WHAT: A tranquil day at Laguna de Apoyo WHERE: 18 km from Granada, Nicaragua HOW LONG: You could visit laguna de Apoyo as a day trip from Granada, but we made an overnighter out of it, since we thought the place was absolutely amazing HOW MUCH: That would depend on the hotel you're opting. We stayed at Selva Azul for $60,- for a room with private (!) minipool. Most hotels ask a $10,- for entrance for the entire day. This includes the rent of beach beds, kayaks and/or SUP-boards.
Laguna the Apoyo is a beautiful crater lake near Granada in a scenic valley. The shores are surrounded by steep overgrown mountain walls and star a lot of wildlife too. Most tourists only come here for a day trip, which is an excellent choice. But if you like to have the full experience I’d suggest you have an overnight stay. There are a number of hotels in the area, but not too many, so it feels like tourism is still underdeveloped in here, thankfully.
There’s only one access road to the lake itself, on the western side. If you’re merely looking for jungle and tranquility you should turn right and the end of that road, since that’s where most of the monkeys are situated. Don’t expect a lot of people on the way, you’ll have the road probably to yourself. And some birds. Now if you turn left however, you have more options for restaurants and hotels, which might be pleasant too.
The easiest way to actually get to the lake (and to have a swim) is via a hotel or beach club. You have to pay an admission fee of $10,- at most places, in return for a full day of access to the lake and beach beds, kayaks and/or a SUP board. We entered via Selva Azul and had a lovely afternoon, with a lot of swimming, reading, snacking and a couple of Toña beers. Though we weren’t completely alone at the time being, it was a very tranquil stay near the refreshing waters that are so bright you can see the fish swimming beneath you. 
The next morning before breakfast and before the sun could shine the hell out of us, we went down to the lake again, but this time with our SUP boards. It was amazingly peaceful over there in the early hours. The water was even more tranquil and all we could hear was the sound of chirping birds and the fierce noise of the howler monkeys on the shores of the lake.
If you like to have an overnight stay as well, there’re several decent places around the lake to consider. I’ve been at Selva Azul and at Paradiso Hostel (we took the bus from over there), which is a bit cheaper, but seemed okay too. Other hotels include The Monkey Hut, Laguna Beach Club, Hotel Posada Ecologica La Abuela and a lot of casas (those often are cheaper too). If you’re looking for yoga, wellness and organic food, you might opt for the southern Apoyo Lodge. Whatever you choose, I wish you a lot of fun and a relaxing time over there!
