Las Isletas Kayak Tour on Lake Nicaragua from Granada

Las Isletas de Granada

Las Isletas are a cluster of small islands just off the shore of Granada, formed thousands of years ago when part of Mombacho Volcano collapsed in a huge eruption and scattered rock and debris into Lake Nicaragua. Over time the rocks were covered by soil and forest, and today the islets are green with mango trees, palms and flowering shrubs, separated by narrow, calm channels.

Each islet has its own character: some are inhabited by fishing families who live much as their grandparents did, others hold holiday houses with gardens down to the water, and some are left wild for the birds. On a Las Isletas kayak tour you see all of this at water level and in silence, which makes it far more intimate than a motorboat ride, and you reach corners boats cannot enter.

San Pablo fort

On a tiny islet at the edge of the archipelago stands the small San Pablo fort, built by the Spanish in the late 18th century to defend Granada against pirates who sailed up the San Juan River and across the lake to raid the rich colonial city. Its low stone walls and simple watchtower are weathered by time, and its position commands the approach to the city.

The kayak route lands here so you can walk around the fort and climb to its viewpoint. From the top the view is superb: the open lake on one side, the islets all around, the skyline of Granada with its church domes on the shore, and the great green cone of Mombacho Volcano to the south. It is the historical highlight of the tour and a favourite photo stop.

Lake Nicaragua and Mombacho Volcano

Lake Nicaragua, also called Cocibolca, is the largest lake in Central America, so wide that on some days it feels like an inland sea, with waves and distant horizons. It holds hundreds of islands, from Las Isletas near Granada to the twin-volcano island of Ometepe far to the south. Early in the morning its surface is usually smooth, ideal for kayaking.

Above the islets rises Mombacho Volcano, about 1,340 metres high, its summit often wrapped in cloud and covered with cloud forest that is protected as a nature reserve. Paddling in its shadow at sunrise is the image most visitors remember. Birds are very active at this hour: herons, egrets, cormorants, kingfishers and ospreys, and on some islets you may hear or see monkeys in the trees.

Granada, Nicaragua

Granada, on the north-western shore of Lake Nicaragua, was founded in 1524 and is one of the oldest colonial cities on the American mainland. Its centre is a grid of colourful single-storey houses with tiled roofs, shady courtyards and grand churches, including the yellow cathedral on the central park, and horse-drawn carriages still pass through its streets.

The tour picks you up at your hotel in Granada at about 6:00, and the kayak station is only about 15 minutes away by car. The early start means calm water, cool air and the best light, and you are back in the city by mid-morning, with the rest of the day free to explore. For anyone looking for things to do in Granada, Nicaragua, this is one of the most rewarding ways to start the day.