Getting around Nicaragua: transport and apps

Shuttles and buses

• Tourist shuttles connect Managua, Granada, Leon, San Juan del Sur and Ometepe and are what most visitors use. Booked through accommodation, they leave early.
• Chicken buses go everywhere for very little, and they are slow, full and hot. They are also how the country actually moves.
• Express minibuses between the main towns are the middle option and are good value.

Boats

• Ferries to Ometepe leave from San Jorge near Rivas. The crossing is short and can be rough; the larger ferry is worth waiting for over the small one.
• The Corn Islands are reached by a flight from Managua to Big Corn, or a long bus plus a rough boat from Bluefields. Take the flight unless the journey is the point.

Driving

• Do not drive at night - vehicles in poor condition, no street lighting on the highways.
• A serious accident can mean detention while it is investigated, which is a materially different risk from a fender bender at home. This is the strongest argument against renting a car here.
• Roads on the Pacific side are decent; the Caribbean side is another matter.

Volcanoes

• Do not hike a volcano without an experienced guide. That is the FCDO's advice, and Nicaragua has a lot of active ones.
• Cerro Negro boarding and Telica are the standard tourist climbs and are done with operators from Leon.