Colorful faux-painted 19^th century adobe homes line wide cobblestone avenues that surround a majestic cathedral and Parque Cólon. But, Granada is not like Mexico's popular colonial cities. It is truly undiscovered in Nicaragua, and totally off the beaten path. Granada, the New World's oldest city, was founded in 1524 by Francisco Fernández de Córdoba. The picturesque city overlooks Lake Nicaragua, which flows into the Río San Juan before continuing 120 miles to the Caribbean Sea. Always a trade center, the wealth in Granada made it vulnerable to pirates.

Volcán Mombacho towers 4,400 feet above its plaza. While it hasn't been active in several decades, occasional puffs of smoke still rise from its ragged rim. Below Granada, Lake Nicaragua shimmers. It's the third largest lake in Latin America, slightly smaller than Peru's Lake Titicaca.

The surrounding villages provide fun shopping for the visitor. There are ceramics, both decorative and functional pottery, hammocks, embroidery, and leather goods. Hiring a guide, the route passes a colorful palette of green, yellow, red, and purple house exteriors. Horses haul farm products, while some pull carriages filled with visitors. Horn-honking cars weave between them and the potholes on local streets.

Parque Nacional Volcán Masaya has three volcanoes, but Santiago crater is the only active one. The park has a visitor center and trails for hiking.

Mercado Artesanías is a Spanish fortress-like Gothic architecture building the size of a square-block. Located in the village of Masaya, the century old building houses an artisan market lined with hundreds of booths selling staples and tourist souvenirs.

The city of Catarina is a "frontera", it borders the village of San Juan de Oriente. Catarina, a charming colonial village, is known for its tropical plant shops. It offers great views, as far as 30 miles to Granada and Lake Nicaragua, across the blue waters of Laguna de Apoya.

Hilly cobblestone streets of San Juan de Oriente are lined with small shops. The village produces large decorative and functional pottery.

Back in Granada, the mausoleums and tombs of Grenada cemetery include those of six former Nicaraguan presidents. Similar, but smaller than Buenos Aires famous Recoleta cemetery, many visit the historic cemetery, used between 1876 and 1922, to view an 1880 neoclassical stone Capilla de Animas (Chapel of Spirits), a replica of a French chapel.

Places to Stay

Hotel Colonial,011.505.552.7581, www.nicaragua-vacation.com, $80 to $100.00. Located half a block from Parque Cólon, brightly painted stone walls with tile floors adorn this colonial-type hotel. There is a free-form pool and hot tub, both surrounded by gardens of brilliant-colored bougainvillea. Breakfast, like most Grenada hotels, is included. All rooms are not equal, you might want to check for size, windows, and avoid noise from street-side rooms.

La Gran Francia, 011.505.552.6000, www.lagranfrancia.com, $80 to $140.00. This former home of self-crowned Nicaraguan king, American William Walker, is also located near the park. Rated as one of Granada's more luxurious properties, with a charming decor of wood and tile, it has some small budget rooms.

Casa San Francisco, 011.505.552.8235, www.casasanfrancisco.com, $40 to $60. This vine-covered, mosaic-tiled restored Spanish colonial mansion has a happening bar and restaurant.

Hotel Alhambra, 011.505.552.2035, Facing the park, the Alhambra has been in operation for 50 years. It has 60 high-ceiling rooms and suites. To avoid nighttime plaza festivities, get a room not facing the square.

Where to Eat

Nicaraguan cuisine features pico de gallo, a fried mixture of red beans and rice, yucca, bananas and plantains, and fruits including mangoes, ruby red papaya, and white pineapple. It is very different from Mexican food with most entrees fried and lacking in flavor.

El Zagúan, address detrás (behind) the Cathedral 011.505.552.2522. Mariachi music wafes through the restaurant as food is prepared from an open grill in the rear of the dining room.

Casa San Francisco, Located in the hotel around the corner from San Francisco church, the restaurant features Latin-fushion cuisine.

Most visitors avoid staying in Managua choosing to drive 45 minutes directly from the airport southeast to Granada. The capital and gateway is a sprawling city of approximately two million residents. Lacking architectural and cultural interest, it is unique that an urban center of its size, with concrete paver boulevards and streets, has no street signs or addresses. A visitor is dependent on a taxi to find a destination described as a certain distance from a well known landmark.

When your flight arrives in Nicaragua or you have a few days for an extension on a trip to Costa Rica or Panama, spend a day or two in Granada. You won't regret it.

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