Transportation

Nicaragua is a beautiful country that offers a great diversity of places to visit. Of these destinations, some are easily accessible and some are quite difficult to get to.
Parts of the country are practically unexplored, because they are difficult to reach. But that doesn't mean that they are impossible to visit! Some travel recommendations might be useful, though it is always wise to confirm the information once you arrive in the country, as transport services change frequently.
Here we'll recommend the best ways to get to Matagalpa, and then we'll give you a few recommendations as to how to travel while in the country:

¿How to get to Matagalpa?

In Managua, the buses that head to the northern cities of Nicaragua leave from El Mercado Mayoreo (The Mayoreo Market). From this station, you can reach the cities of Matagalpa, Jinotega, Esteli, Somoto, Boaco, Chontales, Jalapa, San Carlos, Nueva Guinea, Rama and the border of  Las Manos and El Espino.

 

To reach Matagalpa from Managua by bus :

The only bus station where there are buses to Matagalpa is the station in El Mayoreo. From any part of Managua, a taxi can take you to El Mayoreo. Again, all the buses that head north leave from this station.

From the bus station in El Mercado Mayoreo (The Mayoreo Market) you can take an express bus (Servicio Expreso) or the regular service (Servicio Ordinario or Ruteado). The Express is a few Cordobas more expensive, but much better, because it goes directly to Matagalpa (with only one stop along the way in Boaco), whereas the regular service stops in each little town along the route.

 

From the airport: The Managua Airport is on the far eastern edge of the city, along the road to Matagalpa. The regular-service buses pass by the airport, which means you don't have to go to back west into Managua city to El Mayoreo in order to get a bus to Matagalpa directly. Just walk out of the airport, and down to the street. From there, just wave down any bus with 'Matagalpa' painted on the front or the side. You could also take a bus that says 'Jinotega'--the city just to the north of Matagalpa. Make sure to check with the driver that the bus actually is going to Matagalpa, and ask him to tell you when to get off, as sometimes the routes painted on the bus are not correct.

Bus Schedules:
Departure time from Managua: Hourly, from 4:00 a.m until 5:30 p.m

Estimated time:
                                  Expresos (Express service): 2 hours
                Ruteados or Ordinarios (Regular service): 3 hours

Rates:    Expresos:  C$ 60.00      (US $ 2.76)
  Ruteados: C$ 42.00      (US $ 2.20)

In private/rented car

Private Ride to Matagalpa:

You can arrange a driver to give you a ride to Matagalpa directly  from the airport or from the hotel where you are staying:
Average Price: U$ 75.00 dollars from the airport
              U$ 85.00 from any place in Managua

 

Rent a car:

It is possible to rent a vehicle from the airport. To rent a car you just need your credit card and your driver´s license. Reservations are strongly recommended, but don't necessarily guarantee that a car will be available.

From other cities:
Direct buses to Matagalpa: From the following cities you can take direct buses to Matagalpa: León, Masaya, Managua, Jinotega y Estelí
You have to take more than one bus from:

• From Granada: You need to take a bus to Managua and then to Matagalpa. But, if you don't want to pass through Managua, you could take a quick bus to Masaya first, and then another to Tipitapa, a small town to the northeast of Managua. From there, along the Panamerican Highway, you can wave down an ordinary service bus that goes directly to Matagalpa.

Chinandega: The best option is to look for a bus to León, and then take another bus directly to Matagalpa.
Rivas: The best thing to do is to take a direct bus to Managua,  and then another to Matagalpa.
Recommendations for travel within the country:
Always ask:
First, it's very important that you feel comfortable asking for directions: If you don't know how to get somewhere, just ask!
Nicaraguan people are very kind and they will gladly explain to you how to get to somewhere. If it's possible, you should ask more than one person, especially in rural areas, where people are used to giving directions by landmarks that only they are able to understand because of their familiarity with the region.

About directions: Don't be surprised when you don't see street names or house numbers anywhere. People are often confused, and find it very difficult to understand the way Nicaraguan people give directions. The most important thing is to understand that directions aren't given by a name and numerical  system like in some other countries. In Nicaragua, directions are given from landmarks. Common points of reference include monuments, statues, and well-known buildings (religious buildings, large estates, malls, banks, etc.). Don't be surprised if you receive directions based on ancient trees, hills, and bridges, or even the homes of well-known people that may or may not still live there.For example, you may receive directions such as: “De la casa de María Matus, dos cuadras al norte.” (“From Maria Matus´ house, two blocks to the north.”) People's homes, like that of Maria Matus, who passed away many years ago, continue to be points of reference.

Don't let this manner of giving directions worry you. Taxi drivers should be able to follow even the strangest of directions from well-known landmarks. When in doubt, just ask a local!

Also, there is a special way of giving directions in Managua. (Don't worry about this an any other city in Nicaragua!) People use “Al Lago” (“Towards the Lake”) instead of “North”, “Arriba” (“Up”) for East and “Abajo” (“Down”) for West (Think: “Where the sun comes up and goes down.”) For “South”, people use the normal Spanish word, “Sur”.

Internal transport:

In every city in Nicaragua, there are taxis and public buses that start service very early in the morning. In Managua (the capital) the price for a taxi ride will depend on the destination: usually between 30 to 60 cordobas, though sometimes a bit higher ($1.60 US – $3.20 US). Prices are charged PER PERSON, and are a little more expensive late at night or when you have baggage. ALWAYS NEGOTIATE YOUR PRICE BEFORE GETTING INTO A TAXI. Often, but not always, a taxi driver will offer a higher-than-fair price, expecting to be negotiated down about 20%. It is a good idea to ask a local how much a taxi fare should be from one place to another, before waving down a taxi. Taxis tend to be safer than the local city buses. Make sure to only take taxis that are properly identified with a red stripe on the top and bottom of the licence plate, as well as identification stickers on the windshield or dashboard.

In all other cities, taxi prices are fixed and much cheaper, usually between 7 and 15 cordobas ($0.35 US – $0.80 US).

To go to other cities from Matagalpa:

From Matagalpa, There are direct buses to Managua, Jinotega, Estelí, León y Masaya. If you want to go to other cities you will have to go to Managua, or make a transfer in one of the above cities.

To take the buses to the Pacific (Western) and Southern region of Nicaragua, there are two bus terminals in Managua:
From El Mercado Israel Lewites (Israel Lewites Market) you can take buses to the cities of León, La Paz Centro, Jinotepe, Diriomo, Chinandega, and El Guasaule.

From El Mercado Roberto Huembes (Roberto Huembes Market) you can take buses south to the cities of Granada, Carazo, Masaya, Rivas, San Jorge (The Island of Ometepe), San Juan del Sur and to the Costa Rican border.

 

 

escuela@matagalpa.info