Where to Stay in Granada, Nicaragua

Immerse yourself in the wild at this modern ecolodge on a hilltop at the foot of Mombacho, just 15 minutes from the heart of downtown Granada. Purpose-built to capture a panorama of the verdant volcano, colonial Granada and Lake Nicaragua, the lodge is fringed by a forest alive with the grunts of howler monkeys and the soft hum of hummingbirds. The pool is perfect for a lazy afternoon swim, and meals are made with freshly picked ingredients from an organic garden.

A short boat ride from Granada, you get the full private-island experience at this boho eco-lodge on one of the 360 tropical islands that make up Las Isletas. Get a massage under a mango tree, hang out at the pool, or kayak around the islands. The thatched-roof yoga deck looks towards Mombacho for stunning sunrises as you perfect your reclining-butterfly pose. Solar power, an organic garden and a filtered water system are all part of the lodge’s drive for eco-friendly sustainability.

A stylish boutique hotel that blends Spanish colonial style with modern Scandinavian minimalism, Los Patios is an oasis of calm that offers spa treatments and massages. Within walking distance of the busy bars and restaurants of La Calzada, this Granada resort is close enough to the port for early-start tours of Lake Nicaragua and the tiny forested islands of Las Isletas. An open-air swimming pool is a bonus when midday temperatures soar, and there are hammocks if you just want to hang.

Painted a similar mustard yellow as the cathedral, this modern hotel and spa are built condo-style around a large pool. Family-run and family-friendly, it has spacious rooms where you can spread out and relax between city tours. Within walking distance of the bus terminal and the central plaza, it is also convenient for visiting the old train station and Parque Sandino, where Nicaraguan poets are honored with lines of verse.

You can feel the history in this converted colonial house, with its antique furnishings and plant-filled inner patios open to the sky. Rooms are simple but comfortable, upper balconies offer epic shots of the cathedral, guests get use of the kitchen, and the palm-shaded pool is big enough for laps. Located away from the main drag, it sits on a quiet street close to the baroque stylings of the Xalteva Church.

Simple but stylish rooms mark out this affordable hotel in a restored colonial house two blocks from the cathedral and a block from the evening action on La Calzada. An upper balcony offers photo-worthy views over the red roof tiles of the city to the jagged summit of Mombacho. You can also enjoy a refreshing dip in a small pool set in a leafy garden, or plan the next day’s sightseeing while swinging in a hammock.

Located right on the central plaza, facing the iconic mustard-yellow cathedral, this neocolonial mansion-turned-hotel is just a short walk from La Calzada, the main drag of bars and restaurants that comes alive at night. Decorated with bold paintings by the brightest contemporary artists in Nicaragua, the style is a mix of neocolonial and modern, with an emphasis on comfort. Perfectly placed for exploring the city, you can retreat to the pool when the going gets hot.

Run by a helpful couple, who lives in the main house, this intimate hotel has six whitewashed rooms with abstract paintings over each bed and views onto a plant-filled courtyard. Located in a quiet area a few blocks from the central plaza, its nearby attractions include the Convento San Francisco, a museum in an old Franciscan convent housing everything from a scale model of Granada to folk art and ancient monoliths from Isla Zapatera carved into the shape of fantastical beasts.

Decked in elegant antiques, hand-painted floor tiles and dark-wood balustrades, this historic house in the heart of the city incorporates elements that date to the founding of Granada in 1524. A 19th-century French duke hid here after murdering his wife, hence the name, but it is more famous today as Granada’s flagship hotel. A small but deliciously refreshing swimming pool has been ingeniously squeezed into the central courtyard, while a sister building opposite houses the Arcangel restaurant and a bar with a balcony overlooking the central plaza.

A modern, colonial-style condo complex around a good-sized kidney-shaped pool, family-friendly Xalteva is airy and light with air conditioning and ceiling fans in the spacious rooms and suites with kitchens. A 10-minute walk from the central plaza, the Granada resort is convenient for exploring the city market, where you can try vigorón, the signature dish of Granada: boiled yuca, pork rinds and cabbage slaw served on a banana leaf.

Close to the ChocoMuseo, where you can indulge your chocolate fantasies with the finest Nicaraguan cacao, this 14-room hotel in a neocolonial house oozes history and charm. A great base for exploring the main attractions, the central plaza is a short walk away, and you can be down by the lake in 20 minutes. A large pool in the patio is a lifesaver after a day pounding cobblestone streets.

A gem of neocolonial architecture, this lovingly restored mansion, a few blocks from the central plaza, is filled with original features including a swooping staircase made from pink marble and the open-air swimming pool – the first pool in the city. Facing the baroque bell tower of the Iglesia la Merced, a popular spot for taking photos, the hotel is on the same street as Cafe de las Sonrisas (Cafe of Smiles), a charity-run coffee shop where all the young staff are hearing-impaired, and the menu is in sign language.