Central America - Questions about MGA, Managua and Granada, Nicaragua

I'm traveling to Nicaragua in late July for a hunting trip. We will arrive at MGA around 2 p.m., and will be overnighting in town. Several questions for the Flyertalk brain trust:

1. Will my United Club card or an AmEx PLT allow access to the VIP lounge at MGA? Anything else we should know about flying in/out of MGA?

2. Recommendations on a good hotel? Doesn't have to be near the airport.

3. Recommendation(s) on anything we should see in our afternoon/evening in Managua? Someplace we could purchase something nice for our spousal units would be good!

4. Recommendation on a restaurant for dinner?

Many thanks!

In case you didn't see it over at the UA forum, and to help with any future searches on the topic:

Doesn't seem they have a contract with any airline. $30 + tax for adults and $10 + tax for children. Also a 6 hour advance reservation is required.

http://www.eaai.com.ni/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=24&lang=en

Check out the active volcano that you can hike to the rim at, it's not too far from Managua. Also Granada is a nice town to check out, right on Lake Nicaragua.

Thanks! Found the airport website, as well as some other limited information from a google search before I posted. I generally trust information from Flyertalk more than most other sources, though...

We are going to be at a lodge near Granada, so will try to make it into town. Looks like a really pretty area.

Managua is not a particularly nice city, and not much to see there. Even the lake isn't much ...

Agree on Granada and the volcano. You can hire a boat for a nice ride around the islands (the lake is more interesting with the islets). One of them has monkeys on it that will take food from people (I'm sure all guides/boat drivers know which ones).

EmailKid

The Crowne Plaza in MGA should be fine for a night and/or meal. Not too much to see in MGA. You might wander downtown to see the old cathedral (destroyed by earthquake), theater, museum, etc. The Huellas de Acahualinca are worth a stop (footprints from thousands of years ago preserved following volcanic eruption). They're in a residential neighborhood maybe 10 mins or so from downtown, but a cab should be able to find.

Agreed that Granada is the much better bet. It's under an hour from MGA, so really no need to stay in MGA if you don't want to. The market in Masaya is also a popular stop on the way down to Granada. Enjoy!

We stayed at the Managua Hilton last November and thought it was just fine:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/520182-hotel-princess-managua.html

Here's a great report by bingbongboy on the IC Managua:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/intercontinental-hotels-priority-club-inter-continental-ambassador/1116159-ic-managua.html

Thanks to all. We have decided to stay in Granada, so same questions apply.

I've updated your title to show your broader interest.

When I was planning my visit last year, I found very helpful information in this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/central-america/1082878-nicaraqua.html). You'll find advice from some FTers who live or have lived in Granada.

Thanks, SD1K - where did you end up staying/dining? I suspect El Zaguan will be our restaurant of choice, but open to options...

I wanted to stay at Hotel El Convento with a balcony overlooking the square. Those rooms were sold out. We stayed at Casa San Francisco, owned by sisters who were Peace Corp volunteers back in the day. There were many good things about it, but our room was very small and spartan.

I highly recommend taking a boat tour of the lake. We booked a private one, and found all the small islands with homes from simple to luxurious very interesting.

We really liked Hotel Los Patios -- owned by a Danish family, very stylish and comfortable.

El Zaguan is OK, nothing special. We actally enjoyed a meal at the Gran Francia, which also has A/C.

You might want to check before driving up. Volcano Masaya has been closed for a bit. Went up with a friend who is a park ranger a couple of weeks back and it is quite active! They could open or close it at anytime, just check before heading out for the day.

You might want to check before driving up. Volcano Masaya has been closed for a bit. Went up with a friend who is a park ranger a couple of weeks back and it is quite active! They could open or close it at anytime, just check before heading out for the day.

Wow, I was there four months ago and the volcano was smoldering, to the point where you really didn't know what was going to happen or if you'd be safe if the volcano did become more active.

what are you hunting?

Dove over grainfields. Mostly whitewing, with about 10% mourning dove.

* Definitely do a boat tour of Las Isletas. Only a few minutes drive from Granada, and it's a neat place.
* You also might want to check out the Catarina lookout over the Apoyo lagoon. Nice little spot, and that area is one of the better places to buy pottery if you stop where people are selling it out of their homes. Haven't been there in a few years so no idea if it's still around, but there's a restaurant in that general area called Bucaneros which overlooks the lagoon... a nice place to sit and enjoy a few drinks.
* If you want to venture a little further out, San Juan del Sur is a nice beach town to the south.
* Best things to take home with you: coffee, rum, pottery, possibly a hammock or a rocking chair. For the first two, stop by a Colonia/Union supermarket and stock up. My personal favorite is the Flor de Caña 7-year-old dark rum. Masaya market is probably the best place to go to sample the other tourist wares.

Doesn't seem they have a contract with any airline. $30 + tax for adults and $10 + tax for children. Also a 6 hour advance reservation is required.

http://www.eaai.com.ni/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=24&lang=en.

No reservation is required in reality or you could call them on the way to the airport, seriously. You need Spanish to talk to them.

It is never crowded as only COPA passengers in J/C get in free, plus there are a few discounts for some Nicaraguan credit cards.

You can also use it for arrivals. If I arrive and it is packed to the rafters in arrivals I use the VIP lounge. People meeting you can come up and wait with you as long as they can pass security (my driver is armed so he doesn't come up but my ex-companion used to). They can visit with you on departures as well, up to two people IIRC.

If you are paying for departure they will obtain your boarding passes and check luggage and clear you through immigration and on arrival, same thing. So if you stump up the dough get all the services.

It is popular on arrivals, for those bringing a lot of luggage as you are not there when it goes through customs, they come get you after that. Hard to shake you down for a bribe that way.

They will also arrange a taxi on arrivals for you so you won't get (as badly) overcharged.

For $35 with VAT it's quite a deal.