Granada is the oldest colonial city founded in Central America. It was the most important city in the region, not only for being the oldest but four being the best located in that time.

Granada is located beside Big Lake Nicaragua. It was the main center of commerce due to the connection of Big Lake Nicaragua with the Caribbean Sea and just 18 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean.

The Spanish conquerors left the proof of their dominion as Granada and León still keep the original colonial houses and public buildings of that time.

The horse drawn carriage on the photo is the way of transportation used during the colony and remains the same since that time.

A tour in a horse drawn carriage is a must for visitors to Granada; it will take you back in time for more than 500 years.

Granada, the oldest colonial city in Central America, founded by the Spanish conqueror " Don Francisco Hernández de Córdoba" in 1524.

One of the biggest fortunes of the United States was made here when a steam boat driver of North America, Cornelius Vanderbilt, established a steam boat company in order to take people from the Caribbean to the Pacific during the "Gold Rush" in America.

Another bad celebrity, William Walker also left his foot prints in this region of Nicaragua when he proclaimed himself president of the Republic and declared that English was the official language of Nicargua and also tried to re-establish slavery in the region.

This city is rich in colonial architecture and the city tour allow you to close appreciate old colonial buildings like:

• Old Spanish ammunition fortress
• La Merced and Xalteva churches
• San Francisco Convent (built in 1524)
• Casa de los leones (A portal carved on stones showing two lions head)

The city has good hotels to stay with modern facilities.

Granada was witness of cruel battles. In the month of June General Walker arrived at Nicaragua. The Servile ones were prepared in mass to resist it;it maintained to a battle every three weeks. The taking of Granada immediately was followed by the massacre of Bay of the Virgin, and the necessary installation of General Walker in the power of Nicaragua.

On Nov 27th, 1856, during the national war, General Hanningsen, before leaving the main place of Granada, destroyed the two towers of the church receiving orders from William Walker and making a total fire in the church and thousand of historic documents were destroyed by the fire. The rebuilding process for the new church started in 1860. The rebuilding was in charge of an Italian architect.

To build the new church they used stone blocks from Posintepe, situated in the lower part of Mombacho volcano. The new church was finished in 1910.