Getting There

Matagalpa's main bus station, COTRAN Sur, 1km (1/2 mile) west of Parque Darío (tel. 505/2782-3809), services routes from Estelí, Jinotega, León, Masaya, and Managua. The Managua buses depart every hour from Mercado Mayoreo in the capital, take 2 1/2 hours to reach Matagalpa, and cost C60.

Small colectivos (minivans) also travel every 30 minutes between Matagalpa and Managua, starting at 5am and ending at 6pm. There are two services daily from the León bus station to Matagalpa. They depart at 5am and 3pm, take 3 hours, and cost C50. The reverse service goes to León at 6am and 3pm.

There is a smaller bus station called COTRAN de Guanaco (no phone) in the north of the city that serves towns farther in the interior such as San Ramón and Río Blanca. The roads to such places are sometimes impassable in the rainy season, however.

Orientation

The heart of the city stretches along the eastern bank of the river, and its epicenter lies between two plazas, Parque Morazán and Parque Rubén Darío, the former of which is alive with people walking, talking, selling, or just admiring the plaza's many trees and birds. Incredibly, there are only two streets with names in the entire city, Avenida José Benito Escobar and Avenida Central Don Bartolomé Martinez.

Visitor Information

Intur, 1 block north of Parque Rubén Darío (tel. 505/8612-7060), is open Monday to Friday from 8am to noon and 1:30 to 5pm.

Matagalpa Tours, half a block east of Banpro (tel. 505/2772-0108; www.matagalpatours.com), is the trekking expert for the area and the best-organized tour company in town. They conduct tours of the coffee farms and arrange overnight stays in nearby ecolodges.

Getting Around

If your legs are up for it, try to walk everywhere in the city proper -- the city's steep streets open up its secret charms. Taxis within the town cost C15, and there are regular city buses that crisscross the town for C5.

The surrounding area has some of the most scenic roads in all of Nicaragua, especially the curving valley road to Jinotega. I recommend renting a car so that you can pull into neighboring coffee plantations and stop to explore beautiful cedar, pine, and hardwood forests. Budget (tel. 505/2772-3041; www.budget.com.ni) has an outlet at La Virgen Shell Station on the southern outskirts of the town. Autos Económicos de Nicaragua (tel. 505/2772-2445) is half a block west of the park on its northern side; Rent a Car Simo (tel. 505/2772-6290) is 1 block west and half a block south of the Banco Mercantil, and Simo's Rent a Car (tel. 505/2772-6260) is on the corner of El Progresso. Rates for all agencies start at C800 per day.

Fast Facts

Banks -- Most of the city's banks are situated on the southeast corner of Parque Morazán. Banpro is 1 block south of Parque Morazán on Avenida Bartolomé Martínez (tel. 505/2772-2574). There is an ATM at BAC (tel. 505/772-5905), a half-block east of the southeast corner of Parque Morazán. Casual money-changers operate on all corners in this area, as well. Money transfers can be arranged at the Western Union (tel. 505/2778-0069) a half-block north of the Alcaldía.

Emergencies -- For emergencies, dial tel. 101. For other police matters, call tel. 505/2772-3870. The fire brigade can be called at tel. 505/2772-3167.

Hospital -- Matagalpa Hospital (tel. 505/2772-2081) is north of the city on the road to San Ramón.

Internet -- Internet outlets are located throughout the city, but CyberCafé Downtown (no phone) has the best location, a half-block west of the southwest corner of the Parque Darío. It's open daily from 8:30am to 8pm. All outlets charge approximately C40 an hour.

Telephones -- Cheap international calls can be made from most Internet cafes. Public phones are in the post office, and a number of card-based booths are dotted around town. The main Enitel office is 1 block east of Parque Morazán (tel. 505/2772-4600). It's open daily from 7am to 9pm and sells phone cards.

Pharmacy -- Pharmacy Matagalpa (tel. 505/2772-7280) is in front of the restaurant Pescamar. It's open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm and Sunday 8am to noon.

Post Office -- The main post office, Correos de Nicaragua Matagalpa (tel. 505/2772-4317), is 1 block south and 1 block west of Parque Morazán's southeastern corner.

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