Ferry Boat and Bus Schedule

This link may be helpful for bus schedules.

Ometepe Boat and Ferry Schedules 2019

This may have changed since the publication date but to our knowledge, it is still accurate.  Please check with someone local before making your plans.  These schedules change from season to season and may even change in the middle of the week, especially the Ferry Schedule as weather is an important factor.

A number of years ago there was an accident in Nicaraguan waters off the Caribbean coast and several people lost their lives.  Since that time the government has made it madatory for everyone to wear life jackets, even when doing the island tours in calm water on Lake Nicaragua.

To/From San Jorge (Rivas)

Duration: 60 min to the port of Moyogalpa (17 km), 80 min to the port of San José (24 km).

The lancha boats look a bit battered but they are safe and cost less than a ferry. They don’t operate on Sundays. Between November and February, heavy winds make the water of the lake pretty choppy. If you are prone to seasickness better take the ferry.

The ferry schedule is always the same, also on holidays (Christmas, New Year, Easter).  Remember to check before making your plans as even though these are the posted times, they still may vary based on weather.

From San Jorge
Time Vessel Port on Ometepe
7:00 Ferry (El Che) Moyogalpa
7:45 Ferry III Moyogalpa
8:30 Ferry I Moyogalpa
9:00 Boat (Karen Maria) Moyogalpa
9:30 Ferry (El Rey de Cocibolca) San José
10:30 Ferry III Moyogalpa
11:00 Boat (Estrella del Sur) Moyogalpa
12:00 Ferry I Moyogalpa
12:30 Boat (Santa Martha) Moyogalpa
13:30 Boat (Karen Maria) Moyogalpa
14:00 Boat (Mozorola) San José
14:30 Ferry III Moyogalpa
15:30 Boat (Estrella del Sur) Moyogalpa
16:00 Ferry (El Che) Moyogalpa
16:30 Ferry I Moyogalpa
17:00 Boat (Santa Martha) Moyogalpa
17:00 Ferry (El Rey de Cocibolca) San José
17:45 Ferry III Moyogalpa

From Ometepe
Time Vessel Port on Ometepe
5:30 Boat (Karen Maria) Moyogalpa
5:40 Boat (Mozorola) San José
6:00 Ferry III Moyogalpa
6:30 Boat (Santa Martha) Moyogalpa
6:45 Ferry I Moyogalpa
7:00 Boat (Estrella del Sur) Moyogalpa
7:30 Ferry (El Rey de Cocibolca) San José
9:00 Ferry III Moyogalpa
10:00 Ferry I Moyogalpa
11:00 Ferry (El Che) Moyogalpa
11:30 Boat (Karen Maria) Moyogalpa
12:30 Ferry III Moyogalpa
13:00 Boat (Estrella del Sur) Moyogalpa
14:00 Ferry I Moyogalpa
15:00 Boat (Santa Martha) Moyogalpa
15:00 Ferry (El Rey de Cocibolca) San José
16:00 Ferry III Moyogalpa
17:30 Ferry (El Che) Moyogalpa

Ferry to Granada and San Carlos (Rio San Juan)

Going to Ometepe:

From Granada
Departure Arrival on Ometepe (Altagracia)
Monday at 14:00 18:00
Thursday at 17:00 21:00
From San Carlos
Tuesday and Friday at 14:00 24:00

Leaving Ometepe:

To Granada
Departure Arrival in Granada
Tuesday and Friday at 24:00 (midnight) 4:30
To San Carlos Arrival in San Carlos
Monday at 18:00 4:30 (on Tuesday)
Thursday at 21:00 8:30 (on Friday)

The Granada – Ometepe – San Carlos ferry is only for passengers and cargo. No cars allowed.

For the midnight ferry from Altagracia (Ometepe) to Granada shared taxis pick up passengers at hotels in Altagracia at around 22:30. If you come from San Carlos you arrive at midnight (or often later) at the port of Altagracia. Then also you have shared taxis which will bring you to hotels in Altagracia.

Always buy your ticket before entering the boat. A 1st class ticket costs around $9 (double than a 2nd class ticket) and allows you to stay in the chilly AC cabin and watch TV, or to hang your hammock (if you have one) in the 1st class deck. There are no sleeping accommodations on the boat.

On the way to/from San Carlos the ferry makes short stopovers in Morrito and San Miguelito on the eastern shore of Lake Nicaragua.

Here is the Managua bus information but remember it can change from time to time so be sure to check to see if the information is still correct. It was accurate June 2016.

Bus Departures from Managua There are three main bus terminals in Managua, each serving routes to different parts of the country. On the most-traveled routes, the first departures are usually before dawn and the last buses pull out of the station around dusk. One notable exception is transportation to San Juan del Sur, which does not get going until mid-morning. Minibusses also leave from the bus terminals, as well as from the Universidad Centroamericana. North and East The bus terminal at Mercado El Mayoreo, on the southeast side of the city, provides service on routes to the north and east, including hourly express buses to the northern cities of Estelí, Matagalpa, Jinotega and Ocotal. There are also departures every half hour to Boaco. There are less-frequent departures to Somoto (six daily) and Río Blanco (five daily) in the north, and San Carlos (seven daily), Siuna (five daily), Esquipulas (six daily), Nueva Guinea (five daily) and El Rama (three daily) in the east.There are two departures each day to San Jose de los Remantes (6:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.), Santa Lucia (10:45 a.m. and 1:10 p.m.) and Valle San Juan (2:05 p.m. and 3:05 p.m.). There is one bus every day to each of the following: Comalapa (2:45 p.m.), San Miguelito (6:30 a.m.), El Cacao (11:40 a.m.) and Puerto Cabezas (9:15 a.m.). West The bus terminal at Mercado Israel Lewites is the hub for transport in the Pacific region west and north of Managua. There are departures every half hour to León, La Paz Centro, Nagarote, Chinandega, and Diriomo, with more frequent departures to Monte Tabor, Pochomil, Villa El Carmen, Carazo and Mateare. There are hourly express buses to León, as well. Less frequent services include two departures to El Sauce (7:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.) and three to Cuajachillo (7:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.). Minibuses also leave frequently from Israel Lewites for Masatepe, Chinandega, and Chichigalpa. Minibuses bound for León leave from a spot one block south of the bus terminal. South The bus terminal at Managua’s main market, Mercado Roberto Huembes, is the departure point for most buses headed to the south of the country. Buses for Nandaime, San Juan del Sur, and the Costa Rican border leave every half-hour, while there are departures every 20 minutes for Masaya, Granada, and Rivas. More frequent buses run to Masatepe, Ticuantepe, Veracruz, Santo Domingo and Tipitapa. Frequent minibusses also run to Granada, Rivas, Masatepe, Nandaime and San Marcos. Minibuses The terminal at the Universidad Centroamericana has frequent minibus service to Masaya, Granada, Jinotepe, and León.  (Information courtesy of Ira Stephenson.)