Taking a boat out among the 365 islands near Granada was my favorite thing we did in Nicaragua. We went with Tierra Tours (we arranged it the night before, but we probably could have set it up that morning), and Carlos, our guide, was terrific. We ended up having a boat to ourselves, which was really nice. And Carlos knew his birds, which were the main attraction for me. They were all over the place—three different kinds of herons, other shorebirds, kiskadees—and Carlos could spot them and identify them. We stopped at the old fort that occupies one of the islands, and weaved among the other islands where folks, including a fair number of ex-pats, have built homes, some of which are quite opulent. We spotted a sleeping howler monkey, and then swung by Monkey island, where spider monkeys and capuchins that have picked up names such as J. Lo and Lolo came down to greet the boat. We also stopped off at La Pirata café for delicious fresh fruit smoothies. If I go back, I might try a kayak tour, which was another option. You wouldn’t cover as much ground, I assume, but you might sneak up on some good birds.
More Recommendations
Among the Islands of Lake Nicaragua
Taking a boat out among the 365 islands near Granada was my favorite thing we did in Nicaragua. We went with Tierra Tours (we arranged it the night before, but we probably could have set it up that morning), and Carlos, our guide, was terrific. We ended up having a boat to ourselves, which was really nice. And Carlos knew his birds, which were the main attraction for me. They were all over the place—three different kinds of herons, other shorebirds, kiskadees—and Carlos could spot them and identify them. We stopped at the old fort that occupies one of the islands, and weaved among the other islands where folks, including a fair number of ex-pats, have built homes, some of which are quite opulent. We spotted a sleeping howler monkey, and then swung by Monkey island, where spider monkeys and capuchins that have picked up names such as J. Lo and Lolo came down to greet the boat. We also stopped off at La Pirata café for delicious fresh fruit smoothies. If I go back, I might try a kayak tour, which was another option. You wouldn’t cover as much ground, I assume, but you might sneak up on some good birds.
