11 Days in Nicaragua
After a short 3 day city break in San Jose, Costa Rica, we continued our bus journey across the border of Nicaragua at Penas Blancas. Our first destination was the island of Ometepe, so we got off the bus at Rivas and took a taxi to the port of San Jorge to catch the ferry. It was an uneventful 1h15min trip over to Moyogalpa, but apparently when the wind kicks up it can be a bit of a bumpy ride.
We pre-booked a shuttle bus at the ferry dock in San Jorge, so only paid $10 each for a ride to Merida. This is about as cheap as you will find unless you rent a scooter or motorbike for the time you are on the island. There is a local bus, but it doesn't run very often and the south part of the island gets almost no service.
We were happy to leave the more touristy areas of the north island and the north half of the south island, and headed to the lesser travelled west of Maderas- where the paved road stops and the gravel road begins. Merida was anything but touristy. As we walked past the local school, down a rocky path towards the lake, each house yard we passed had its own small farm of chickens, pigs, dogs and even some rabbits. |
Our hostel had kayaks available for rent, so the next morning we set out in a two person kayak in search of Rio Istian. And it was a bit of a search- we kept paddling looking for the entrance to the river and had almost turned back when we finally found it. What a beautiful place! The quiet, combined with the beautiful plant and wildlife was unreal. We paddled until the pisitia plants were so thick that we couldn't go any further.
The next day we ventured further south to hike the San Ramon waterfall. Since there was no bus, and we had no transport of our own, we made the 1.5 hour hike to the start of the waterfall trail in San Ramon. The hike up was only about an hour and 20 minutes, but in the midday heat it was tough towards the end. We were rewarded with a beautiful waterfall and a dip in the pool was perfectly refreshing and re-energizing. The hike back down was easy going, but the additional 1.5 hours back to Merida was not enjoyable. If you can arrange for a ride back, it would be recommended. You can also ride your motorbike rental most of the way up the trail if you have one, which would make the hike a lot shorter and easier.
The next day we ventured further south to hike the San Ramon waterfall. Since there was no bus, and we had no transport of our own, we made the 1.5 hour hike to the start of the waterfall trail in San Ramon. The hike up was only about an hour and 20 minutes, but in the midday heat it was tough towards the end. We were rewarded with a beautiful waterfall and a dip in the pool was perfectly refreshing and re-energizing. The hike back down was easy going, but the additional 1.5 hours back to Merida was not enjoyable. If you can arrange for a ride back, it would be recommended. You can also ride your motorbike rental most of the way up the trail if you have one, which would make the hike a lot shorter and easier.
Granada was our next stop and it is a beautiful little town full of stunning churches. Make sure you head to the main square and try the local dish, Vigoron- boiled yuca topped with crunchy pork rinds and a spicy cabbage slaw. It doesn't take long to cover Granada by foot, but it is a nice place to stay and a good base for visiting other places nearby.
We headed Laguna de Apoyo by public bus for the day. You can pay to hang out at the beach of one of the hostels, or walk a little further down the main road to the public beach with local restaurants. The water is fresh and it is a nice place to relax. There aren't many public buses running back to the main road, so check the times before you go or be prepared to pay for a taxi.
We headed Laguna de Apoyo by public bus for the day. You can pay to hang out at the beach of one of the hostels, or walk a little further down the main road to the public beach with local restaurants. The water is fresh and it is a nice place to relax. There aren't many public buses running back to the main road, so check the times before you go or be prepared to pay for a taxi.
Another 20 minutes outside Granada is the Treehouse hostel. We splurged the $40 for a private treehouse room for one night and it was definitely worth the money. Although slightly terrifying climbing up the ladder every time, the room was basically a platform in the trees with a bed and a mosquito net- no walls, so there was nothing keeping out anything that wanted to come in. The sunset, sunrise and early morning were amazing from our private viewpoint. We even had a howler money come hang out in the branches of our tree (glad he didn't decide to get a bit more brave!).
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We then headed up to Leon, another beautiful little colonial city. More churches and cobblestone streets to wander through, and some yummy street food on offer (I was devastated when I dropped my corn on the cob that was covered in cheese, spices, and sauce).
Another local bus trip away is Las Penitas beach. It was really quiet when we were there, but it is a nice sand beach to lie on and there are surf schools in the area. We aren't really good beach people so after a few swims and about an hour on the beach we headed off again. |
Our last stop in Nicaragua was Potosi, where we had arranged to catch the ferry to El Salvador with Ruta Del Golfo. Most people we met took the 17 hour bus to San Salvador, but we decided to try something a little more scenic and (hopefully) shorter.
There aren't any shuttle options to Potosi, so you can either take the local buses or pay for a taxi. We took the chicken bus from Leon to Chinandega, then another to Potosi. It was a long trip and the second chicken bus was slightly overwhelming. There is no limit to how many people can get on the bus, and once you think it is full the local vendors push there way up and down the aisle selling fruit, vegetables, drinks, full meals, random medications, and anything else that can fit in their arms, on a tray or in a bucket which really ads to the experience. |
Potosi was a nice little surprise however. It is by no means touristy and there are only a couple hotels (which are more like guest rooms in people's homes). We walked the small dirt road and saw the local houses, pigs, chickens, dogs and the small fishing boats along the beach. In places it wasn't very clean, but the view from the dock was lovely. There is even a natural hot swimming pool that is open to the public, where the water is fed from a nearby volcano.
The ferry left from inside the naval base gates. There is a small building where you get your passport stamped and pay a small exit fee. The boat isn't very organized, and we ended up leaving 2 hours late while they loaded and unloaded other passengers arriving from El Salvador. The trip itself was quick- only about 1.5 hours- but then we had to wait the same amount of time for our passports to be processed on the other side. Not quite sure if we ended up saving a ton of time from the bus, but it was a different experience and definitely beats sitting in one spot for 17 hours!
The ferry left from inside the naval base gates. There is a small building where you get your passport stamped and pay a small exit fee. The boat isn't very organized, and we ended up leaving 2 hours late while they loaded and unloaded other passengers arriving from El Salvador. The trip itself was quick- only about 1.5 hours- but then we had to wait the same amount of time for our passports to be processed on the other side. Not quite sure if we ended up saving a ton of time from the bus, but it was a different experience and definitely beats sitting in one spot for 17 hours!
Questions about travelling in Nicaragua? Email us and we will be happy to help!