Granada is Nicaragua’s emblematic city– a picture-perfect colonial gem that lies just south of Managua on the country’s main tourist circuit.

The city’s photogenic, cobbled streets amble between rows of brightly colored houses and are perfectly framed by a mountainous backdrop. Granada is widely recognized as one of the oldest European settlements in the Americas and, like most European cities, centers around a square, a church and a vibrant pedestrian promenade.

With the rise of tourism in Nicaragua, Granada has drawn a steady stream of visitors and expats to its well-preserved architecture and proximity to lakes, beaches and volcanoes. As a result, the town’s designation as a tourist magnet has ensured that the streets are neatly manicured, the paint freshly applied and the cobbled streets free of rubbish and debris.

We visited Granada and its surroundings at the end of our two week trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua and explored the picturesque town for two days–perusing art galleries, photographing colonial churches and taking in the vibrant colors of the freshly painted buildings.

However, peeling back the fresh layers of paint and looking behind the town’s charming facade, reveals a very different Nicaragua. A Nicaragua that is still trying to recover economically from many years of violence. One does not have to go far to witness widespread suffering in the country.

Along the streets and on park benches, homeless Nicaraguans attempt to eke out a living by peddling for change. and, while eating dinner at one of Calle La Calzada’s outdoor cafes can be overwhelmingly reminiscent of dining in Europe, the constant flow of beggars and street vendors serves as a reminder that, despite its appearance, Granada is still situated in one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Calle La Calzada is the hub of tourist activity in the city and the street stretches from the town’s central park to the shore of Lake Nicaragua. It is chock a block full of hotels, tour operators and restaurants that cater to travelers and expats. The restaurants have elevated prices that most locals could only dream of affording.

And therein lies my internal conflict with Granada for, though I thoroughly enjoyed the city and would return to its picturesque streets in a heartbeat, the juxtaposition of rich and poor is impossible to ignore and difficult to swallow.

It is unfortunately a pattern that I have come to see time and time again in the developing world.

With Granada as our home base, we spent the next day exploring the area outside the city. From Granada, countless tour operators advertise day trips to the surrounding islands, lakes and mountains. Instead of taking an organized tour, however, we decided to reach the Masaya Volcano by taking a series of local chicken buses.

The Masaya Volcano sits just outside the limits of Masaya city–home to Nicaragua’s largest market. The market is enormous and we could have spent the whole day navigating its different sections, from the fruit stands to the piles of secondhand clothes and from the street food kiosks to the stalls of dripping meat.

Yet our main objective in visiting Masaya was to climb to the top of the active Volcano outside the city.

The Masaya Volcano was designated a national park in 1979 and contains two volcanoes and five craters.  Today, visitors can enjoy a series of trails that lead around the various calderas. The largest of the calderas is the Santiago crater, which spews large amounts of sulfur dioxide into the air.

Because of its emission of noxious gasses and the red hue that can at times be seen when visiting the volcano at night, Spanish invaders during the 16th century nicknamed the volcano the “Gates to Hell” and attempted to exorcise its demons by erecting a large cross on its rim. The cross, known as La Cruz de Bobadilla, attempts to warn people of the “Gates to Hell” below.

Due to the spewing sulfur, tourists are discouraged from spending too much time on the lip of the volcano. So, after a few minutes of peering down into the smoky abyss, we ventured around the rim of some of the dormant craters for sweeping views of the mountainous landscape and vast Lake Nicaragua.

The views were breathtaking.

On our way back to Granada for our last night in Central America, we stopped by the town of Catarina for a quick glimpse at the blue waters of the scenic Laguna de Apoyo.

Many travelers recommended we spend a full day at the laguna and swim in its sapphire waters. And I’m sure that a day at the lake would have been a wonderful addition to our itinerary.

Yet, after two weeks on the road, it was time to wrap up our foray into Central America and return to work.

Our trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua brought us face to face with beautiful beaches, impressive geology, historic cities and abundant wildlife. It highlighted the diversity and contrasts inherent in the region–its wealth its poverty, its present peace and its violent history.

The trip also rounded off my visit to all of the countries in Central America, though the area is so varied and diverse that there are still many places I have yet to see.

So, while I can now superficially say I have been able to check the countries in Central America off my list, I know that my travels in the region are far from finished.

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Note: For more information on backpacking in Nicaragua, check out Will’s Nicaragua travel guide.

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OMETEPE NICARAGUA: THINGS TO SEE AND DO

• OJO DE AGUA

WHERE TO STAY ON OMETEPE ISLAND

There are plenty of lovely places to stay on Isla de Ometepe. The island is a popular destination when backpacking Nicaragua due to its affordable prices and attractive offerings. Most of the island’s accommodations are quite inexpensive by international standards.

On the budget end of the spectrum, El Bamboo Cabins boasts unique accommodation on the shores of the lake. Guests rave about its waterside location, its friendly hosts, and its clean yet basic rooms.

If you’re okay splurging, the lovely Villa Ometepe caters to those seeking higher end accommodation. The three bedroom home has hammocks, a soaking pool, a kitchenette, and lovely island views from its terrace.

ISLA DE OMETEPE FERRY

There are two ports on Ometepe: Moyogalpa and San Juan. Both are serviced by boats, though the vast majority of the ferries and boats arrive in Moyogalpa, the island’s main town.

Ferries and lanchas make the trip between San Jorge and Ometepe Island. It takes between 45 minutes (lanchas) and an hour (ferries) to complete the one-way journey.

Departures are frequent and don’t require advanced reservations.You can check the up-to-date timetables at ometepenicaragua.com.

The post Things to See on Ometepe Island, Nicaragua appeared first on Erika's Travels .

Once a sleepy fishing village on the Pacific Ocean, San Juan del Sur has become a popular surfing mecca for young backpackers.

San Juan del Sur’s colorful clapboard houses line an expansive crescent of silvery sand. They sit in the shadow of rolling mountains, under the watchful gaze of the world’s second tallest Jesus statue.

In recent years, backpackers and surfers have changed the face of San Juan del Sur. The popular tourist destination houses an eclectic mix of locals and bleached-blonde surfers. Fancy fish restaurants line the city’s beach. Its streets abound with surf rental shops and stores selling swimwear.

A quick visit to the beachside town made it immediately apparent that Nicaragua is no longer off the beaten tourist trail. Young travelers from around the world have caught on to the country’s low prices and abundant outdoor activities and are flocking to colorful San Juan del Sur for the opportunity to catch the perfect wave.

NICARAGUA’S COLORFUL SURF TOWN

Nicaragua is no stranger to colorful towns. After all, its tourist hub is Granada—a small city famed for its brightly painted colonial buildings.

The colorful streets of San Juan del Sur are certainly eye-catching, but they are not the reason that backpackers have begun flocking to the area in waves. The combination of beach-lounging, surfing, and partying has led San Juan del Sur to become one of Nicaragua’s premier tourist hangouts.

Playa Hermosa is famous for its long expanse of sand and its perfect surfing waves. The beach lies about half an hour away from San Juan del Sur. To reach Playa Hermosa, we had to travel roughly twenty minutes down a dirt road, away from the heavily trafficked main thoroughfare.

We found Playa Hermosa to be relatively deserted and perfectly peaceful.

The area around Playa Hermosa is completely undeveloped. There are no towering resorts or luxury beachfront properties. The lack of large hotels and resorts in San Juan del Sur made the beach all the more appealing. Yet, considering the volume of tourists we had seen in San Juan del Sur, we agreed that it would only be a matter of time before developers tapped into the prime real estate.

We agreed that Playa Hermosa beach should be enjoyed while the seclusion lasts.

Our shuttle from Playa Hermosa to San Juan del Sur was scheduled to leave at 6pm–giving us just enough time to enjoy the sunset before heading back to town. We swung in our hammocks, sipped on our fruity drinks and watched the sky slowly illuminate into a palette of yellows and oranges.

 

OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLES IN SAN JUAN DEL SUR

The beaches near San Juan del Sur—including Playa Hermosa—are nesting grounds for Olive Ridley Turtles. Each year, between the months of July and December, the tiny turtles nest on the vast windswept beaches of southern Nicaragua.

Initially, we had considered joining a tour that would bring us to La Flor Nature Reserve near San Juan del Sur. In the end, however, but opted against it since we were afraid we had arrived after the prime viewing season.

As luck would have it, however, we didn’t need a tour to see the baby Olive Ridley turtles.

As the colors of the sky began to intensify, I saw a crowd of people gather at the water’s edge. I ignored the crowd at first, thinking that they had likely gathered together to take pictures of the vermillion sky.

Yet, when the crowd began to grow larger and seemingly unrelated people joined in the mix, my curiosity got the best of me.

So, I moved toward the crowd and then saw it–a baby turtle–scampering across the sand and into the sea!

The beaches around San Juan del Sur are nesting grounds for Olive Ridley turtles. The Olive Ridleys are the world’s smallest sea turtles–reaching a mere 60-70 centimeters in their adulthood. Olive Ridley turtles are known for their synchronized nesting called arribadas that occur once a year. During the arribadas, sea turtles populate beaches in the thousands and nearly blanket the sand in what is described as a spectacular sight.

We had decided to forego a tour to the famous nesting beach near San Juan del Sur at the advice of our hostel staff, since the nesting season had reached its end and most of the turtles had already left the beaches.

Thus, I could not believe my luck when we stumbled upon a baby Olive Ridley attempting to make its way out to sea for the first time.

I took out my camera and snapped a few pictures.

A few minutes later, another baby turtle came out of the woodwork and waddled out to sea. Its brothers and sisters followed soon after.

Within minutes, we were witnessing the journey of dozens of baby turtles as they braced themselves for their first foray into the ocean.

I thought about when I went to Sur, Oman in 2011 and was fortunate enough to have witnessed giant turtles nesting at night. And about what our guide had told us when he answered our questions about the baby turtles’ chances of surviving.

Less than one percent makes it to adulthood, I remember him saying.

I looked back at the turtles. They were visibly exhausted from being tossed so relentlessly by the waves and some were giving up.

I found one turtle that lay limp in the sand and guided it back to the ocean, watching its little legs tread water as it fought to join its brothers and sisters.

One by one, we attempted to guide all the struggling baby turtles to the sea.

The turtles had made it to the water, but their perilous journey to adulthood had only just begun. As with the newborn turtles that I had seen in Oman, I hoped that these baby Olive Ridleys could be counted amongst the lucky survivors and that, on day, they’d be able to return to Playa Hermosa to lay their own eggs and continue the circle of life.

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