Highlights of Nicaragua: Granada, Ometepe & Leon

Today you explore beautiful Granada, one of the oldest and loveliest colonial cities in the Americas. You walk the handsome central plaza, dominated by the ochre-yellow cathedral, and step inside its cool, lofty interior. You climb the bell tower of the pink-and-yellow La Merced church for a sweeping rooftop panorama of red-tiled roofs, church domes, the shimmering lake and the Mombacho volcano beyond, best of all at golden hour. You wander the lively Calle La Calzada, lined with cafes and music, admire the grand mansions of merchants and coffee barons, and visit the Convento San Francisco with its ancient pre-Columbian statues. The colour, warmth and easy elegance are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel amid the glowing streets. This evening, savour Granada's relaxed atmosphere. Rest well, for tomorrow you cruise the islets of Lake Nicaragua.

Today combines the serenity of the lake with the raw power of a volcano. In the morning you board a boat to glide among Las Isletas, a beautiful archipelago of 365 tiny tropical islands scattered off Granada, drifting past lush green islets fringed with palms, spotting herons, cormorants and a colony of playful monkeys, with the Mombacho volcano rising behind. After lunch, you visit the Masaya craft market, filling an old fortress with hammocks, ceramics and colour, then drive to Masaya Volcano National Park. As dusk falls, you reach the rim of the smoking Santiago crater, where an incandescent lake of molten lava glows and churns far below, a rare and mesmerising sight. The tranquillity of the lake and the fire of the volcano make an unforgettable day. Rest well back in Granada.

Today you journey to Ometepe, one of the most extraordinary islands in the Americas. You drive south along the shore of Lake Nicaragua to the little port of San Jorge, then cross by ferry as the twin volcanoes of Ometepe, the perfect cone of Concepcion and the cloud-wrapped Maderas, loom ever larger from the vast freshwater sea. Reaching the island, you settle into your lodge amid banana and coffee plantations, with the volcanoes towering above. In the afternoon you might visit the Ojo de Agua, a beautiful natural swimming hole fed by crystal-clear volcanic springs, floating in its cool blue water beneath shady trees, or seek out ancient stone petroglyphs carved by pre-Columbian peoples. The sense of stepping back in time is profound. This evening, dinner at your lodge beneath the stars. Rest well on magical Ometepe.

Today you explore more of enchanting Ometepe at an unhurried island pace. You might take a nature walk on the forested lower slopes of the Maderas volcano, where howler monkeys roar in the canopy and butterflies drift through the trees, or kayak the tranquil Istian river channel between the two volcanoes, gliding past turtles, caimans and abundant birdlife. You visit sleepy villages where ox-carts still trundle the lanes, tour a small coffee or plantain farm, and relax on a black-sand lake beach as the water laps gently. The island's plantations, petroglyphs, springs and villages reveal a Nicaragua of a gentler age. The beauty and serenity are unforgettable. As the day ends, you watch the sun set behind Concepcion, painting the lake gold. This evening, dinner at your lodge. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey north to revolutionary Leon.

Today you leave Ometepe and journey north to Leon, Nicaragua's vibrant colonial and revolutionary heart. You take the morning ferry back across the lake, watching the twin volcanoes shrink behind you, then travel north through a landscape of volcanoes, plantations and small towns, skirting the capital, to reach Leon in the afternoon. A hot, energetic city of soaring bleached churches, university life and vivid political murals, Leon has a very different character from graceful Granada. You settle into your hotel, then take a first evening stroll through streets alive with student cafes and music, perhaps pausing in the central plaza before the great white cathedral as the swifts wheel overhead. The passion and energy of Leon are immediately felt. This evening, savour the flavours of a Leon eatery. Rest well, ready to explore the city tomorrow.

Today you explore Leon in depth. You visit the great Cathedral of Leon, the largest in Central America and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and climb onto its blazing white rooftop for sweeping views of the city and the chain of volcanoes on the horizon; beneath its floor lies the beloved national poet Ruben Dario, guarded by a stone lion. You wander streets vivid with revolutionary murals, learning the moving story of the Sandinista uprising at the Museum of the Revolution and the Gallery of Heroes and Martyrs, and visit the house-museum of Ruben Dario. You browse the bustling central market and lively plazas. The passion, culture and history are captivating. As the day ends, you return through Leon's animated streets. This evening, savour the city's convivial atmosphere. Rest well, reflecting on your beautiful Nicaraguan journey.

Today you journey from Leon back towards Managua, with time for a final experience along the way. You might pause at the surreal Leon Viejo, the UNESCO-listed ruins of the original city abandoned after a volcanic eruption in the sixteenth century, its foundations still standing beside the smoking Momotombo volcano and the lake; or, for the adventurous, admire the black volcanic cone of Cerro Negro, famous for volcano boarding, from below. You then travel to Managua, Nicaragua's lakeside capital, taking in its lively malecon, cathedral and monuments to the country's turbulent history. As the day ends, you settle into your Managua hotel, gathering your impressions of the beautiful, varied country you have crossed. This evening, savour a final dinner, reflecting on the colonial cities, volcanoes and lakes of Nicaragua. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow, carrying warm memories.

After a final morning in Managua, perhaps a last stroll along the lakeside or some souvenir shopping, you are transferred to the airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced the very best of Nicaragua, the pastel streets and lakeside islets of colonial Granada, the twin volcanoes of Ometepe rising from the lake, the glowing lava lake of Masaya, and revolutionary Leon with its great white cathedral and the tomb of Ruben Dario. The images stay vivid long after you land, the glowing cathedral rooftops at sunset, the emerald islets alive with monkeys and herons, the ferry approaching Ometepe, and the fiery churn of the Masaya crater. Nicaragua offers beauty, authenticity, adventure and genuine warmth in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this beautiful and welcoming land.