Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Marena
( 2583-0296; 8am-1pm)
Processes fishing licenses, technically required for all
fishing on the Río San Juan, but unless you are in your own boat your captain/tour operat-
or should organize these.
Police
(
2583-0397)
Telecentro
(Parque Central; per hr US$0.40;
8am-5:30pm Mon-Fri)
Getting There & Around
San Carlos is no longer the isolated corner of Nicaragua it once was thanks to the con-
struction of a new smooth tarred road to Juigalpa. The highway still receives little traffic,
but that is likely to change once the new bridge over the Río San Juan at Santa Fe is com-
pleted, linking the region by road with Las Tablillas in Costa Rica.
AIR
The San Carlos airport is a 3km, US$1 cab ride from downtown San Carlos. Buy tickets
from
La Costeña
( 2583-0048; frente Cementerio; 8am-noon & 3-5pm)
for flights from
San Carlos and San Juan de Nicaragua. The compact, 12-seat planes leave for Managua
(one way/return US$76/116, 45 minutes) at 2pm.
BOAT
Collective riverboat services to Boca de Sábalos (US$3.10, 2¼ hr) and El Castillo
(US$3.40, 3½ hr) leave from the
Muelle Municipal
(Municipal Dock)
, half a block west of
the mercado (market), at 8am, noon, 2:30pm and 3:30pm Monday through Saturday; 8am
and 1:30pm on Sunday. Express boats to Sábalos (US$4.75, one hour) and El Castillo
(US$5.70, 1½ hours) leave at 6:30am and 10am.
The government-run ferry leaves from the Muelle Municipal at 2pm Tuesday and Fri-
day for San Miguelito (US$3, two to three hours), Altagracia (Isla de Ometepe; US$6.50,
nine hours) and Granada (US$9.50, 12 to 14 hours). Stake out a sleeping spot early, bring
extra layers, and don't forget your hammock or you may be sleeping on the cold, hard
deck. The ferry returns from Granada at 2pm Monday and Thursday, stopping at the same
ports and arriving in San Carlos at sunrise.
BUS
Buses leave from the
bus terminal
in San Carlos for the following destinations:
El Rama
(US$6.50, seven hours, 9am)
Juigalpa
(US$4, four hours, 10am, 11am, 12:40pm and 1:30pm)
