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!
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).
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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!
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. You'll find advice from some FTers who live or have lived in Granada.
Last edited by SanDiego1K; Jun 20, 12 at 1:28 pm..
Reason: Grammar
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.
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.
