Planning a trip to Solentiname Islands
San Carlos
Visitor Information -- The San Carlos Intur office, Malecón (tel. 505/2583-0301 or 505/2583-0363), has Spanish-speaking staff and brochures, and can help arrange transport to the archipelago or El Castillo. It's open Monday to Friday from 8am to noon and 2 to 5pm. There is also a tourist info kiosk on the waterfront (no phone) that is open daily from 10am to 6pm. Another excellent source of information is Doña María Amelia Gross (tel. 505/2583-0271), who runs the La Costeña office in San Carlos. For updated boat schedules, go to the ticket office at the entrance to the dock.
Cash Economy -- There is only one ATM in San Carlos, located on the refurbished waterfront, and most places do not accept credit cards. Be sure to have cash on hand for expenses.
Border Crossing -- San Carlos is the only legal border crossing into Costa Rica along the San Juan River. The immigration office is just east of the Malecón. Though the border is open every day from 8am to 6pm, an exit stamp can be procured only on weekdays and costs C44. The Costa Rican entrance stamps are available only in the river town of Los Chiles, 2 hours south, and cost $8.
The Solentiname Archipelago
Visitor Information -- There is no tourist information office on the islands, but lodge owners such as María Guevara at Albergue Celentiname (tel. 505/8893-1977) are more than happy to help with any queries. Another source of info is Doña María Amelia Gross (tel. 505/2583-0271), who runs the La Costeña office in San Carlos. The San Carlos Intur office (Malecón; tel. 505/2583-0301 or 505/2583-0363; www.solentiname.org), can help arrange transport to the archipelago. It's open weekdays from 8am to noon and 2 to 5pm.
Tour Operators & Travel Agencies -- MUSAS (El Museo Archipiélago de Solentiname), organizes 4-day tours of the archipelago, including accommodations and transportation from San Carlos. They can be contacted through their San Carlos office (tel. 505/2583-0095) or ACRA in Managua (tel. 505/2249-6176). Prices depend on group size, but expect to pay at least C6,000 for a 4-day tour.
Solentiname Tours (Apartado Postal 1388, Managua; tel. 505/2270-9981; www.solentinametours.com) offers countrywide tours, including several days on the islands and down the Río San Juan. Tours Nicaragua (Centro Richardson, next to the Nicaraguan central Bank, Managua; tel. 505/ 2265-3095; www.toursnicaragua.com) also offers packages on the islands.
Getting Around
San Carlos
The town itself is easily walked. Taxis cost C20. River boats, known as pangas, ferry people between the islands and riverside settlements. They are cheap but infrequent. The private boats are much more expensive, but convenient. A 1-hour trip to the Solentiname Islands costs C2,400, a 1 1/2 hour trip downriver to El Castillo costs C3,600. The more passengers there are, the cheaper it is per person.
The Solentiname Archipelago
Only 2 of the 36 islands have tourist facilities. They are Isla Mancarrón and Isla Elvis Chavarría (also known as Isla San Fernando). Isla Mancarroncito and Isla Donald Guevara (also known as Isla la Venada) are the only two other populated islands. Getting around between islands is a major problem. Cheap colectivo water taxis that cost C60 run twice a week between these islands; this means you have a minimum stay of 3 days if you're dependent on public transport. You can, of course, charter your own panga, at a price -- in general, gas is much more expensive in this part of the country. There is a definite advantage to organizing a package trip with a tour company, including transportation, accommodations, and a guide. Independent travelers will need to allot lots of time and adopt a flexible attitude about getting around. Private boats are also twice as fast as the public launches. By the end of your trip, you'll be used to sitting on 6m (20-ft.) canoes in the rain, with a motor engine going full throttle and drowning out any conversation.
Getting There
San Carlos
By Plane -- The fastest and most sensible way to get to San Carlos is to catch a small plane from Managua. La Costeña (tel. 505/2263-1228 in Managua or 505/2583-0271 in San Carlos; www.lacostena.com.ni) operates two daily "puddle jumper" flights that land at the town's scruffy airport's dirt-track runway. The flights leave Managua at 9am and 1pm Monday to Friday, 9am on Saturday, and 1:30pm on Sunday. They depart from San Carlos at 9:25am and 2:25pm Monday to Friday, 9:25am on Saturday, and 2:25pm on Sunday. Note: These schedules frequently change; always double-check the day before your flight. The journey takes 1 hour and costs approximately $126 round-trip. On a clear day, the flight is spectacular, with breathtaking views of Volcán Masaya, Granada, Las Isletas, and Solentiname. Flights should be booked well in advance and reconfirmed the day before. It is wise to turn up early, as overbooking is common and seats are limited. The airport is a 30-minute walk from the town center or C20 by rattling taxi over a pockmarked road.
By Boat -- A ferry called the EPN ((tel. 505/2552-2966; www.epn.com.ni) leaves Granada every Monday and Thursday at 2pm, stopping in Altagracia on Isla de Ometepe before continuing south to San Miguelito and San Carlos. It arrives in San Carlos at 5am the next day. It is wise to get to the ticket office 2 hours before departure. First-class seats cost C190 one-way and are on the upstairs deck, which is air-conditioned. Second class is on the lower deck, without air-conditioning, and costs C80 one-way. The ferry returns through Altagracia every Tuesday and Friday at 3pm. Be aware, however, that if the sea is rough, it may skip its stop at Altagracia altogether. There are also three boats a day that leave from the Costa Rican town of Los Chiles. Departure times are 7am, and 1 and 3pm, but these are liable to frequent changes. The 2-hour trip costs C160.
By Bus -- The bus trip from Managua to San Carlos is a 300km (186-mile) epic journey and a supreme test of endurance. The road is in a terrible condition for much of the way, and the bus ride is a bone-shaking one and travels at a snail's pace. This is purely for people on a strict budget with lots of time on their hands. Buses leave from Managua's Mayoreo Market at 8 and 11:45am. The fare is C200. During bad weather, the road closes completely. San Carlos' bus station is close to the town center by the main dock. It is actually easier to reach San Carlos from Costa Rica. The 3 1/2-hour bus journey from San José to Los Chiles costs C152. From there, you can catch a boat for a 2-hour trip upriver to San Carlos, for which the fare is C220.
The Solentiname Archipelago
By Boat -- Getting to Solentiname is not easy and is particularly grueling if you are on a budget. The fastest, but most expensive way, is to catch a plane from Managua to San Carlos, and then take the 2-hour boat ride to the dock in Mancarrón. The scheduled boat from San Carlos leaves on Tuesdays and Fridays at 12:30pm, returning on the same days at 4:30pm. It stops at Isla Donald Guevara (also known as Isla la Venada), Isla Elvis Chavarría (also known as Isla San Fernando), and Isla Mancarrón. The cost is C100. Private boats can be arranged, but expect to pay C2,400 each way. You can arrange this directly with a dockside boat owner (panguero) or book in advance through Intur Malecón, San Carlos (tel. 505/2583-0301), or through Armando Ortiz's Viajes Turísticos, by the Western Union (tel. 505/2583-0039).
