Walking the Streets and Cathedral of Granada, Nicaragua

Calle la Calzada, Granada

Our tour’s first stop in Granada, Nicaragua, was for a stroll along the beautiful Calle la Calzada.  This pedestrian street is lined with colorful buildings, statuesque street lamps, and tree-shaded benches.  We started this stroll near the Guadalupe Church pictured below.  This church dates back to the 17th Century, and it was once used as a fortress in 1856 by the infamous American military filibuster William Wallace.  If a U.S. citizen wants to truly understand why to this day the United States is so distrusted south of our border with Mexico and throughout Central and much of South America, one only needs to read up on this mercenary adventurer and his attempts to conquer Mexico, Nicaragua (where he actually ruled as “president” from July 1856 to May 1857), and Honduras.

Guadalupe Church of Granada

In the photos presented today the Calle la Calzada may appear nearly deserted, but it was actually busier than hinted at here.  While not exactly bustling, it was sparsely enough populated that I was able to wait out any “crowds”, as I had allowed our tour group to get well ahead of me.  Even so, most of my photography that day had at least some people in them.

Calle la Calzada, Granada

As I’m sure you noticed so far, one of the most striking features here are the brightly colored buildings.  They were truly a delight to capture.

Calle la Calzada, Granada

At the western edge of Calle la Calzada are the Cathedral Plaza (Plaza de la Catedral), Central Park (Parque Central), and of course the Cathedral of Granada (Catedral de Granada — Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral).  Also here is an interesting statue titled “A la Madre Toda Abnegacion y Amor“, which translates to “A Mother is All Selflessness and Love”.

“A Mother is All Selflessness and Love”

Also here at Plaza de la Catedral is the Century Cross, which stands beside the cathedral.

Century Cross in the Plaza de la Independencia

And rounding the corner you get your first glimpse of the Granada Cathedral with its bright mustard exterior with stark white trim and dark red domes.

Granada Cathedral and Plaza de la Catedral

Let’s take a tour of the inside:

Granada Cathedral

Granada Cathedral

Granada Cathedral