Historic Site · Granada, Nicaragua
Granada
Granada is a city in western Nicaragua and the capital of the Granada Department. Built 1524.
Photo: Elemaki via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Granada, Nicaragua |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | 1524 |
| Elevation | Elevation: 73 m |
| Coordinates | 11.9333° N, 85.9500° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Granada is known for
Granada is a city in western Nicaragua and the capital of the Granada Department.
About Granada
Granada is a city in western Nicaragua and the capital of the Granada Department. With an estimated population of 105,862 (2022), it is Nicaragua's ninth most populous city. Granada is historically one of Nicaragua's most important cities, economically and politically. It has a rich colonial heritage, seen in its architecture and structure.
History
The settlement of Granada was established by Spanish conquistador Hernández de Córdoba, who named it after the city of the same name in Spain. During the colonial era, Granada maintained a flourishing level of commerce with ports in the Atlantic Ocean via Lake Cocibolca and the San Juan River, and was subject to attacks from English, French and Dutch pirates. For many years Granada disputed with León its hegemony as the major city of Nicaragua, until a compromise site was agreed on and the capital was finally established at Managua between both cities. In the mid-19th century, American filibuster William Walker took up residence in Granada, and one of his generals, Charles Frederick Henningsen, set the city ablaze before escaping, destroying much of the colonial-era architecture.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Granada website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Granada |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA) |
| Distance from the airport | 20.9 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA) · Managua, Nicaragua · 20.6 miles away
- Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) · Liberia, Costa Rica · 96.6 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Nicaragua
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is Granada?
Granada is a city in western Nicaragua and the capital of the Granada Department.
Where is Granada located?
Granada is in Granada, Nicaragua. Its coordinates are 11.9333° N, 85.9500° W.
How do I get to Granada?
The nearest town is Granada, and the nearest airport is Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA), about 20.9 miles away (straight line).
When was Granada built?
Granada was built 1524.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granada,_Nicaragua — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205648 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://granadaciudadcreativa.com/ — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.