Islets of Granada

The Islets of Granada are a group of about 365 small islands scattered across Lake Nicaragua near the Asese peninsula, southeast of the city of Granada. They formed when the nearby Mombacho volcano erupted thousands of years ago and threw much of its cone into the lake, scattering fragments that became the islets. Most are vegetated and support varied bird life, and many are inhabited or hold hotels and vacation homes reached by tourist boat. An eighteenth-century fort called Fort San Pablo, built on one islet to defend the city of Granada from pirates, still stands as a reminder of the colonial history of the area.