Getting to Ometepe
Get from Managua to Rivas [2.5 hours]
Getting from Managua (wherever you are staying) to Rivas – your second last destination before you reach a ferry, is the biggest distance you will have to cover.
Arrange transport service
This will be pricey. You are essentially taking a cab for 111km. The transport service will get you from Managua airport to Rivas for $70 USD. Ouch! Do shop around.
Take a local “chicken” bus
If you have never taken a local bus while travelling, this may be a bit of culture shock. But it’s also fun - and educational!
If you are taking a bus to Rivas, you will first need to get from wherever you are staying to the bus station terminal [Mercado Roberto Huembes]. A cab will probably be the most efficient option. The price equivalent to roughly $5.50 USD or 160 Cordobas (for an 8-minute ride).
Buses leave from Mercado Roberto Huembes every 20 minutes or so. Just show up and you will be able to hop on the next bus. Try to get on an express bus if you can. The ticket is just over $2 USD or 60 Cordobas.
Getting from Rivas to San Jorge
[10 minutes]If you were travelling from Managua in a cab, this is not something you need to worry about.
But if you took a bus from Managua to Rivas, you need to know that the actual ferry that takes you to the island leaves from San Jorge , not Rivas. And there is no direct bus from Managua to San Jorge.
Cab
This cost me around $3.75 USD or 100 Cordobas without haggling. The driver mentioned that 4-5 people can easily arrange for a bigger cab, paying less than $1 USD or 20 Cordobas each.
Bus
This will be significantly cheaper than the cab, however, you are depending on the bus schedule – buses do not run very frequently. Given the reasonable price tag of the cab ride, I would not recommend this option.
Walk
For the fittest of the pack, this is always the cheapest option. Keep in mind that it is at least 5km to the port.
FROM SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
The San José International Airport (SJO) is located about 20 minutes by car from downtown San José, which is where you will need to go in order to catch the bus to Nicaragua.
By Local Buses: You can take a local bus that leaves from the airport and takes you to downtown San José for about $1. From there you will want to go to the Transportes Deldú bus station, which is located on Av. 1 y 3, Calle 22 (A taxi to get there costs about $4). The trip to Peñas Blancas (the border with Nicaragua) is about 5 hours and will cost you $9. Their bus schedule is located online here (http://www.transportesdeldu.com/horariostarifas.html).
At the border, you will need to get your passport stamped on the Costa Rican side and then walk about 1km to the Nicaraguan side and get it stamped again. Allow yourself at least 90 minutes for border formalities. After crossing, you can take a local bus to Rivas for about $1 (1 hour), and then a taxi to San Jorge for $1.50 (15 minutes).
By Taxi to Long Distance Bus: A taxi into San José from the airport will cost you $25. You will want to go to the Tica Bus station and buy a ticket to Rivas, Nicaragua, which will cost about $22. Tica buses often sell out, so it’s best to buy your ticket ahead of time. The full trip to Rivas, including border formalities, will take 7-9 hours, depending on how busy the border is. From Rivas, you can take a taxi to San Jorge, which is 15 minutes away, for $1.50.
BUS FROM SAN JUAN DEL SUR TO RIVAS
These old school buses leave from the centre of town very frequently and fill up quickly. Ask for a fare to Rivas Terminal.
Cost: 25C per person | Time: 45 - 60 minutes
DO NOT GET OFF THIS BUS UNTIL YOU REACH RIVAS BUS TERMINAL
I discovered that, about 1km before the bus station, this bus will sometimes stop and tell people heading to Ometepe to get off there. Or, some helpful looking young guys will get on and tell you that this is the stop for Ometepe. DON'T BELIEVE THEM!
These guys are taxi-drivers who will insist, once you're off the bus, that there is actually no way to get to the Ometepe boat except by their taxi. They'll probably throw in that the last boat of the day leaves in only 30 minutes. In the same spot, they also try the same trick for people wanting to head to to Popoyo/Las Salinas.
So, remember to STAY ON THE BUS until the terminus which is in the market and is made clear by...lots of other buses!
FROM GRANADA TO OMETEPE
Ometepe Island can be reached in two ways, the first is by means of Granada, there is a ferry that leaves on Monday and Thursday toward the island, but it takes like 5 hours to arrive. CHECK OUR FERRY SCHEDULE. The other option is to take a bus that leaves every our from the market of Granada and cost 31 cords ($ 1.50).
Getting from Managua (wherever you are staying) to Rivas – your second last destination before you reach a ferry, is the biggest distance you will have to cover.
Arrange transport service
This will be pricey. You are essentially taking a cab for 111km. The transport service will get you from Managua airport to Rivas for $70 USD. Ouch! Do shop around.
Take a local “chicken” bus
If you have never taken a local bus while travelling, this may be a bit of culture shock. But it’s also fun - and educational!
If you are taking a bus to Rivas, you will first need to get from wherever you are staying to the bus station terminal [Mercado Roberto Huembes]. A cab will probably be the most efficient option. The price equivalent to roughly $5.50 USD or 160 Cordobas (for an 8-minute ride).
Buses leave from Mercado Roberto Huembes every 20 minutes or so. Just show up and you will be able to hop on the next bus. Try to get on an express bus if you can. The ticket is just over $2 USD or 60 Cordobas.
Getting from Rivas to San Jorge
[10 minutes]If you were travelling from Managua in a cab, this is not something you need to worry about.
But if you took a bus from Managua to Rivas, you need to know that the actual ferry that takes you to the island leaves from San Jorge , not Rivas. And there is no direct bus from Managua to San Jorge.
Cab
This cost me around $3.75 USD or 100 Cordobas without haggling. The driver mentioned that 4-5 people can easily arrange for a bigger cab, paying less than $1 USD or 20 Cordobas each.
Bus
This will be significantly cheaper than the cab, however, you are depending on the bus schedule – buses do not run very frequently. Given the reasonable price tag of the cab ride, I would not recommend this option.
Walk
For the fittest of the pack, this is always the cheapest option. Keep in mind that it is at least 5km to the port.
FROM SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
The San José International Airport (SJO) is located about 20 minutes by car from downtown San José, which is where you will need to go in order to catch the bus to Nicaragua.
By Local Buses: You can take a local bus that leaves from the airport and takes you to downtown San José for about $1. From there you will want to go to the Transportes Deldú bus station, which is located on Av. 1 y 3, Calle 22 (A taxi to get there costs about $4). The trip to Peñas Blancas (the border with Nicaragua) is about 5 hours and will cost you $9. Their bus schedule is located online here (http://www.transportesdeldu.com/horariostarifas.html).
At the border, you will need to get your passport stamped on the Costa Rican side and then walk about 1km to the Nicaraguan side and get it stamped again. Allow yourself at least 90 minutes for border formalities. After crossing, you can take a local bus to Rivas for about $1 (1 hour), and then a taxi to San Jorge for $1.50 (15 minutes).
By Taxi to Long Distance Bus: A taxi into San José from the airport will cost you $25. You will want to go to the Tica Bus station and buy a ticket to Rivas, Nicaragua, which will cost about $22. Tica buses often sell out, so it’s best to buy your ticket ahead of time. The full trip to Rivas, including border formalities, will take 7-9 hours, depending on how busy the border is. From Rivas, you can take a taxi to San Jorge, which is 15 minutes away, for $1.50.
BUS FROM SAN JUAN DEL SUR TO RIVAS
These old school buses leave from the centre of town very frequently and fill up quickly. Ask for a fare to Rivas Terminal.
Cost: 25C per person | Time: 45 - 60 minutes
DO NOT GET OFF THIS BUS UNTIL YOU REACH RIVAS BUS TERMINAL
I discovered that, about 1km before the bus station, this bus will sometimes stop and tell people heading to Ometepe to get off there. Or, some helpful looking young guys will get on and tell you that this is the stop for Ometepe. DON'T BELIEVE THEM!
These guys are taxi-drivers who will insist, once you're off the bus, that there is actually no way to get to the Ometepe boat except by their taxi. They'll probably throw in that the last boat of the day leaves in only 30 minutes. In the same spot, they also try the same trick for people wanting to head to to Popoyo/Las Salinas.
So, remember to STAY ON THE BUS until the terminus which is in the market and is made clear by...lots of other buses!
FROM GRANADA TO OMETEPE
Ometepe Island can be reached in two ways, the first is by means of Granada, there is a ferry that leaves on Monday and Thursday toward the island, but it takes like 5 hours to arrive. CHECK OUR FERRY SCHEDULE. The other option is to take a bus that leaves every our from the market of Granada and cost 31 cords ($ 1.50).