After an overnight sail we arrived to the only marina in Nicaragua, a deserted resort. We decided to stay a week and visit two colonial towns, Granada and Leon, the main highlights of this, otherwise, not very touristic country. Also the only marina is deserted, only one other boat (Skylark) which then automatically becomes your buddy boat.
I was very curious about Granada, as it is also my birthplace in Spain where I lived for 12 years. The Spanish Granada, founded in 1523, is a moorish city and, surprisingly, its Nicaraguan namesake also displays moorish influence in its architecture with patios and fountains and arabic arches.
Granada is built between the lake Nicaragua and the Mombacho volcano, so we visited both. The volcano is best viewed at sunset to see the lava glowing. Visitors are only allowed 5 minutes at the crater, and indeed, 2 minutes of breathing the volcanic fumes and coughing was enough for us.
A boat trip in the lake provided our lungs with cleaner air and a peak into the holiday houses of the rich and famous of Nicaragua who are so lucky to own one of the 365 islands on the lake.
Nicaragua is a socialist country, now ruled for already 19 years by Daniel Ortega, a once popular revolutionary leader, but now a dictator. The city of Leon is known as the capital of the revolution and the city center is decorated with murals making referecnce to the heroes and successes of the socialist revolution.
On a less political note, the cathedral is a beautiful white building with a roof of white domes in a square full of pigeons; one wonders how they keep it so clean…
The surprisingly beautiful museum Fundacion Ortiz Gurdian Art Center was build within 5 colonial houses.
Back at the marina we took the opportunity of having electricity and water to do a thorough cleaning and some maintenance jobs, founding that, in our absence, the birds had build two nests and laid tiny eggs in them: one in the sail bag and one inside the outboard engine. Sadly, we had no other option than removing them.
After visiting a socialist dictatorship we will now continue with our buddy boat Skylark to the other side of the political spectrum: El Salvador.