Getting to and away

Getting to and away

By Mike Karanicolas

Bluefields' lack of a road connection makes it an infernally difficult place to visit. By far the easiest option is to fly in. Costena and Atlantic Airways both offer daily flights to and from Managua ($82 one way, $127 return), and to and from the Corn Islands ($65 one way, $105 return).

If this isn't in your budget you could try the terrestrial route, but be warned it's an unpleasant trip. Coming from Managua, you can take a bus as far as the port city of Rama (6 hours, 150 C) easily enough. The route from Rama to Bluefields is served by high-speed pangas that depart from the dock whenever full (200 C, 2 hours). Unfortunately, the relative isolation of both Bluefields and Rama means the trip is not a popular one, and the pangas won't leave until absolutely every seat is filled. Viva's reviewer made the trip twice, and each time was forced to wait in excess of six hours for the boat to go. Here lies the bottleneck, and is the reason why few people are able to make the trip in one day. There is one bus company called Empresa Vargas Peña (tel 280-1812 in Managua) which apparently offers Managua to Rama buses that feature a direct panga connection to Bluefields, but we were unable to independently verify this.

If you do find yourself stuck in Rama for the night, make sure you wake up very early in the morning – a panga will almost certainly leave around 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., and if you miss that you might have to wait all day. If you're hoping to continue on to the Corn Islands, the ferry schedule is even more erratic, and information is nearly impossible to find in Bluefields. Look for an Atlantic Airways sign near the dock – the woman working there seems somewhat well informed. As of June 2008 there was a reliable ferry departure every Wednesday which returns on Thursday. There are two other boats that shuttle back and forth, but service is erratic. It's also an extremely uncomfortable way to travel. Unless you're traveling with a hammock prepare to sleep on a wet, cold deck.