Lake Naivasha country club

This beautiful old hotel was Kenya’s international air terminal just after world war 11. the flying boats of British overseas Airways landed there as they followed the Nile south and on to south Africa .today ,Only glimpse of lake Naivasha are visible through tall acacia trees at water’s edge.The hotel is centered on an elegant old house with wood floors, fresh doors and a long covered veranda leading to the lawns. Several wings and clusters of rooms and cottages are set in 12 hectares of cool lawns, shaded by spreading fever trees and accented by colorful gardens. rustic wooden chairs and benches invite the traveler to relax and listen to birds and watch the grazing water, perfect for watching birds, water life or sunsets. The hotel is a popular overnight transit point and is often busy with international tour groups .it provides an easy weekend from Nairobi it is also a convenient base for exploring the many attractions in the Naivasha area

The public rooms are elegant and relaxed. The comfortable residents’ lounge has a magnificent fireplace and large bay windows. The bar area inviting with its mural of the lake Naivasha and color washed walls with floral stencils. Located at one end of the commodious veranda, the dining room is light and bright, with a panoramic view of the grounds. On holidays and weekends lunch buffets are served on the lawns Day visitors are required to pay a hefty club membership fee to enter the grounds. The Lake Naivasha club is the most convenient place on lake for exploring Crescent Island. There is jetty and several boats. You can be ferried to the island where you can wander freely among wild animals, or you can go on longer lake trips to enjoy the bird life and spot hippos.

Accommodations

The hotel has 51 rooms in separate one-story wings and garden cottages. Each room has a private entrance and a small veranda with a view of the grounds. There is variation in room sizes and decor, but all have been attractively furnished, many in an English country club style, some with Lamu style beds. All have clean and pleasant bathrooms (many with bathtubs only).each room is available for at least double occupancy most has two twin beds, a few have a double bed. There are mosquito nets. an extravagant and private lake view cottage sits at the edge of the lake. This delight cottage is reached by raised wooden walkway and has a wraparound porch with panoramic views of the lake. There are tow bedrooms and a spacious central living room. The decor is rustic: wooden furniture throw rugs, and baskets of dried flowers.

Special offerings

Swimming pool and children’s wading pool, conference/function room, souvenir and sundry soup shop. Massage, boats and fishing rods for hire, hotel ferry service to Crescent Island, environmentalist-guided boat trip, Lake Cruiser with bar, bird walks led by an ornithologist indoor board games, videos (wildlife and classes), and excursions to local attractions. Sundowner cruises, children’ activity area.

You become one of the privileged few when you stay at the kongoni Game valley ranch. The elegance of the Brithgttti ranch house and its dramatic setting make this a very special place. The Kongoni Game Valley Ranch house is on a hilltop overlooking Lake Naivasha and the surrounding volcano peaks. The romance of the place begins in 1901 with a French marquis who built this home in Africa for his new American bride. They lived there happily until the early 1940’s.they are both buried in a secluded part of the garden where the view they loved is absolutely breathtaking. The long low stone house with its ochre-tiled roof stands in a wide expanse of mowed lawns and tended gardens. It all feels very established and well-cared for there is an aura if quality. The house is built around a central country yard the communal living and dining rooms overlook the lake and open out to a wide veranda furnished with commodious wicker furniture and cushions. Guests are encouraged to relax in this restful spot and enjoy the magnificent view.

Below, shinning beyond its fringe of acacia trees is the lake framed by extinct volcanoes and the soaring sides of the rift valley. A forest of primeval euphorbia contrast with the clipped lawns and English style flower beds of the garden. Meals at Kongoni are memorable; intimate tables, garden flowers, and views from the sunroom at breakfast, cozy candlelight inside at night. The food is wonderfully can smell the bread baklkig; pizza arrives fresh from oven. The emphasis is on gourmets Italian cooking and the pasta and ice cream are homemade. Gianna jokes that the big five at Kingoni valley ranch are parmesan cheese, olive oil, capers risotto and pasta-mouth watering. Guests can take a walk at the shore or go boating. you are likely to see a wide variety of birds and perhaps a wide-open toothy yawn from a hippo. You may decide. you may decide simply to sit on the veranda in cushioned comfort and absorb the beauty and peace

Accommodation

Kongoni can accommodate up to 26 guests. Every guest room has been furnished by Gianna. The many personal touches remind you that you are in a private home. Each room has a rather charming and old fashioned bathroom. Many with turn of- the century European fixtures, including bidet. Most rooms open onto the central courtyard but some are in separate cottages or have private outside entrances. Some have fireplaces, and one even has an en suite sauna. Kingoni Valley ranch has recently opened another house very near to the lake with beautiful water views. Though separate this house is still on ranch property and can accommodate a private party of uo to seven guests in one single and tree double bedrooms. it is fully catered and can enjoy all the activities and facilities of the ranch

Lakeside House

Lake side house is a small home near the turnoff onto Moi south lake road the grounds and gardens are not very grand, but you can look toward the papyrus at the edge of the lake from the veranda. Guest sleep in one double room in the main farmhouse and in a nearby cottage .The cottage rooms have en suite shower bathrooms. The rooms are very small and rather crowded with furnishing. There are homey touches such as books magazines and instant coffee/tea tray.

In my travels I have seen a wide variety of bridges, jetties, and decking arrangements. A good jetty can really make your pond or lake look special, as well as providing a convenient way to get in and out of your pond boat or lake boat. Whilst some of my customers prefer to build their own Jetty, most rely on local landscapers to carry out the work. Here are some tips when using a contractor.

Ask to see photos or examples of previous work by your chosen contractor, have they ever built a jetty before?

Your pond may be completely natural, it may be fed by a spring, it may be clay lined, it may be fed by a stream or spring, it may have an artificial liner, this liner could be made from a wide variety of materials. Your pond or lake may need to be drained partially or even fully before the jetty can be installed. Any fish will need to be removed prior to full draining. When the contractor visits your pond or lake he will need to find these things out before giving you an accurate quote.

Why not go online and find some photos of Jetties. Choose a Jetty you like the look of, and show the photo to your contractor. I have seen hundreds of different Jetties in the past, and every one is different.

A Jetty can be constructed from a range of different timbers, and even cast Iron or steel. The legs/uprights for your jetty will go down through the water and be anchored into the pond/lake bed. These legs should really be cut from hardwood such as green oak or Sappelli for durability. Your Contractor may prefer to use a softwood for the decking planks above the water. Softwood is usually pressure treated, but be aware that any treatment used could potentially contaminate the water and affect wildlife. Some specialist treatments may be ‘pond friendly’ but most treated timber should be sealed with a product such as G4 before being used for decking over water. Fish can be particularly sensitive to certain chemicals.

If you intend to leave your boat on the water tied up to the jetty you may need to use fenders or attach a protective strip to the jetty. Your boat should be attached to the jetty at the bow and the stern, with two fenders or a protective strip placed between the edge of the jetty and the boat, that way your boat will be secure and protected. Most people think a fender has to be a brightly colored plastic inflatable sausage/balloon, which will ruin the look of their jetty, but there is no reason why you can’t use solid rope woven narrow boat fenders, they have a lovely traditional look, and do the job just as well. If you have trouble finding them let me know, and I will supply them directly.

Remember that a jetty can provide a safety risk for small children, falling from the end of the jetty can leave a child in very deep water, and it is incredibly difficult to pull yourself out of the water onto the end of a jetty. Consider having a ladder installed at the end of your jetty, and perhaps a life ring on the line should the worst happen. Life rings are generally fluorescent orange, but why not paint the life ring in traditional white and red, like a ships life ring. One of my cannons on your jetty, looking out over the water, would complete the nautical theme!

Crate Lake Camp in Naivasha Kenya offers luxury tented accommodation on the tree lined shores of this unusual jade green volcanic lake. The walls of the crater encircle the camp and the lake, giving an enclosed sense of privacy and isolation. To reach the camp you walk down attractively built rustic steps-a greet many of them

Built under giant fever tree and facing the lake are eight attractively furnished tents and two wooden cottages. The accommodations are romantic and private. You climb stairs up to your spacious tent which is on a raised wooden platform has a thatched roof and nice stone bathroom. From the rocking chairs on your veranda and from your bed you look out towards the peaceful lake and the steep crater walls beyond. There are some particularly nice touches such as the use of carved acacia and chunks of obsidian in the constructions. Colorful bed covers, decoratively painted clay pots and unusual roofs (thatch lined with Hessian) all add to the charm of the place. There are dressing downs in the bathroom and mineral water by the bed.

The pleasant bar and dining area are fronted by a large open-sided veranda which looks out over the lake. There are chunky wooden chairs with big cushions and day beds for resting on the lawn. Guests can take a walk along the edge of the lake and there are wooden jetty with steps into the lake for those bent on the swim. The bird life is incredible-hosts of waders are in the shallows and swifts skim the water. At certain time of the year pink flamingos add a surreal touch to the vivid green of the lake. Black and white Colobus monkeys cavort in the trees and wake you in the morning with their strange calls echoing over the water.

It is possible to take escorted walks on the plains of the historical Ndabibi estate-home to a variety of game including giraffe, eland and cheetah. Lady Dalamere and her two husbands are buried on a panoramic outcrop on the estate. An early morning walk (for the surefooted) around the rim of the crater offers lovely views over the plains and escarpments beyond and down into the peaceful crater below. Night game drives are also offered, Crater lake camp is a wonderfully tranquil and romantic spot-a perfect place to slow down and recharge.Crater Lake offers classic escapes for special interest groups, including painting and astrology weekends, as well as ornithological outings with local experts.

The camp will prepare special romantic excursions – sundowners on the panoramic outcrop of Leopard Rock or a candlelit dinner on the lakeside jetty – while our safari vehicles can take you to the dramatic gorge of Hell’s Gate or the shimmering expanse of Lake Nakuru – home to more than half the world’s lesser flamingos. But for all its spectacular surroundings, visitors to Crater Lake often prefer to sit on their verandas overlooking what must be one of the most beautiful small lakes in creation. Our camp has been described as “Kenya’s most romantic tented camp” – and we challenge any couple not to fall in love all over again!

Accommodation

Eight tents, some with double and some with twin beds the two cottages each have two beds and two bunk beds handy for families but a little darker than the tents. En-suite bathrooms with showers and plenty of hot water.

A few years ago I tried to get my husband to go on a trip to the lake country in northern Italy. My husband is 2nd generation Italian American from Naples and Sicily. Go up north? Fuhgeddaboutit! They don’t serve red sauce! Please? Well, love wins out every time and I was soon booking a room at the venerable Villa d’ Este on Lake Como. My husband and I decided that on this trip, besides doing the usual travel sites, to do the Ellen and Clark Griswold “unusual” sites trip. Up first was the River of Milk, an 820 foot long river that flows white foam and water from mid-March until Mid-October. And then it just dries up. Next was a 75 foot statue on the hills above Lake Maggiore of Cardinal San Carlo Borromeo. It took 83 years to construct this thing. Not much to see but as you pan the horizon you do see a castle soaring above the lake. We head on over and discover it is a 13th century Roman castle filled with 17th and 18th century tapestries and the largest BARBIE DOLL collection in Italy. Now THAT was a surprise.

The biggest surprise awaited us back at the Villa. We had been so busy that we didn’t realize that the Villa was getting ready for it’s annual 4th of July party in honor of American soldiers liberating them during World War Two. They began this celebration back in the late 1940’s. Because we were unaware of the festivities, we were too late to sign up for their magnificent dinner with wine pairings. So my husband and I ate at a local trattoria and headed back to the Villa. From our balcony we had a magnificent view of the Villa as well as the Lake Como. About 9 p.m. an orchestra started to set up on the magnificent patio area. We went out onto our patio with a superb bottle of Chianti and watched them set up. We were then transported back in time to the 1920’s. The singers sang songs such as It Had to Be You, Ain’t Misbehavin’, and Old Man River. Then they moved on into the 30’s and 40’s with the big band era and crooners crooning. They took us right into the ’50s with the Big Bopper and the jitterbug. While all of this was going on, small row boats were moving into the center of the lake to set up a flotilla of fireworks. Meanwhile, locals were parking their vehicles on the mountain roads behind the Villa. You can not imagine the beauty of the fireworks reflecting off of the lake and the surrounding mountain ranges. The fireworks lasted about 45 minutes. All the while the local residents were clapping and whistling and voicing their pleasure over the event. I have to regard this evening as one of my best travel memories. Oh, and I hear George Clooney goes to this event. Honey, I think a trip to the Villa D’ Este during the 4th of July would be perfect, don’t you? Please?

If you have had an aquarium for any length of time you will, no doubt, have experimented with the types of fish you keep in a tank. Cichlids remain a popular choice for many amateur fish tank owners because they are lively fish that always seem to be doing things. It seems that people can relate to cichlids because they display many traits that we can recognize in ourselves. This makes for good viewing. Lake Malawi Cichlids are a type of fish you may want to keep in your tank. This article will briefly describe the natural of these fish and their ideal habitat. This can give you an indication of the type of aquarium you need to keep these animals.

Lake Malawi is a large Lake situated on Malawi’s north eastern border with Tanzania and Mozambique. It is part of the great lakes of the African rift valley along with the better known Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria. The water is generally alkaline and has a Ph level of 7.7 to 8.6. The temperature of the water varies from 27-29 degrees Celsius on the surface to about 22 degrees Celsius at lower depths.

The two main types of cichlids that can be found in Lake Malawi are the haplochromines and the tilapiines. Like most cichlids, Lake Malawi cichlids are known for being territorial and aggressive towards each other. They are mouth brooders. They are particularly noted for the vivid colors and markings.

There is such a variety of species that it would be impossible to name all of them but the most colorful are possibly the peacock cichlids. Popular peacock cichlids are the Melanochromis auratus and the Labeotrophus trewavasae. While in many species of cichlids only the male has the vivid markings, in these two species both sexes have colorful markings. Another reason for the popularity of the Melonachromis auratus is that the fry display the same colors and markings as the parents but only in miniature. Most are adapted for feeding off algae attached to rock or substrate.

When creating a habitat for Lake Malawi cichlids it is important to keep the water quality alkaline. The aqua scape should feature rocks and substrate similar to the environment in Lake Malawi. The rocks will allow the fish to hide and feed on the algae on the rocks. To combat the territorial nature of the fish you could densely stock the tank. Given that the tank is densely stocked you should have a strong filtration system set up to maintain the water quality. Typically they eat flake, bloodworm and pellet foods.

Lake Malawi cichlids are some of the most beautiful fish in the world and are active and fun to watch. They remain one of the most popular types of fish to keep in a tropical freshwater fish tank.

Windermere is a town of about 2300 population within the Lake District National Park in the North West England shire county of Cumbria. Windermere town center is half a mile from Lake Windermere, England’s largest fresh water natural lake. Lake Windermere has been summer and holidays cottage country since for the middle of the 19th century when a railway branch line gave the city-folk from central England access to the area’s beauty.

The town of Windermere does not touch Lake Windermere. But it has grown together with lakeside town of Bowness-on-Windermere. The odd combined town retains two distinct town centres. The Windermere railway station continues in operation today.

While there are a many cultural attractions in the Wingemere area, none can match the beauty of the natural environment. The mountains of Cumbria surround the lake basin, at the center of which lies the ten and half mile long ribbon lake: long, narrow and deep. Ribbon lakes were formed during the last ice age and are canyons with a river at either end. A glacier would have dug a glacial trough through a vein of soft rock, creating a canyon surrounded by the harder rock of the mountains. Boats from the piers in Bowness sail around the lake. There are 18 islands in the lake, the largest of 40 acres and privately owned. Two other villages are along the lake shoe, Ambleside and Lakeside. Sailing from one to the other is an excellent way to while away a summer’s day.

Since the 1950s there have been isolated reports of somethin odd in Lake Windermere. The story, documented by Centre for Fortean Zoology, was not much known until 2006, when a man and wife reported seeing something large swimming about 30 yards from shore. This focused local attention on the Lake and later in the year a photographer named Linden Adams took some photos that were picked up by wire services and cable news network. The pictures have never been proven inauthentic

One of the most popular features of Malawi tours is Lake Malawi. One of the interesting things about Lake Malawi is that it’s actually in three countries: Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. This means, among other things, that the name is something of a sore point. According to Wikipedia, Lake Malawi is called Lake Nyasa (Lake Nyassa, Lake Niassa or Lago Liasso) in most other African countries. It’s only really called Lake Malawi by foreign tourists and Malawi itself.

Mozambique owns at least a quarter of the lake and, just earlier this year, the Mozambican government declared the lake a reserve. Mozambique’s share of the lake includes the islands of Likoma and Chizumulu – the only two inhabited islands in the lake.

Tanzania has also battled for its share of lake ownership. Tanzania would like Malawi to honour the international border as determined by the Germans and the British before 1914. This divided the lake into two equal halves. Malawi is reluctant to see this point of view – understandably as the division was ruled by colonialists with no regard for traditional borders.

Despite all the controversy, Malawi has turned the lake into quite the tourist attraction. It’s also known as the Lake of Stars, as it was poetically called by David Livingstone, and the Lake of Storms. It contains the highest density of cichlids in the world, is rich in catfish and is home to crocodiles, hippos, monkeys, fish eagles and the endangered painted hunting dog, which was thought to be extinct.

Attractions around Lake Malawi include:

· Chintheche, which is popular because it contains some of the best lakeside beaches. There are many different accommodation options, primarily luxury lodges. In addition to all the water sports, those with a cultural mien can see the Bandawe Mission, which is of great historical importance.

· Lake Malawi National Park, which is a World Heritage Site and includes several islands in the lake as well as a significant area of land around the lake.

· Nkhata Bay, which is one of the biggest villages on the lake. Its primary reason for existence is fishing and it has a sheltered harbour for this purpose, but it also contains many camping sites, lodges and self-catering cottages for tourists.

· Nkhotakota, which is another one of the biggest villages around the lake. It used to be a prime spot for slave trading and is now famous for its pottery.

· Dwangwa, north of Nkhotakota, contains a massive sugar estate and is driven in large part by the local fishing industry. Its primary attraction is Ngala Beach Lodge.

· Karonga, which is another old slavery town that has since become a cultural haven with a museum dedicated to everything from the turbulent history to archaeology.

· On the Mozambican side of the lake you’ll find beautiful little Likoma Island and the Manda Wilderness Community Reserve.

Nong Fa Lake is said to be a sacred place in Laos in the heart of the National park, a possible explanation is that it was formed by a volcanic eruption many thousands of years ago. Trekking to this lake was definitely an off the beaten track adventure following parts of the Ho Chi Minh trail along valley peaks we reached the lake on the 4th day and after about 90km it was all worth it when we saw the beauty of this lake and enjoyed a nice cool swim in one of the most remote places on earth.

No westerner to my knowledge had ever attempted to trek to the lake before, there is access most of the way by 4-wheel drive but the plan was to trek in and out using different routes and survey the route for possible future tours. Enquiries led us to Attapeu to a local army guide who also spoke the indigenous local language, he was born in a small village about a two day’s hike from the lake but his family, have all moved to the town now. After meeting him and discussing the trip we and my fellow two trekkers prepared a checked of gear we would need and started to buy supplies we bought soups, canned fish and rice and of course chocolate and sweets for that much needed energy boast. We had our finally dinner together in the city trying to eat as much as possible to stock up on energy and especially protein that would be needed to get through the next few days.

The following morning we rose bright and early and after checking and splitting our gear and food equally we drove out of Attapeu and headed to the village of Pa-am on part of the Ho Chi Minh trail, a reminder of this trail is the Russian old surface to air missile which still stands in its place.

The Vietnamese used to head south with troop and supply reinforcements along several trails during the Vietnam War against the Americans, they crossed into Laos to avoid battles with the American troops as the Americans were not officially allowed to enter Laos, this is the reason why Laos is known as the most bombed country on the planet to date. As American troops could not enter Laos they could bomb it, American pilots were encouraged to empty the rest of their ordinance on Laos on the way back from Vietnam to their bases in Thailand. Old ordinance still litters the trails which were dropped by American B52s to try to hit the Vietnamese soldiers and cut their supply lines.

From Pa-am we drove up the mountain as far as our comfortable car could go before checking our gear for the last time and starting our adventure.

The first day entailed trekking up the mountain across rough terrain past small villages and ethnic communities we travelled 20km along the old Lao army training route not realising at the beginning how heavy our backpack would be. They certainly started weighing us down towards the end of the day. Our guide knew the local area and language well however he spoke no English so my Laos skills definitely came in handy.

We arrived at the village of Ban Chilinxay in the evening, after showering in a nearby stream we spent the night at one of the villager’s hut s who surprisingly spoke a little English. We bought a chicken from him and he cooked it for us along with some steamed rice and local vegetables and soup trying to regain our energy and relax our legs as much as possible. The second and third day followed a similar pattern up at dawn enjoying some hot chocolate buying fresh eggs and vegetables from the villagers and trekking about 20 – 25 km a day, the evenings were spent with the local guide arranging the home-stay, recuperating and bathing.

The main priority in the evening was boiling enough water for the next day so it was cool enough the following day to fill our plastic bottles. Dinner normally included chicken and steamed rice which was bought from the villagers and a couple of tins of canned fish which was good because it meant less to carry the following day.

The fourth day was the day, we could feel we were getting close we awoke and began our seemingly normal routine of washing in the nearby stream, having breakfast and packing our gear. It was a few kilometres over flat ground to the river where we crossed in a dug out canoe. The canoe was definitely not the most stable of vessels and the water was moving quite fast but it was only about 100m or so to the other side, paddling hard and sitting low in the boat got us across with out too much trouble. From this side of the river we stopped to take in the stunning beauty of the untouched nature around us.

From here it was a 15km trek up steep mountain sides to the village of Vangetat this was a hard trek across the tops of the valley but the scenery and views made it well worth while. When arriving in Vangetat at about 2pm I couldn’t believe it I had gone through 3 liters’ of water already, so I refilled my water bottles, taking boiled water from the kind villagers and we decided to move on as it was 2pm and if we pushed on we could reach Nong Fa Lake in another 2 hours or so.

The last few kilometers to the lake were hard being directly under the blazing sun and it was all uphill to the summit, but spirits were high, knowing we would be there soon.

We arrived, after 4 days of solid trekking we could hardly believe it the first thing to do was have a swim and relax our muscles in the cool water. Spending about an hour at the lake we decided to head back down to Vangetat as we saw a park ranger there who had a 4×4 and this could be our exit plan.

It only took us about 45 minutes to get down from the lake with little effort as it was all downhill. Our theory with the ranger paid off and we managed to hitch a ride to Km100 about 10km from the Vietnamese border this was a bumpy ride and not possible without a 4×4. After about 60km or 3 hours we finally saw a sealed road and were happy knowing we were safe and back to civilisation. Unfortunately due to the lack of hotels in this area we slept by the Lao army barracks in a noodle soup shop, it was a great nights sleep though, this is probably due to how tired we were rather than the sleeping conditions.

The following day after a bowl of tasty soup we thanked our hosts, gave them our remaining rice and said goodbye. We now tried to hitch back to Attapeu. It didn’t take long after about 20 minutes we managed to hitch a lift with a Vietnamese logging truck back to Attapeu around lunch. All in all it was a wonderful and unforgettable journey.

The city of Granada is the oldest city of Nicaragua. This captivating city is considered historically as one of Nicaragua’s most vital cities both politically and economically. Granada is situated on the central pacific side, northwest of Lake Nicaragua also known as Lake Cocibolca and was founded on the 8th of December 1524 by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba. Its current population is estimated to be 191,000 with a very rich colonial heritage that is clearly visible in its architecture and culture. The city of Granada is also known as the Gran Sultana del Gran Lago or the Great Sultan of the Great Lake.

Granada’s Remarkable History

Granada was named after the Ancient Spanish city of Granada by Hernández de Córdoba who founded the great city. During the colonial times, the city of Granada flourished by maintaining a good level of commerce with the ports on the Atlantic via the San Juan River and the Lake Cocibolca. During this period of trade, Granada was assaulted many times over by different English, French and Dutch pirates trying to control Nicaragua.

For many years Granada battled with León over status as the capital city of Nicaragua. Granada was favored by the Conservatives, while Léon was favored by the Liberals. In the mid 1800s a compromise was agreed on and the capital was finally established in the smaller city of Managua between both of the opposing colonial cities. After this Granada was sought after, enslaved, and destroyed by North American filibusters. Today, Granada is the city most visited by tourists in Nicaragua.

Granada’s Vibrant Culture and Economy

Granada, just like most of the cities in the Nicaraguan Pacific, is primarily populated by spanish-speaking mestizos and whites. Although Nicaragua has no official religion, it is more or less still dominated by the Roman Catholics as the Protestant groups are more splintered. Practicing Roman Catholics are no longer the majority and are declining while different evangelical Protestant groups and Mormons have been growing rapidly since the 1990s.

Granada has long been a center of commerce which mostly focused on the trade of timber, gold and silver. Granada’s economy continues to grow as it is becoming the national tourism hub. Though Granada remains Nicaragua’s fourth largest city, it is widely known for preserving some the finest colonial-era architecture in the country.

Unique Activities and Events in Granada

There are six main churches in the city of Granada, the Cathedral, La Merced, Guadalupe, Xalteva, San Francisco and María Auxiliadora, which all have interesting historical backgrounds and are in very different states. Another attraction of Granada is the volcano reserve where people watch over the wide land, see the Managua Lake and be happy about the beautiful nature surrounding the Volcano.

Lake Nicaragua is the tenth largest freshwater lake in the world, the second largest in Latin America and the largest in Central America. Granada has easy access to this huge lake, which also provides access to the extraordinary group of islets that can be found close to the shore. These islets, or “Las Isletas” as they are called locally in Spanish, are formed by a group of 365 islets of volcanic origin. A popular activity is to take a boat ride out to and around various islets. There is also a boat that goes to the volcano islands of Ometepe located in the middle of the Lake.

People also visit Granada’s butterfly garden which has many different butterfly species. Among the species are the big, blue Morpho peleides, as well as the bright yellow, orange and white butterflies. The butterflies come in all sizes and colors. Walking through the enclosed garden enables people to easily observe many of them very closely.