A few things to know about transportation in Managua..
Public Transportation: you can save a lot of money by taking public transportation, but you’ll sacrifice time (with a few exceptions) and in some cases comfort. Compared to most places, cabs are super cheap, most of the time less then a couple of bucks (35 cordobas) within the city. Though it might seem a strange way of basing prices, if you have a traveling companion you’ll be charged per passenger. Speaking Spanish helps to negotiate a fair price, but cabbies in Nica are pretty fair to foreigners. They might try to squeeze five or ten more cordobas out of you, but if that’s the worst thing that happens to you in Nicaragua, you’ve had a good trip. Cabs from the airport to hotels in central Managua should costs between 5 bucks per person or less. I know – it’s that cheap. Most cabs will take dollars from the airport, but don’t expect them to change a 20.
Microbuses: The microbus – my favorite mode of transport in Nicaragua. The leave frequently (as soon as they’re full), drive faster than buses, and drop you off close to the center of town in most places. There’s a station in front of the University of Central America (UCA) and go to Masaya, Grenada, Leon, and a bunch of other places. It costs about 10-15 cordobas (0.67 cents to 1 dollar) to go to Masaya, and maybe a bit more to Grenada and Leon, but won’t break the bank. Microbuses are a great way to get to these cities quickly and cheaply.
Buses: The markets in Managua have bus stations. You can take the bus for just a couple dollars to San Juan del Sur (the nicest beach) or Rivas (which is where the boat leaves for Ometepe) and to Masaya, Grenada, and Leon. But if you haven’t traveled in Latin America much, or if you’re unsure of your Spanish, catching a bus from the market can be daunting. Definitely know where you’re going ahead of time because every cobrador (the guy in charge of luring clients to the buses) will try to get you to climb aboard there bus, and they won’t care if it’s the bus you want to be on. Buses are the cheapest option, but they can be slow. It’s ideal if you are bringing a lot of luggage because the cobrador will just strap it to the roof or if you’re traveling with a big group and want to stay together.
Hiring a driver: For day trips, this is worth considering. If you can afford it, having a private driver allows you to maximize time in whatever place you’re visiting, allow you to see more places, and gives you the freedom to stop whenever and wherever you want, for pit stops, food or whatever. Some hotels have drivers or will help you find one. At Ideas D’ Mama, a hospedaje that I’ll describe in more detail later, Erick might be available to take you on day trips. It’s tough to say how much that would cost. You could probably negotiate a pretty good deal depending on where youre going and if they are staying with you or just dropping you off. I would say for a day it would be less than 50 bucks including gas to go to places like Pochomil (the nearby beach), Grenada and Masaya, or to drop you at Rivas at the boat to Ometepe.
Hiring a cab: For long drives, this is also an option. Just be sure to negotiate the price ahead of time so neither party feels like they got cheated. Like I said before, Nicas for the most part will not try to take advantage of tourists, but that doesn’t mean there arent a few cabbies out there who wouldn’t rip you off or try to change the price when you’re done. Once while traveling with my parents, we took a cab from Rivas to Managua because my stepmom’s back was hurting and she didn’t want to spend two hours on the bus. It only cost 20 bucks.
Tags: buses, cabs, Grenada, Leon, managua, Masaya, Transportation
