Tips and Tricks for Nicaragua (As Of 2012)

Ometepe:

Getting There – From SJDS, take a bus from close to the market in town to Rivas for 15C each, then a taxi to San Jorge for 25C. You can get a launcha (the smaller boat) for 30C to get to Malogapa where you can get a bus to the rest of the island. If going to Merida it will cost you 24C each.

Staying – In Merida we stayed at Monkeys Island…decent prices on private rooms 345C, cheaper food than other places, and a nice staff. The down side is you’re a ways away from pretty much everything and we didn’t exactly love the food there. Hacienda Merida is another option but much pricier even for a dorm…just go there for the ice cream!

Eating – Food is just downright expensive here and every place has different prices. If you can, try to bring some food you can make for lunch and/or dinner so you don’t have to pay for so many meals in the restaurants.

Getting Around – You can rent motorbikes as soon as you get there for around $20-25 per day. There are also horses and bicycles to rent if you don’t want to walk or want to check out another village. The taxi is going to be a LOT faster than the almost painfully slow local bus but will also cost you quite a bit more. You kind of have to pick your poison here. Also, depending on the time of day, you might be on a launcha or a small ferry and the prices can vary a bit. If it’s windy and you tend to get seasick, we’d recommend taking the ferry, 60C, for sure!

San Juan Del Sur:

Getting There – If leaving from Granada, you can get a bus easily from the bus terminal close to Oasis to get to Rivas for 30C and then another 20C each from Rivas to SJDS.

Staying – We stayed at Casa Oro which was a nice place to stay and we would definitely recommend. Free breakfast and coffee in the morning is included in the 185C charge per dorm bed.

Eating – One of the best deals in town is at the market where you can get a chicken meal with rice, beans, fried plantains, and a little bit of salad for about 60C.

Getting Around – This place is super small so you can walk everywhere you want to. However, if you want to check out the nicer beaches you’ll have to pay anywhere from $5 return to $10 return. Be advised that many of the beaches are NOT safe to walk around, especially from beach to beach. Definitely ask around so you know where the safest spots are.

Leon:

Getting There – We booked a ticket when we were in El Tunco, El Salvador for a bus that would leave from San Salvador and head straight into Nicaragua, making the border a piece of cake. We opted to take the coaster from El Tunco to San Salvador for $1.50 each. The tickets for the trip into Nicaragua on Tica Bus were $30 each. The quickest thing to do is get dropped off on the corner where the road splits to Leon and grab a public bus from there, 35 Cordoba each and then a taxi for 40 Cordoba. We also had to pay $3 to go through Honduras at the border and $15 to leave Nicaragua on Tica Bus.

Staying – We HIGHLY recommend staying a Bigfoot, super cool vibe, nice staff, clean and comfortable with security at night. A dorm will run you 135C each.

Eating – Probably the best deal in town is close to the main square where you can get a full meal with rice, beans and chicken at Mijunas Bar Café for 50C per plate with a free drink thrown in.

Getting Around – You’ll probably be taking a taxi to and from the bus station unless you take the local bus which fills upincredibly fast and makes it really tough with packs on. It’ll run you 40C for the ride. A bus to Las Penitas and back is 20C roundtrip per person.

Granada:

Getting There – We took a public bus from Leon toManagua for 20C and then 40C to get to Granada.

Staying – Dorms at La Libertad are 135C and you may get bed bugs as a parting gift. Los Amigos is close to Oasis and we had our own room with cable TV for 370C with free breakfast and coffee included. Nice place! But very quiet, not a good place to meet lots of other travelers.

Eating – You can find some decently priced places here, including a place right next to Amigos where the average meal is about 50C each. In the main square you can find pretty cheap food as well.

Getting Around – No need for transportation here other than taking a bus to Masaya to check out the market. You’ll pay about 17C per person roundtrip.