Granada
The charming city of Granada is the oldest city on the American continent, with a colourful Spanish colonial centre, best exe…
Situated spectacularly on the banks of Lake Nicaragua, Granada is the oldest colonial city in the country. It is famed for its vast neoclassical cathedral, bedecked in vivid hues of yellow and flanked by small houses and shops painted in every colour of the rainbow. The architecture here is a joy to behold and the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages and warmth of the locals only add to its charms.
Nicaragua's second largest city is León, another Spanish colonial era gem. Sat amid volcanoes, around 80 miles from Granada, it is adorned with a wonderful collection of ornate and colourful churches that cause shutters to be fired from even the most casual of photographers and provoke lingering glances of appreciation from passers-by. Some of the most noteworthy are the Cathedral of the Assumption of Nicaragua, whose roof one can walk on, the canary-hued Church of La Recoleccion and the Church of El Calvario, decorated in the same winning combination of yellow and red as the cathedral in Granada.
