Nicaragua Itinerary/Logistics
 

I'm considering the following itinerary for my May trip to Nicaragua and would love feedback on it, as well as some advice:

Day 1 - Arrive LIR, Costa Rica
Day 2 - TicaBus to Rivas (San Jorge), ferry to Ometepe
Days 3 & 4 - Ometepe (Villa Paraiso)
Day 5 - Ferry to San Jorge, bus to Granada
Days 6, 7 & 8 - Granada (Hostel Oasis) w/day trips to Laguna de Apoyo, Catarina & San Juan de Oriente, Volcan Mombacho, Las Isletas
Day 9 - Bus to Leon
Days 10 & 11 - Leon (Hotel Austria & El Convento)
Day 12 - bus back to LIR
Day 13, 14 & 15 - Playa Hermosa, CR (Hotel Finisterra)
Day 16 - Fly out of LIR

1) Are we spending too many days in any one place?

2) Are there any "must see" destinations that we should include? The Caribbean side of Nica is not an option for us on this trip. Also, we decided to forego San Juan del Sur because of our beach time at Playa Hermosa in CR. Should we reconsider SJDS?

3) Is it possible to take a direct bus from Leon to the border and then catch another bus from the border to Liberia? If so, approximately how long would this take?

Terri

Hi Terri, Of course, I don't know a thing that will help you, but your itinerary sounds interesting. I'm anxious to hear more about traveling in Nicaragua and can count on you to give a great report when you return. I'll bet miguelcuadra can help you out if he's browsing the board!

Hello Shillmac, how do you know I was going to see this. It is my opinion that you are spending too many days in some places in Nicaragua.
1- How about just 1 day in Ometepe, unless you enjoy nature in its purest. Think that there is not much to do there.
2-3 days in Granada seems a lot, how about combining Catarina and San Juan de Orinete on same day, these are very snmall town with very little attractions and things to see.
It takes about 2 hours from Granada to Leon, so same day you arrive, you will be able to walk the whole town and see the attractions. The Cathedral is one, The Ortiz Museum and some of the other churches. That extra day in Leon, head to Poneloya, very nice beach. El Convento is a very nice clean, centrally located hotel.
How about San Juan del Sur, it is worth a day trip , overnight and back next day.
Do not even consider Managua, nothing to see, sure you are not looking for shopping centers that resemble those in the USA.
Any questions, please feel free to ask.

Hi Shillmac. Absolutely I will post a trip report when I return! After 3 glorious trips to Costa Rica, I've decided to head north to the land of poets for a change of scenery. Of course, you'll notice I included a little CR time in this trip. As I'm sure you'll understand, I just can't seem to stay away! :)

Miguelcuadra - thanks so much for your advice! Do you think we would be able to get a bus from Leon to Rivas? My thought is if we arrive in Rivas early enough to catch a taxi to SJDS, we could spend a night there on our way back to Costa Rica.

Funny you should mention avoiding Managua - I've tried to plan this trip so that we miss it entirely, including flights to and from Liberia instead of Managua. For one thing, my flight from San Francisco to Liberia was only $395 RT on Continental versus almost $600 RT to Managua. Departing from Costa Rica also gives me a chance to explore a Guanacaste beach - something I have not had the opportunity to do on my previous trips to Costa Rica.

Another idea I had would be to take a taxi to Rincon de la Vieja from the border, rather than a bus back to Liberia. If I shortened my stays at a couple of Nicaragua destinations, it would free up a night or two for Rincon. Is this possible or would I have to travel all the back to Liberia and then arrange transportation from Liberia to Rincon?

Terri

No se. Just knew you would! Can't think of anyone better able to advise Terri than you!

Not so sure about public transportation between Leon and Rivas. Do not dare to ride INTERLOCALES, these are like taxis but bigger and travel among cities, most accidents along the roads are caused by these interlocales. I would not be surprised that you may be able to take TICA BUS from Leon to Rivas...

miguecuadro: Thanks for the tip about interlocales - we'll be sure to avoid them! I checked with TicaBus and unfortunately, they do not travel between Leon and Rivas. They have suggested that we travel to Managua, then catch the TicaBus to the border.

Another place I'd like to explore is Finca Esperanza Verde in San Ramon. So now I'm thinking of rearranging my itinerary in this order: (1) Ometepe; (2) Granada; (3) Leon; (4) San Ramon; and (5) back to CR. It seems easy enough to get a bus from Leon to Matagalpa and then changes buses to San Ramon. The problem is once we leave San Ramon, we'll have to change buses in Matagalpa and then again in Managua (which, of course, I was hoping to avoid entirely). It's not so much the bus travel that bothers me, as having to get from one side of Managua to the other to catch TicaBus back to CR. I figure if we're lucky, we'd arrive back in Liberia about 6:00 p.m. - too late to pick up a car and drive to Playa Hermosa. These dang logistics! I guess that's half the adventure, right?

Terri

I'm planning a similar trip in July ;Rincon de la Vieja Lodge for a few days and then to Granada. I've been unable to find good information about the Tica bus from Liberia to Granada. I know it's a route of theirs, but I can't find a schedule. Also, do you know if this something for which I need to buy tickets ahead of time ? Any suggestions ?
Thanks so much. I love CR, but this is my first time up North and crossing the border, so it's new all over again.
Linda

Just a fyi...there is a several page spread write-up on Nicaragua in the newest Conde Nast (March). Look forward to reading your report when you return.

Linda: I had a hard time figuring out the TicaBus schedule from Liberia to Granada, so I e-mailed them ([email protected]). Maria Lopez from TicaBus has been extremely helpful and very responsive to each of my many e-mails. I've discovered that I can call the San Jose office the day I arrive, and arrange to be picked up in Liberia the following day. (The driver will have our tickets and we pay him when we board.) The TicaBus bound for Granada passes through Liberia at 9:30 am, 10:30 am and 4:00 pm. I'm planning to visit Ometepe before heading to Granada, and Maria has assured me that the driver will drop us in Rivas. To return from Granada to Liberia, you need to make advance arrangements with the TicaBus agency in Granada. Buses bound from Managua to San Jose pass through Granada at 6:45 am and 1:00 pm. (I'm not sure what time these buses arrive in Liberia.)

When are you planning to go? If it's after May, I'll be sure to post a report about TicaBus and how it all worked out.

Tully: Thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to pick up a copy of the March issue.

TAG - thanks so much. I had also e-mailed Tica but didn't get a reply. We're going in July, so I'd love to hear how your trip works out. Our plan is to go directly to Granada and then to San Juan del Sur, then back across the border from there. We found a b&b in SJdS that will drive us back to Liberia for $50 plus fees - I think it makes more sense than returning via Granada.
We're also planning to spend a few days at Riconde la Vieja lodge. Do you knoe anything about it ?