Getting Around

By Bus

Though Managua's urbano bus system is cheap and frequent, it has a woeful reputation for pickpockets and robberies, and well-dressed foreigners are said to be especially targeted. In general, if you stick to the city center and take buses during daylight hours, though, you should be okay. The buses can also get very overcrowded during rush hour as they are the only form of public city transport. Buses come along every 10 minutes and charge a fare of C4 (25¢/15p).

You can only alight at designated bus stops. Following are the most convenient routes. Urbano 109 travels from Plaza de la República to Mercado Roberto Huembes, passing by Plaza Inter. Urbano 110 goes from Mercado Israel Lewites (Boer) to Mercado Mayoreo, passing La UCA, Metrocentro, Rotonda de Centroamérica, Mercado Huembes, and Mercado Iván Montenegro. Urbano 116 starts at the Montoya statue and passes Plaza Inter and Mercado Oriental before ending at Rotonda Bello Horizonte. Urbano 118 goes from Parque Las Piedrecitas to Mercado Mayoreo, passing Mercado Israel Lewites (Bóer), Rotonda El Gueguense, Plaza Inter, and Mercado Oriental. Urbano 119 goes from Lindavista to Mercado Huembes, passing Rotonda El Gueguense and la UCA.

By Taxi

Don't panic -- cabs will honk at you before you even see them. Even occupancy won't stop them from stopping, and strangers often share taxis (this is a dangerous practice at night). Taxis are not metered, so it is imperative that you agree on a price before boarding and make sure you determine whatever amount is quoted is per person or group. Fares go up 50% after dark. Because of Managua's puzzling address system, you will find yourself overdepending on drivers to get you around. Always try and have the address of your hotel in Spanish. Most hotels will recommend their own favored taxi companies, but many may charge a premium rate.

By Car

Driving in Managua is like getting lost in a huge bowl of noodle soup -- the streets are that messy and intertwined. That said, traffic is pretty light and the roads in the city center are in fairly good condition. Just be warned, even the most advanced GPS system will still get you lost. You should only get a car in this city if you intend on living here or plan a tour of the country.

On Foot

Unless you are a marathon walker, do not mind the heat, and are in absolutely no rush, don't plan on getting around Managua on foot. This city is frustrating for walkers as it is so spread out; in addition, the streets lack charm and even worse, names. What may hurt the most are the frequent missing manhole covers. If you do insist on getting by on foot, keep your eyes peeled or you might risk serious injury.

Where the Streets Have No Name: Getting Around in Managua

Managua is a city that has no street names nor numbers, that uses as reference points landmarks that don't exist anymore, and that insists on using a unit of measurement (the vara) not recognized anywhere else. The city also doesn't even use the fundamental cardinal points north, east, or west. To make it worse, some places have two names (which is perhaps better than having none at all). It is a wonder people get anywhere!

And yet somehow they do. Once you master the old indigenous-colonial positioning system, you can appreciate its convoluted logic. Here are some tips on how to "address" the problem and stop yourself or your taxi driver from driving around in circles and going up the bend.

Landmarks are all-important, whether one exists or not. Most addresses start with a well-known building, roundabout, or monument, followed by how many blocks or varas in whatever direction. (A vara is an old Spanish unit of measurement that equals .8m.)

North is al lago (toward the lake). East is arriba (referring to the rising sun). West is abajo (referring to the setting sun) and the South is al sur. A typical example of an address using these terms looks like this: Donde fue la Vicky, 4c al lago, 30 vrs arriba. This translates as "From where Vicky was, 4 blocks north and 20 varas east."

Other important words to remember are cuadra (block, often abbreviated as "c") al frente (in front of) and contiguo a (beside). Casa esquinera means the corner house.

The above rules apply to most Nicaraguan cities and towns, with slight differences such as in Granada where "al lago" means east. Because of its size, Managua is definitely the most difficult and cryptic town to get around, though.