perzik

I want to go to Nicaragua in February. There are no tours that I know of on buses. So, how do I get there from San Jose? Where is the bus station and the ticket office. When I'm in Nicaragua, how do I go to Granada? Is there a colonial hotel there. How far is it to a beach, volcano and shopping for indigenous art? Thanks

Suzie2

For about $11 you can get directly from San Jose Costa Rica to Managua Nicaragua. From there you can take a local bus to other places. You must buy the ticket in person with local $, dollars, or travelers checks. The must be purchased 3-4 days ahead of time. The buses are airconditioned with bathrooms, tv, video, reclining seats.
Look up Tica Bus. It is also known as Nica bus.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

TicaBus is the easiest way to go from Costa Rica to Nicaragua. (That is not the same as NicaBus.) Their terminal in San Jose is on Calle 9, just north of the La Soledad church. They have three buses a day to Nicaragua, and some of the routes stop right in Granada. You need to specify when you buy your ticket. But it's not necessary to go all the way to Managua.

There are several colonial-style hotels in Granada: 1) the Alhambra; 2) the Colonial; 3) La Casona de los Estrada; 4) La Gran Francia. Those are the four most expensive places, but even the budget lodgings are found in old colonial houses built in the typical Granada style around a central patio.

You'd be about 30 minutes from Masaya with its markets, or even better, the small artisan town of San Juan del Oriente. It's the same distance to the active Masaya Volcano. The dormant Mombacho Volcano is just outside Granada. The top is covered with cloudforest. Nearest beach is San Juan del Sur, just north of the Costa Rican border, about an hour from Granada. The TicaBus service also stops in Rivas, the first town north of the border, from where you can catch a short taxi ride to San Juan del Sur, or could take a boat to the island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua.

There's much to see and do in the southern part of Nicaragua.

mct921

Perzik-

I definetly would make a stop in SanJuan del Sur(SJDS) if I were you...I was there last January and absolutely fell in love with the area and the people. SJDS, is a small village located right in a moon shaped bay on the SW coast of Nica, not too far from the CR boarder. There is also a bus you can catch that will take you to nearby surfing beaches (majagual,sp?. Don't miss out on this gem!

taraCR

Does the San Jose to Managua bus stop at the border in Penas Blancas? Also, do you know if there is a bus from Penas Blancas to San Juan del Sur? If not, what is the best way to get there?
Thanks.