If you’ve been considering traveling to Nicaragua we highly recommend visiting this gorgeous country. Granada is a must-see Central American city. In fact, of all the cities in Nicaragua, Granada is the most popular destination for tourists. Granada Nicaragua is a colorful city rich in culture, history, and art. This colonial city is the oldest city in Central America, settled over 500 years ago. Visiting Granada is one of the top things to do in Nicaragua, so it was our first stop during our mini Nicaragua vacation after crossing the border from Costa Rica. We spent a lazy afternoon there walking around the vibrant streets getting a feel for the historic city and snapping some of our favorite Nicaragua photos. The bright colors and crumbling buildings reminded us of our visit to charming Havana Cuba.
After taking a walking tour covering all the important highlights of Granada (more to come on that in a later blog post), we decided to explore the streets on our own with our camera in hand. We both love photography and were mesmerized by the bright buildings in all hues of the rainbow, ancient cathedrals, and vivid street murals throughout Granada.
We happened upon a beautiful opera singer in the middle of a professional photo shoot in front of the historic Iglesia La Merced. She inspired us to have a little impromptu photo shoot of our own. Since I (Alexis) was wearing a bright red dress that popped against the colors of the streets, it seemed like the perfect chance to get some Instagram-worthy photos to share with you all. We walked around the photogenic city streets playfully capturing images that will inspire you to visit Nicaragua and its gorgeous city of Granada.
Granada’s Cathedral La Merced is a stunning backdrop for photos
Granada Nicaragua Photos will liven up your Instagram
We had so much fun capturing photos that just scream out for Instagram. We couldn’t help but laugh at ourselves as we went on the hunt for Insta-worthy images, knowing that we’re probably too old to be perfecting our IG poses. 😉 No matter what, we still have fun, so that’s what’s important.
Granada is a great city to explore with its colorful architecture, historic churches, vibrant street art, outdoor markets, and friendly people. So grab your selfie stick, your tripod, or a friend and hit the streets of Granada for some beautiful captures. See what we discovered on the candy-colored streets of Granada Nicaragua.
This first shot below reminds me of the incredible kindness of the Nicaraguan people in Granada. Bertaut was standing across the street to get this shot and a car that was driving down the road stopped and waited for us to take the photo. Then a guy riding a bike also stopped and waited for us to take another photo before pedaling down the street so that he wouldn’t interfere with our shot. We were amazed by how nice and patient not just one person but several people were while we were taking our photos. Yay Nicas! We love you!
Beautiful art decorating the front of a building in Granada Nicaragua
Granada Nicaragua Culture Facts & History
This second photo was part of a much larger mural depicting the history of Granada. William Walker is the man with the noose around his neck, who was executed for his many wrong-doings in Central America and across the world. He conquered Granada and declared himself President of Nicaragua in 1856. He tried to destroy the city of Granada by setting it on fire while he was being driven out. One of his generals infamously wrote “Here was Granada” after setting Granada ablaze and destroying much of the ancient city. Thankfully many of the historic churches survived. He certainly didn’t destroy the spirit of the Nicaraguans.
Mural depicting history of Granada Nicaragua with William Walker, who burned the city down after being forced out
Markets in Granada
The next several photos were taken in Granada’s outdoor market called Mercado Municipal, just a few blocks south of the main square. The streets surrounding the market are filled with vendors selling fresh produce, meat, cheese, clothing, tools, and all sorts of trinkets. We enjoyed meandering through the maze of vendors and bought some delicious fresh fruit. There are many great photo opportunities throughout the market. Interesting foods, splashes of color and different textures, and the chance to interact with the locals make for some fabulous pictures. Just have common courtesy to ask anyone if you can take their photo before snapping away. We learned that lesson the hard way in Cameroon when traveling with a group of friends who took photos of locals without asking and then against all rational explanation our very expensive camera fell off the table unexplainably and broke. The village where it happened was known for black magic, so some might say we were cursed. Who knows. Anyway, out of respect for your fellow human beings, always ask first if you can take someone’s photo. Nicaraguans we encountered were very friendly and many were eager to take photos with us.
Outdoor street market in Granada Nicaragua- Mercado Municipal
Peppers at Granada’s outdoor market Mercado Municipal
This Nica was eager to get his photo with Bertaut near the Mercado Municipal in Granada Nicaragua
Granada Street Art
Granada streets are rich with street art- sometimes graffiti and sometimes murals painted on the outside of homes. We think capturing these images gives you a more authentic feel for the city. Sure, we love getting photos of the magnificent churches and museums, but street art gives you a different perspective on a city. Plus, as we mentioned earlier, street art makes for some cool Instagram shots!
Artistic murals brighten the streets of Granada Nicaragua
More murals on the streets of Granada Nicaragua
Graffiti in Granada Nicaragua is an artistic outlet to locals
Colorful Buildings in Granada
Lastly, we enjoyed snapping photos of the charismatic entrances to buildings along Granada’s streets. This image below of the barber shop, with its chipped paint and colorful crumbling walls, felt so authentic. We can only imagine the lively conversations inside those walls amongst locals catching up on each other’s lives.
Barber shop in Granada Nicaragua
Colorful buildings of Granada Nicaragua
We loved the dramatic blue door and its sharp contrast with the lower white walls at the entrance to this building in Granada. We didn’t think about it at the time but the building is painted the colors of the Nicaraguan flag. I just couldn’t help but sit down for one last Insta-worthy photo on the beautiful streets of Granada.
Can’t feel blue in beautiful Granada
Conclusion on Granada Nicaragua Photos
There are so many picture-perfect spots all throughout the vibrant city of Granada. If you’re looking to get some colorful shots, you will have lots of fun exploring the city’s charismatic streets. Meander the city, talk to the locals, grab a ridiculously cheap cocktail (like $1.50 to $2) and go at it! There’s so much to love about Nicaragua and it’s most popular city Granada. Don’t take our word for it- go check it out yourself.
Come back to our blog soon for more about our travels in Nicaragua and our stay at Aqua Wellness Resort on the beautiful Emerald Coast. In the meantime, check out our 10 photos of Nicaragua highlights that will inspire you to visit. Read about our adventures in neighboring Costa Rica- ziplining at Diamante Eco Adventure Park, holding toucans while visiting an animal sanctuary, staying in the tropical forest at Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort, eating Costa Rican food at Andaz Papagayo restaurants, and the top things to do in Guanacaste and on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. If you liked this post, please share it and pin it for later. Sign up for our email newsletter for more travel tips and inspiration to explore the world.
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