Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ala (US$75), Managua (US$10), Granada (US$15), San Juan del Sur (US$25) and
Poneloya (US$2), leaving most days.
Buses to Beaches
Buses to Poneloya and Las Peñitas (US$0.75, 40 minutes) depart hourly 6am to 7pm from
El Mercadito in Subtiava. Day-trippers take note: the last bus returns at 6:40pm.
Getting Around
The city is strollable, but big enough that you may want to take taxis
(per person day/night
US$0.70/1)
, particularly at night. The one-way streets and (relative) lack of traffic make
León a good bicycling city. You can rent bikes for around US$5 per day from hostels Big-
foot, Lazybones and Tortuga Booluda. Good rides include Cimac, El Fortín de Acososco
and Barrio Subtiava.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Pacific Beaches Near León
The most accessible beaches from León are Poneloya and Las Peñitas, both an easy
20-minute bus ride from Mercadito Subtiava in León. The road splits at the sea: go right
for Poneloya proper, left for more-developed Las Peñitas and Reserva Natural Isla Juan
Venado.
Several wilder, less-accessible beaches further south are a bit more difficult to reach, in-
cluding Salinas Grandes, with regular bus service from León and its own access to
Reserva Natural Isla Juan Venado. A group of three even less-explored beaches can be
reached from the fractured but passable Carretera Vieja to Managua: Puerto Sandino, El
Velero and El Tránsito.
Poneloya
Although this beach has the famous name - it's highly praised in the
Viva León Jodido
theme song - it's actually less developed than its twin (Las Peñitas). Be sure to visit dur-
ing Semana Santa for the annual
Sand Castle & Sculpture Building Contest
.
From La Bocanita (
Click here
)
, you can hire a private
panga
(small motorboat) seating
four (US$70 to US$100) up to El Corinto, over to the Surfing Turtle Lodge on neighbor-
ing Isla Brasiles (US$0.75), or just out and back to explore the coastline.
