Enjoy one of the most popular tours in Nicaragua as we head just 45 minutes from Managua to Granada, a city enduring in its original settlement. Known as the oldest city in the Americas, it remains on the same grounds of its original foundation built in 1524 by Spanish captain Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba. Although the city was overwhelmed by pirates, destroyed during the civil wars and set on fire by American filibuster William Walker in 1856, Granada is still today one of the most beautiful cities in Nicaragua.
You’ll visit interesting places and appreciate the beautiful architecture of the city. We’ll enjoy a traditional lunch (included) before ending our trip with a boat ride to the beautiful islands of Lake Nicaragua.
Explore the highlights of Nicaragua in one day: Volcano, Lake, Culture, Colonial City, Typical Food. Begin your journey on the Masaya Volcano National Park, the first and largest national park in our country. You can go all the way to the main crater by vehicle; walking is not required. Then visit the famous Handicraft Market of Masaya where you can buy a variety of souvenirs, from hammocks, pottery, paintings, all made by Nicaraguan artisans.
From here we will travel to Granada, where you can enjoy a tour full of history by visiting first the main square, which is the heart and soul of Granada. Then we will visit the Casa de los Leones, which has the oldest Entrance of Granada and is a great cultural center; The museum and convent of San Francisco to see the pre-Columbian statues dating back more than 1000 years; The pottery museum (Mi Museo), probably the largest of Nicaragua; The Church of La Merced, where we can climb the tower, a place that has one of the best views of the city; La Calzada, a pedestrianized street, where locals and foreigners gather to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere full of bars and restaurants.
Lunch will be held at the beautiful colonial house La Gran Francia. After lunch we will drive to the “Cabaña Amarilla”, where we will embark on a Boat on the beautiful and enormous Lake Nicaragua, to enjoy a ride around the “Islets of Granada”, an archipelago formed thousands of years ago by the Mombacho Volcano. Once the tour is finalized, we will bring you back to your hotel / border.
Come join us at Hacienda El Progreso right at the bottom of the Mombacho Volcano. Our favorite place to learn and discover the origin of a Great Cup! In this coffee wonderland you will find many paths that will lead you to fun new experiences, where you will meet many of our friends, and taste the most delicious coffee in the world.
On this tour you will have the opportunity to meet the trail El Tigrillo, is a journey of 1,240 meters above which lasts 2 hours. This is a route for those who want a strong but short path leads to the 2 best viewpoints and in view of the main crater collapsed in an avalanche in 1,570. Other views of the peninsula is full with islets Asese Granada and Lake Cocibolca and the highest peak at 1,345 meters Mombacho.
The difficulty is high, but there is an exit route for those who can not complete the journey back to the station Mombacho.
The name “Pueblos Blancos” (or white towns in English) comes from the colonial times when people from this region used to paint the little adobe houses with quicklime.
Each one of them is dedicated to interesting craft making activities like hammocks, furniture, ceramic, stone carvings, leather work, ornamental plants and more. Some of these villages enjoy superb views over the blue waters of Lake Apoyo and others are famous for their delicious homemade “cajetas” or sweets. A visit to this region will definitely be a highlight of your trip.
Located beside Lake Xolotlan, Managua is the main point of entry for visitors to the country. On this tour you will live the complete experience when you visit the most interesting sights including: the Old Cathedral destroyed by the earthquake of 1972, the Presidential House, the waterfront, the Central Market where you can browse and purchase the finest Nicaraguan Handcrafts, the National Palace of Culture, Central Park, Tiscapa Hill Historical Park, the Park of Peace, Ruben Dario National Theatre, and finally the new Metropolitan Cathedral, currently the most modern cathedral of our time.
Enjoy the exciting the opportunity to explore the ruins of Old City Leon, the first capital of Nicaragua, founded in 1524 by Spanish Captain Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba. Unlike Granada which held steady, this city was forced to move to its current location in 1610. Old City Leon was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2000. Leon was the capital of Nicaragua for over 200 years until being replaced by Managua in 1851.
Leon’s Cathedral is the largest religious colonial building in Central America. The remains of the immortal and internationally known poet Ruben Dario still rest here. Enjoy a visit to the Ruben Dario Museum, the Ortiz-Gurdian Art Galley (one of the top private art galleries in Latin America) and several other important sites.
We will end our tour with a walk through the San Jacinto Volcanic Hot Springs, a place where steaming hot water and gasses bubble up through the mud from deep inside the earth. All the while, the fields afford incredible views of Nicaragua’s impressive volcanic chain.
Drive through the high hills of northern Nicaragua for a once in a lifetime experience! Enjoy awe inspiring views of the Somoto Grand Canyon, a spectacular place even words and pictures can’t fully describe. This stunning and unique gift of nature is estimated to be between 5 and 13 million years old and is one of Central America’s most well-known geological wonders.
Arriving to the Canyon you will enjoy a short walk followed by a boat ride through the canyon during which you’re welcome to hop in the water for a refreshing dip. Continuing down the river, arriving at the quaint town of Somoto, a well-known locale famous for its rosquillas (traditional Nicaraguan cookies). Lunch will be served in a local restaurant before returning to Managua or Granada.
Just twenty minutes from Managua or Granada this tour invites you to experience to admire the majestic and imposing crater of the Masaya Volcano, 635 meters above sea level. The crater is reachable directly by car. You’ll enjoy a magnificent view of this enormous crater, considered one of the most active in Nicaragua. In the park, you’ll visit the Interpretation Centre where you’ll learn about volcanic activity in Nicaragua.
After having spent some time admiring this incredible national park, we´ll continue on to the town of Masaya, the Nicaraguan capital of folklore and handicrafts, also the richest source of handicrafts in all of Central America. The artisans of Masaya are internationally known for their famous handmade hammocks. Beautiful woodwork, sculpted masks, clay ceramics and handmade embroidered blouses can all be found here. In Masaya, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from an incredible number of unique local souvenirs to take home to your family and friends.
Enjoy the views of the Mombacho Volcano and its valley from the point of view of a bird through the Canopy tour. Be prepared to climb and swinging through the trees. The canopy tour offers an unforgettable experience sliding down from tree to tree through seventeen platforms and built safely, overlooking the coffee plantations bridges.
All participants are accompanied at all times by an instructor with extensive experience and all the necessary high quality equipment, including helmets, gloves and pulleys. The canopy is a safe and fun adventure for the whole family.