Granada Transportation

We just recently returned from Granada and hired a driver to take us (family of 5) to the markets, the surrounding towns, Managua, the volcano and many more places. He is BY FAR the cheapest in town. He speaks very good English and is very professional. His contact info is ismaben3@yahoo.com.

We just recently returned from Granada and hired a driver to take us (family of 5) to the markets, the surrounding towns, Managua, the volcano and many more places. He is BY FAR the cheapest in town. He speaks very good English and is very professional. His contact info is ismaben3@yahoo.com.

We bought Tica (not Nica) Bus Tickets at their shop in Granada for the following day. Good to buy a few days ahead as they sell quickly.

Tica Bus is the firstclass bus service in Central America. Yes, the buses are nice however there are a few things to be prepared for. The buses have air-conditioning on high so it is very cold. They play Disney movies on full blast so have ear plugs. They have no toilet paper in the washroom so bring some. Other than that Tica Bus is a great way to go. They do a lot for you at many of the border crossings too so that is a great help.

We paid to take the bus ride from Managua, Nicaragua to Guatemala City, Guatemala but the bus stops in San Salvador, El Salvador for a night. The cost for Managua to Guate was approx. $60US. The ride from Managua to San Salvador took approximately 12 hours.

One day Petra and I made a very nice trip from Granada to Pueblos Blancos and Laguna de Apoyo. We took a chicken bus that leaves from a block south of the market, across from the Shell station, and goes to San Juan de Oriente and Catarina. The bus was already full when we left. On the way it stopped on every corner so more and more people were coming in the bus. After about 40 minutes we arrived in San Juan de Oriente, a small village known for the production of pottery.

Another village that we wanted to visit was Catarina. We asked some local people about the bus. They told us it was very close so we decided to walk. Catarina is a little bigger than San Juan de Oriente. It is known for its green houses, but most of the people come here for the Mirador (viewpoint) which offers a spectacular view of Laguna de Apoyo. The viewpoint is just a short walk from the village. From there we went by a three wheel taxi to Laguna de Apoyo where we spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beach.

For going back we took a 4pm bus that runs from Laguna de Apoyo to Masaya, and got out at the main road that connects Managua (and Masaya) with Granada. We did not have to wait long until the bus to Granada arrived. The journey was short, it only took about 15 minutes. The bus stopped at the bus station near the old hospital (some 8 blocks west from Parque Central) from where we walked to the city centre.

It is easy to get from Granada to Masaya by bus. You can take any bus to Managua, they all stop in Masaya. The chicken bus (old American school buses, usually yellow which are very common in this part of the world) leaves from the bus station near the market, just around the corner from Palí supermarket. It makes several stops before leaving the town, also very close to Calle El Almendro where I was staying, which was very convenient for me.

Buses run frequently, from 5am to 6pm. They leave when they are full but usually you don't need to wait long. The journey takes a little more than 30 minutes and it was 10 cordobas (December 2010). The bus will drop you off in the massive bus lot behind the huge Mercado Municipal (Mercado Nuevo), a typical local market where you can get everything from live chickens to vegetables, toiletries, clothes and a wide selection of lower-quality handicrafts. The famous Mercado de Artesanías (Mercado Viejo) is a short walk from here.

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There is a good bus connection between Granada and Rivas. Chicken buses leave from a block south of the market, across from the Shell station. I left my hotel at 5:30 in the morning with the intention to catch the earliest bus to Rivas. The first one only left at 6:30am so I had enough time to wander around the market which was becoming lively with people bringing large heaps of fruits and vegetables for sale.

The bus was rather full when we left. With many stops on the way, after 1,5 hours we finally arrived to the bus terminal in Rivas. It's a rather bustling terminal and it took a while until I found a taxi to San Jorge. The taxi driver dropped me off at the ferry terminal from where the ferries leave to Isla de Ometepe. There are two ports to land on Isla de Ometepe, Moyagalpa and San José del Sur. I took a 9:30am ferry to San José del Sur. The ticket was 50 córdobas (December 2010) and I bought it on board. The journey took one hour.

While I was having coffee in the bar at the ferry terminal a guy came to me asking if I needed a taxi from San José del Sur to my accommodation. He wanted 20 US $ which I found too expensive. Later on he came back telling me there was a small group of people (a family of four) that was going to do a day tour on the island. I could join them to Finca El Porvenir where I was staying and we agreed on the price of 10 US $. A visit of El Porvenir and the petroglyphes was on their itinerery anyway, they just did it at the beginning instead of at the end of the trip. To get there from San José del Sur was a pleasant one hour ride with the driver explaining things about the island. And it was very convenient for me to have a transportation right to the place.

There is no direct bus from Granada to León. You have to change it in Managua. Minibuses and large vans make the trip from Granada to Managua for 20 córdobas (December 2010). They leave Granada every 20 minutes starting at 6:30am. The trip lasts about an hour. Buses leave Ganada from Calle Vega, one block south of the Parque Central, and arrive at the UCA bus terminal in Managua (UCA = Universidad Centroamericana; the terminal is located across the street from the university).

As soon as we approached the terminal, there were drivers calling 'Leon', 'Granada' etc, depending on where they were heading, so it was easy to find the right bus. The express minibus leaves as soon as all seats are taken so usually you don't need to wait long. But since it was December 24th (when many people travel) there was a long line of passengers waiting for the bus. Surprisingly, we did not need to wait very long as buses were coming and leaving all the time. After about 30 minutes I was on the bus to León. The journey took about 1,5 hours and it was 40 córdobas. You don't have to purchase a ticket in advance, just get it on the bus.

At the bus terminal in Leon I took a taxi to hotel El sueño de Meme where I was going to meet my friend Petra. The taxi was 15 cordobas.

I needed to be at the airport at 5am to catch the 6:15am flight from Managua to Big Corn Island. I used Paxeos shuttle service on my arrival to Nicaragua (to get from Managua airport to Granada). Since I was very satisfied with their service I used them again. I arranged the transportation in their office at Parque Central next to the Catedral, one day prior my trip. It was 15 US $ (December 2010). The driver picked me up at 4am on Calle La Calzada, in front of Hospedaje Café Ruíz where I was staying.

The fastest and most convenient option to reach the Corn Islands is to take the plane. La Costeña has two daily flights from Managua to Big Corn Island, usually once in the morning and again in early to mid afternoon. The flight takes about 1,5 hours. Sometimes there is a short stop in Bluefields (in my case it was both times). You will be flying on either a 12 seat dual prop plane or the bigger plane with up to 46 seats. There is a weight limit for the plane so be careful about how much luggage you bring. They weight each passenger with their luggage before boarding.

La Costena has online booking (www.lacostena.com.ni). Alternatively, you can book in a travel agency at Parque Central in Granada. I heard about the cases that people with the ticket could not get on the plane because too many tickets were sold for the same flight. Boris from La Siesta suggested to get to the airport as soon as possible and try to purchase ticket there. Not all the passenger book in advance so in most cases there are a few places left. Just in case, a few days before my flight I also made a reservation via e-mail. The best person to contact is Julio Caballero who speaks perfect English. His e-mail address is: jcaballero@lacostena.com.ni. Though from my experience, they did not accept such reservation. But anyway, I could arrange everything right at the airport. The cost of a round trip ticket was 164 US $ with a tax (December 2010). They accept VISA, Mastercard and US dollars. I got an open return ticket. That means I could choose the return date as long as there was room on the plane.

On my return to Managua the driver from Paxeos was waiting for me at the airport. Shuttle van to Granada was 18 US $.