Granada - Nicaragua - page 195

City Walk:
Colonial Explorer

START PARQUE CENTRAL
END FORTALEZA LA POLVERA
LENGTH 5KM; FOUR HOURS

Too tired to walk? Take a horse-drawn carriage, about the same price as a taxi, to any of these
locations (at least between the city center and the lake), or ask for a city tour, around US$10 for a
35-minute tour for a maximum of five people.
Begin at the fine Parque Central , also called Parque Colón, pleasantly shaded by mango
and malinche trees. The Catedral de Granada , on the eastern side of the plaza, was origin-
ally built in 1583 but has been destroyed countless times since. This most recent version was
built in 1915.
On the park's southeastern corner, the beautifully restored Hotel Gran Francia ( Click
here ) was formerly the home of William Walker, and is now a fine place for a drink. Head north
to Plaza de la Independencia OFFLINE MAP , also known as the 'Plaza de los Leones.'
The obelisk is dedicated to the heroes of the 1821 struggle for independence, while the Cruz de
Siglo was erected in 1900 to mark the new century.
On the eastern side of this plaza is the Casa de los Leones ( Click here ) , named for the
carved lions on the stone portal, the only part of the original structure that survived Walker's
1856 retreat. Rebuilt as a stately private home in 1920, it is currently home to the Fundación Casa
de los Tres Mundos.
Head one block east on Calle El Arsenal to check out the awesome facade of Convento y
Museo San Francisco ( Click here ), best captured on film close to sunset. From here, head south
on Calle Cervantes until you get to Calle La Calzada. This is where the carriage would be handy
- it's a hot kilometer through featureless new neighborhoods to Lago de Nicaragua, passing the
Capilla del Sagrado Corazón OFFLINE MAP , originally built as a fort.
The ferry terminal is on your left, but make a right through the green Spanish fortress for the
Centro Turístico ( Click here ), a lazy lakeside park with restaurants, bars, playgrounds,
beaches, kayaks and docks where you can catch boats to explore the Las Isletas volcanic lake ar-
chipelago.
Grab a cab - unless you're enjoying the heat - back to the Parque Central, where you can forti-
fy yourself with a plate of vigorón ( a pile of mashed yucca topped with a tangy cabbage salad
and a big pork rind served up on a washed banana leaf) and a tall glass of chicha (a creamy,
bright-pink corn-based drink). From here, you could head four blocks south on Calle Atravesada
to the overflowing and fun (if not particularly souvenir-oriented) Mercado Municipal ( Click

here ) .