How to get to San Juan del Sur by bus
San Juan del Sur is 2 h 30 from Managua. There are direct express buses from Huembes mid-morning and in the afternoon; at any other time, go to Rivas and change buses.
Reviewed Oct 29, 2026
Step by step
Step 1: Direct option: express Managua → San Juan del Sur
They leave Mercado Roberto Huembes around 9, 10 and 11 in the morning and 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the afternoon. Fare C$110–130.
Step 2: With a change: Managua → Rivas → San Juan del Sur
Express buses to Rivas every 40 minutes from 4:30 AM. At the Rivas terminal, the San Juan del Sur bus leaves every 30–45 minutes (45 minutes, C$25–30). This combination works almost any time of day.
Step 3: From Granada or Ometepe
From Granada take the market bus to Rivas (1 h 30) and change. From Ometepe, ferry to San Jorge, bus or taxi to Rivas and the bus to San Juan del Sur.
Step 4: To the surf beaches (Maderas, Hermosa, Remanso)
There is no public bus to the beaches. Hostels and surf camps run shuttles for US$5–10 each way; taxis and pick-up trucks also leave from the San Juan del Sur market.
Approximate cost
Direct express C$110–130 (about US$3.50). Via Rivas: C$90–100 + C$25–30.
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Tips
- To get back to Managua early, express buses leave San Juan del Sur at 5, 6 and 7 AM and at 1 and 3:30 PM.
- During Holy Week and New Year the buses are packed: arrive an hour early.
- Costa Rica is close: buses to the Peñas Blancas border leave from Rivas every 30 minutes.
What travellers report about this trip
Ometepe to San Juan del Sur
They went from Balgüe on Ometepe to San Juan del Sur in a day: a taxi to Moyogalpa, the ferry to San Jorge (an hour, C$50), a taxi to Rivas bus station and a 70-minute bus (C$50 with bags). They reached the dock at 10:50 for the 11:30 ferry and left on an 11:00 one. Callum calls the journey very smooth and says it felt very safe; in Rivas, locals showed them where the bus left from.
Callum, Dec 20, 2024. Read on Centro Coasting
Times and fares in this guide are indicative: they come from public information and traveller reports. Confirm at the terminal before you travel. Travelled recently? Help us verify it.
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