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Casa de los Leones & Fundación Casa de los Tres Mundos
Founded in 1986 by Ernesto Cardenal, Fundación Casa de los Tres Mundos moved to its current glam premises in 1992. It holds special events which are frequent, cheap and usually interesting: poetry readings, classical ballet, folkloric dance and films on the 'Cube of Light,' a fabric screen where foreign and artsy flicks are shown for free in the plaza.
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Casa Natal Sor María Romero Meneses
Just south of the main road is the poorly signed Casa Natal Sor María Romero Meneses, where a small collection of artifacts and original writings mark the birthplace of Central America's first official saint.
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Cathedral de Granada
The Cathedral de Granada, on the east side of the plaza, was originally built in 1583 but has been destroyed countless times since. This most recent version, built in 1915, has four chapels; a dozen stained-glass panels are set into the dome.
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Cementerio de Granada
Used between 1876 and 1922, some of Granada's wealthiest decades, this beautiful cemetery has lots of picturesque mausoleums and tombs, including those of six Nicaraguan presidents. Most people come to see the 1880 Neoclassical stone Capilla de Animas (Chapel of Spirits), a justifiably famous scale replica of the French chapel of the same name.
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Centro Turístico
Enter through the mock Spanish fortress to a long stretch of lakefront with shady paths, sandy beaches, trees that seem designed for hammocks, restaurants, picnic areas and playgrounds, and free mangoes (if you can beat the parrots and street kids to 'em) all over the place, starting in late February. The Centro is also home to some happening nightspots.
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Convento y Museo San Francisco
The oldest church in Central America and the most striking building in Granada (that is to say, Nicaragua) boasts the big blue birthday cake facade of Iglesia San Francisco which, incidentally, houses the region's best museum.
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Fortaleza La Polvora
Originally called the Fortaleza de Armas when it was constructed in 1748, this lavishly turreted Spanish fortress still has the best view in town, over ancient, water-stained church domes all the way to Lago de Nicaragua. You can also check out paintings, a few interesting artifacts and one of the better public toilets (it's hexagonal!) in Nicaragua.
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Iglesia de Guadalupe
1626 Iglesia de Guadalupe was originally built as a fort.
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Iglesia de la Merced
Arguably the most beautiful church in the city, this landmark fronts a plaza popular with young lovers and players after dark. Originally completed in 1539, it was razed by pirates in 1655 and rebuilt with its current Baroque facade between 1781 and 1783. Damaged by Walker's forces in 1854, it was again restored with the current elaborate interior in 1862.
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Iglesia de Xalteva
The dilapidated but attractive 19th-century church that houses La Virgen de la Asunción.
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Iglesia San Francisco
The oldest church in Central America and the most striking building in Granada (that is to say, Nicaragua) boasts the big robin-egg-blue birthday cake facade of Iglesia San Francisco, which, incidentally, houses the best museum in the region. Originally constructed in 1585, it was subsequently burnt to the ground by pirates and later William Walker, rebuilt most recently in 1868 and restored in 1989.
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La Capilla María Auxiliadora
The gorgeous little church, La Capilla María Auxiliadora, closed for remodeling as of December 2004, is worth a look for its beautiful pastel interior.
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Las Isletas
One of the most enjoyable ways to pass the time is touring this miniature archipelago of 365 (OK, maybe fewer) tiny tropical islands, topped with rare birds, colorful flowers, mansions hung with hammocks, and a few hotels and restaurants where you're welcome to sit back and enjoy it all for a while. Catch a ride with a tour company or hire a boat yourself.
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Mercado Municipal
Head to the overflowing and fun (if not particularly good for souvenir shopping) 1892 Mercado Municipal, a neoclassical building that may be beautiful, though there's really no way of knowing until somebody gets up there and scrubs down the facade.
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Mi Museo
This brand-new museum displays an incredible private collection of ceramics dating from at least 2000 BC to the present. Hundreds of beautifully crafted pieces were chosen with as much an eye for their artistic merit as their archaeological significance, and displayed in the grand old adobe with the same aesthetic awareness.
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Nicaragua Butterfly Reserva
This charming mariposario is a must-see for anyone partial to a bit of a fluttery fun. Dedicated to protecting and breeding over 20 species of butterfly (around 200 of the little critters at any given time), the massive flight house is home to such exotic specimens as the Owl Butterfly, the Montezuma and the stunning Blue Morpho.
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Nicaragua Butterfly Reserve
About 4km from Granada on the dirt road that leads from the cemetery to Laguna de Apoyo, this new mariposario offers tours through the butterflies, and also rents cabinas, including a tour.
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Old Train Station
Nine long blocks north of town along Calle Atravesada, you'll find shadeless Parque Sandino, next to the old train station, now a technical vocational school. Built in 1882 and operational in 1886, the US marines remodeled it in 1912. There's lots of playground equipment, some with train themes, and a few well-preserved railroad cars are on display nearby.
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Palacio de la Cultura Joaquín Cuadro Pasos
Palacio de la Cultura Joaquín Cuadro Pasos, named after the Granadino poet who wrote Canto de Guerra de las Cosas (War Song of Things), a surrealist masterpiece of 20th-century Spanish verse, is worth a wander.
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Plaza de la Independencia
Head north of Parque Central to Plaza de la Independencia, 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.
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