Lonely PlanetSep 22, 2026
7 of the Best Things to Do in Granada, Nicaragua
Embrace shopping, museumgoing and simply wandering in this historic and beautifully preserved Nicaraguan city.
19 things in this story
- Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la AsunciónPlace of worshipiconic canary-yellow church with red domes
- Volcán MombachoSightpicturesque volcano looming on the horizon
- Lago CocibolcaSightwaterfront of Granada abuts this lake
- Parque CentralParklively square surrounded by vintage facades
- La PurísimaNeighborhood9-day festival celebrating the Virgin Mary in December
- Antiguo Hospital San Juan de DiosSighthaunting, empty structure on the west side of town
- El PortalMarketvoluminous, open-roof complex with bars and restaurants
- Los BocaditosRestaurantpan-Latin diner inside El Portal
- Beer HouseRestaurantsports pub inside El Portal
- Hot Pizza ArielFast foodpizzeria inside El Portal
- ChocoMuseoMuseummuseum, store, and kitchen with chocolate displays
- Bean to Bar workshopPlacegrind your own beans and create confections
- ArgencoveRestaurantartisanal chocolatier founded by three Australian families
- Calle El ComercioMarketlively outdoor marketplace jammed with stalls
- Doña Elba CigarsPlaceliving museum where workers roll cigars by hand
- Convento y Museo San FranciscoMuseumhouses historic furnishings, relics, and a library
- Isla ZapateraSightisland where millennium-old Indigenous carvings were found
- Hotel Palacio Real GranadaHotel
- Hotel Casa BarcelonaHotel