Isles of Granada

The Isletas

Granada is also a port on giant Lake Nicaragua. From the Tourist Center it will be easy for you to get a boat to visit Las Isletas just offshore, a beautiful archipelago of volcanic origin. A normal tour around the islands can take about an hour. Some of the 365 islands are inhabited and most are covered with a vast variety of unusual vegetation. It is also an area rich with bird life.

Visitors to Las Isletas may feel like they are actually on a South Sea, islands are separated by ponds and the isletas are separated by canals where firshermen, seated patiently on Indian rafts, wait for a bite.

Of archaeological interest is the Fortress of San Pablo placed strategically on an island opposite the city. The fortress was built in the mid - 18th century to protect Granada from the marauding pirates. It was restored in 1974. Pre-Columbian archaeological stone pieces were found on Pensacola Islet and are on exhibit in the Museum of the San Francisco Convent.

Near Granada, you may visit the extinct Mombacho Volcano which rises 4,593 feet above sea level. Its sides are covered with rich vegetation and properous coffee plantations. Over 30 varieties of orchids may be found there.

Zapatera Island is about an hour by motor launch from Las Isletas. This beautiful island has dense forests which surround many important archaeological sites. The island was once an Indian burial ground, and for this reason it has been declared a National Park.