Private Nicaragua Itineraries: From Granada to Ometepe
The colonial courtyards of Granada sit on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. We plan your custom trip from these historical plazas to the black volcanic ash of Cerro Negro. The twin peaks of Ometepe Island rise from the water, while San Juan del Sur offers sunset views along the Pacific coast.
Mayan Gateway
Nicaragua’s Forest, Volcanoes, and Colonial Cities
The Santiago crater holds a glowing lava lake inside Masaya Volcano National Park. In Leon, walk across the white domes of the largest cathedral in Central America. Just off the mainland, the Isletas of Granada feature hundreds of small tropical islands formed by a historic eruption of the Mombacho volcano.
Journeys Guided by Nicaraguan Experts
We build itineraries across Nicaragua’s volcanic landscape. Tour the Convent of San Francisco in Granada and the historical Ortiz-Gurdián art collection in Leon. On Ometepe Island, our guides lead hikes up the Concepción volcano to see the indigenous stone carvings at Finca El Porvenir.
6 Days in Nicaragua: Masaya Volcano, Ometepe and Granada
Look directly into the glowing lava lake at Masaya Volcano National Park. On Ometepe Island, trails cut across the forested slopes of the Concepción volcano. In Granada, guides explain the history behind the bell towers and colonial courtyards of the San Francisco Convent.
trip information
7 Days in Nicaragua: Leon Viejo, Mombacho and San Juan del Sur
Tour the excavated brick foundations of Leon Viejo, an early Spanish settlement buried by the Momotombo volcano. Near Granada, hiking trails cross the cloud forest of the Mombacho reserve. The trip reaches the Pacific coast at San Juan del Sur to see the Christ of the Mercy statue.
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9 Days in Nicaragua: Selva Negra, Ometepe and the Isletas
Look for sloths and emerald toucanets in the cloud forest of the rural Matagalpa highlands. In Lake Nicaragua, local boats pass the colonial San Pablo fort built on the Isletas of Granada. Further south, the Concepción and Maderas volcanoes form the figure-eight shape of Ometepe Island.
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14 Days in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua
Tour the Great Plaza of Tikal in the northern jungle of Guatemala. In El Salvador, eat pupusas near the Cerrón Grande reservoir in Suchitoto. Across the Nicaraguan border, you will visit the Concepción and Maderas volcanoes rising directly from the waters of Lake Nicaragua.
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Mayan Gateway
Nicaragua’s Nature Reserves and Islands
The Indio Maiz Biological Reserve protects tapirs and great green macaws along the San Juan River. Near Granada, hiking trails cross the fumaroles of the Mombacho volcano. Off the Caribbean coast, the islands of Big and Little Corn offer car-free streets, English-speaking Creole communities, and clear offshore snorkeling.
Nicaragua’s Nature Reserves and Colonial Heritage
MARIBIOS MOUNTAINS
These mountains feature the black ash of the Cerro Negro peak. Nearby, the Momotombo peak rises directly over the ruins of Leon Viejo, an early Spanish settlement.
COLONIAL CITIES
The city of Leon holds the white domes of the largest cathedral in Central America. In Granada, the 18th-century walls of the La Polvora fortress sit just outside the central plaza.
FRESHWATER ISLANDS
Hundreds of small tropical islands form the Isletas of Granada right off the Asese peninsula. Further south, the Concepción and Maderas volcanoes create the figure-eight shape of Ometepe Island.
BIOLOGICAL RESERVES
The tropical forests of the Indio Maiz Biological Reserve border the San Juan River. Indigenous Rama communities live near the protected habitats of jaguars, tapirs, and green macaws.
