Bluefields' lack of a road connection makes it an infernally difficult place to visit. By far the easiest option is to fly in. 

By Plane

Costena offers daily flights to and from Managua ($82 one way, $127 return), and to and from the Corn Islands ($65 one way, $105 return). Atlantic Airlines used to offer a similar service, but it has ceased

By Land and Sea

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, roughly every 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.

A boat also leaves San Juan del Norte and heads to Bluefields Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Trips from Bluefields to San Juan del Norte depart Thursdays and Saturdays at 8 a.m. The trip costs $30 and lasts 2.5 hours. A rapid boat leaves Bluefields for San Juan de Nicaragua (2 and a half hours, $30) on Thursdays and Sundays at 8 a.m.

This new line should also go to Barra de Colorado and Tortuguero

(Costa Rica) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays so you can go from San Juan del Norte at around 10 a.m. to this locations or go all the way down

from Bluefield and get away from there (Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays)

early in the morning.

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