Getting There

By Plane

Augusto C Sandino International Airport (MGA; tel. 505/233-1624; www.eaai.com.ni), is 11km (7 miles) east of Managua and is the country's main airport. Here you'll find direct flights from Miami, Houston, Dallas, Mexico City, San Salvador, Panama City, and San José. American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300 in the U.S., or 505/255-9090 in Managua; www.aa.com) flies twice a day from Miami. Continental Airlines (tel. 505/278-7033 in Managua; www.continental.com) operates one evening flight from Houston. Delta (tel. 505/254-8130 in Managua; www.delta.com) has a daily flight to Atlanta. Spirit Airlines (tel. 505/233-2884 in Managua; www.spiritair.com) operates a daily flight to Fort Lauderdale.

Copa (tel. 505/267-0045 in Managua; www.copaaircom) has connections all over Central America, particularly Guatemala, Panama, San José, and San Salvador. Aeroméxico (tel. 800/226-0294 in the U.S., or 505/266-6997 in Managua; www.aeromexico.com) flies four times a week to Mexico City. TACA (tel. 505/266-3136 in Managua; www.taca.com) operates flights from Miami, Panama, and San Salvador. Iberia (tel. 800/772-4642; www.iberia.com) flies once a day to Miami with onward connections to Europe.

By Bus

There are a handful of established international bus companies that trundle up and down the Central American isthmus. All have separate stations and offices in Barrio Martha Quezada in Managua and some have offices in León, Rivas, and Granada where you can also alight. Tica Bus, 2 blocks east of the Antiguo Cine Doradao (tel. 505/222-6094 or 222-3031; www.ticabus.com), is the best known operator, with intercity routes going as far as Mexico City. The bus from Honduras leaves Tegucigalpa daily at 9:15am, takes 8 hours, and costs C570 ($30/£15). The bus from San José in Costa Rica leaves daily at 3am, takes 7 hours, and costs C266 ($14/£7). They also operate a route from San Salvador, leaving from the Hotel San Carlos at 3am and arriving in Managua 9 hours later. The cost is C475 ($25/£13).

King Quality/Cruceros del Golfo, opposite Tica Bus (tel. 505/228-1454; www.kingqualitycg.com) has a reputation for being more comfortable, and provides meals. Their service from Honduras leaves at 6am and 2pm and costs C684 ($36/£18). The Costa Rica service leaves San José at 3pm, takes 8 hours, and costs C703 ($37/£19). The bus from San Salvador leaves at 3:30am, 5:30am, and 11:30am. It takes 12 hours and costs C836 ($44/£22).

Trans Nica, 300m (984 ft.) north of Rotonda Metrocentro and 50m (164 ft.) east (tel. 505/277-2104 or 270-3133), services El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Honduras. Their bus from Costa Rica departs from San Juan at 4:30am, 5:30am, and 9am. It takes 9 hours and costs C190 ($10/£5). Central Line, next to King Quality (tel. 505/254-5431), goes south to San José in Costa Rica. The service leaves Costa Rica at 4:30am and takes 9 hours. The cost is C285 ($15/£7.50).

For those on a strict budget, who are in no hurry and don't mind the discomfort of jumping off and changing buses at the border, getting around by a chicken bus, is another option. The two main crossings on the Honduran border are Guasale and El Espino. These buses arrive and depart in Managua at Mercado Israel Lewites, also known as Boer (tel. 505/265-2152) and Mercado Mayoreo (tel. 505/233-4729). The main crossing into Costa Rica is Peñas Blancas. Buses arrive and depart from Mercado Roberto Huembes (no phone). It is very important that you get two stamps -- an exit and entrance stamp -- from the corresponding immigration office on either side, or you may have problems entering or leaving at the border.

By Cruise Ship/Ferry

San Juan del Sur is now a well-established stop off for luxury cruise liners plying the Caribbean and Pacific coast via the Panama Canal. Two reputable companies that make this trip are Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line (www.seabourn.com) and California-based Princess Cruises (www.princess.com).