Suzy and I chose to take a ship shore excursion called "Granada & Parque Central", which was total of about 6.0 hours but four of those hours were spent driving two hours each way from the dock to Granada and back. The drive was interesting - fairly lush landscapes, but Nicaragua is poorer than our other ports of call which was reflected in the buildings and roads. The people are very nice and eager to please and are trying to encourage the tourist industry.
Our first stop was at Lake Nicaragua, a very large fresh water lake, and from its shores you can see the Mombacho volcano on the far shore.
Young boy playing
After that stop we headed to the city of Granada which has a rich colonial heritage, as can be seen in its architecture.
First stop was the San Francisco Covent in Granada which is now the City Museum.
San Francisco Convent - this is a façade only, the buildings behind do not match
Interior Museum behind the façade with paintings depicting the history of Nicaragua
Interior Courtyard of the Museum
Pre-Columbia stone statues part of the museum
Close up of one statue
Next we did a bit of a walk through the old city, looking at the old buildings, cathedrals,
Cathedral Granada - one of the most prominent buildings in the city
A worker is restoring the ceiling painting
Parque Central - town square with, the cultural hub, with local artisans
Part of Town Square Folkloric Dancing
"Old Lady Dance"
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