxi, or drive!
BUS: One option is to take a bus for a few miles, a tuktuk to the park entrance, and a shuttle up to the trail heads.
Here is a step by step guide of where you will go!
You will leave Granada on the bus at the intersection of Calle Nueva and Avenida Barricada. This is where the busses line up and initially depart from. You will need some small change to pay for this ride.
Make sure you are riding a bus toward Guanacaste, as this is your stop! The location you will get off the bus is pinned below.
At this point, there are plenty of taxi cars or tuktuk cars that could take you to the park entrance. If you would rather walk, it is about a 1.5km or 1 mile walk (~25 minutes). This is the location that you will pay for your entrance fee and shuttle if you choose.
The two fee options are as follows: $22 for the entrance and round trip shuttle up the volcano to the trail heads. OR $7 entrance fee and you can walk up to the trail heads. This walk is steep and estimated at 5km or 3 miles (1.5 hours) -- it is tough!!
At the time of writing this, the shuttle busses leave the entrance at 8:30, 10:00, and 13:00, and leave the trail heads at 11:30, 13:30, and 16:00. Be sure to factor this into your timing and confirm the bus times with the Biological Station.
Once you reach Estación Biológica Volcán Mombacho, you can pay for your guide (Tigrillo or Puma Trails) or begin hiking the Crater Trail. See above for that detail.
***For reference, when I did this hike we used the option above beginning with the chicken bus. We left the bus station at 7:30am, rode a tuktuk to the entrance, paid for our entry/shuttle and took the shuttle at 8:30am, hiked the Trigrillo trail with our guide, and made it back just in time for the 10:30 shuttle back down the volcano.***
Another option is to drive to the park entrance, or all the way up to the trails.
If you drive, you will have a few options.
You can park at the park entrance, pay the $7 entrance fee, and walk up to the trail heads (tough 5km hike) OR pay $22 for the shuttle (which includes the $7 entrance fee already).
If you would prefer to drive all the way to the Biological Reserve (aka the trail heads) and have a 4x4 vehicle, you will have to pay a $7 entrance fee per person, and $25/vehicle + $1/person.
Once you reach Estación Biológica Volcán Mombacho, you can pay for your guide (Tigrillo or Puma Trails) or begin hiking the Crater Trail. See above for that detail.
The third option is to take a taxi to the park entrance and shuttle/walk up to the trail heads.
A taxi to the park entrance will likely cost around $5-$10, but may vary depending on the time of day or time of year. From here, you would again have two options. You can pay the $7 entrance fee, and walk up to the trail heads (tough 5km hike) OR pay $22 for the shuttle (which includes the $7 entrance fee already).
Once you reach Estación Biológica Volcán Mombacho, you can pay for your guide (Tigrillo or Puma Trails) or begin hiking the Crater Trail. See above for that detail.
Treehouse Jungle Rave
The Treehouse Hostel is a unique place to stay, or party! Every Friday night the hostel hosts a Treehouse Rave that features two different DJs on separate balconies. In addition to dancing, there are 2 bars, face paint, a tattoo artist, and places to socialize.
Tickets for the Friday Rave go on sale the Sunday prior at 10am. This is a busy event so it may sell out! (see the link attached to the place widget above to purchase tickets)
When you buy your ticket, you also buy your round trip transportation from the Madhouse Hostel in Granada (see location below).
I really didn't know what to expect from the commute, so I will prepare you. You will ride a school bus from the Madhouse Hostel to the base of the volcano. Once the roads got narrower, we all had to get off the school bus and jump into the back of a truck, standing room only. This was the worst part of the drive. We were on this truck for 5-10 minutes, until we reached a set of stairs. The stairs were built into the hill that you walk up to get to the hostel. *This trek is not for anyone who is injured, has difficulty walking, or doesn't like crowds.
The shuttle times vary by season, so check the hostel website to confirm these. (the link is attached to the location tag above)
For September and October, the shuttle times are:
-- From Madhouse Granada to Treehouse: 4pm & 6pm
-- From Treehouse back to Granada: 1am & 3am
*Note: The benefit of the 4pm shuttle is that you commute in the daylight and could see the sunset (weather dependent) from the volcano!
Food Recommendations
Honestly, all the food that I ate in Granda was great. Below are a few recommendations!
At some point on your trip, you must try Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)!!
Thank you for reading -- Please leave feedback or a tip if this guide was helpful to you! I hope you enjoy your time in Nicaragua : )
Check out my growing collection of guides around the world!
The home for unique & authentic travel
