San Carlos

Antonia
@
  • 282
  • 3
  • 1332
Route
Karte
San Juan de Nicaragua/Greytown2 NächteEl Castillo2 NächteBoca de Sábalos1 NachtSan Carlos1 NachtGranada2 NächteEstelí4 Nächte

San Carlos

📌 Spots

San Carlos Malecón
This malecon provides great views of the Lake Nicaragua and surrounding islands and volcanoes. Along the lakefront there are many restaurants and bars serving cheap and delicious local food. This is peaceful and safe walk where a lot of local families come to spend time together and enjoy the lake.
Sehenswürdigkeiten
San Carlos Mercado

The market at San Carlos is hands-down the best place to try typical Nicaraguan dishes. It is also wise to purchase any essentials that you will need for the trip down the San Juan river. Here you can also observe local life.

Food & Drink
Alle Spots ansehen

🏝️ Zu San Carlos

San Carlos is a small but hectic port town. Located at the mouth of the River San Juan, this is where the journey truly begins. From San Carlos, it is possible to take day trips to places of amazing natural beauty or to various beautiful islands. A truly “off the beaten track” destination.

⭐ Ratings

⭐ Local life – 10/10

⭐ Local food – 10/10

⭐ Adventure – 9/10

⭐ Night life – 8/10

🚍 Transport

GranadaSan Carlos

At this point along the route, you have two travel options: boat or bus.

Buses are a practical option, as they leave to San Carlos every day. You will pay 220 córdobas for the eight-hour journey. Managua is easy to get to from Granada. More buses leave from Managua to San Carlos every day than from Granada, making it a good connection option.

Taking this journey by boat is a cheaper alternative, at around 150 córdobas. However, the boat only leaves once a week, on Mondays. It sets sail from Granada in the evening, delivering passengers to San Carlos by the next morning. This makes for a very enjoyable ride, since the boat sails off during sunset. Bring a fleece and something to cover you, like a blanket or a sheet. Be prepared to sleep on a bench (or bring a hammock!). During the boat trip, you can buy relatively inexpensive food, roughly in the price range of 50-120 córdobas.

️📅 Aufenthalt

Mein Aufenthalt:

1 Nacht

Ich empfehle:

San Carlos is a nice place to stay for one night, so that you can stock up on any items you might need on the river. It is not a touristy destination, so it offers intriguing insight into local life, giving you a great opportunity to mingle with the Nicaraguan people. The locals there are really nice and curious about the foreigners that come to visit San Carlos or the river San Juan. Similarly, San Carlos is the last place that has an ATM along the river. Use this chance to take out enough money before you move on!
  • Meine Empfehlung
Jetzt buchen
Hostal Seledith

Hostal Seledith and its kind owner offer a safe and pleasant guest house for your San Carlos stay. This hostel can’t be booked online, but it is unlikely that it will be full. Therefore, it is totally fine to simply show up and pay your 500 córdobas for a two-person room.

To get there: Hostel Seledith is located at around a 5-minute walk away from Muelle San Carlos. This is where both the port and bus terminals for San Carlos arrivals are located.  Since the two stations are opposite each other, you will need to turn left if coming out of the port, or right if out of the bus terminal. You want to go towards the Malecon. For this, you will be walking through the market. Keep walking straight on the main road through the market, then pass the Malecon. The road with Hostel Seledith will be the second to last street on your right. It is located right on the corner. You can recognise the building by its beautiful blue-white colour and pretty patio.

Antonia

@

🇩🇪

Herkunft

Länder bereist

  • Low budget Traveler
  • Slow travel
  • Haussitter
  • Freiwilligenarbeit

Karte

San Juan de Nicaragua/Greytown
El Castillo
Boca de Sábalos
San Carlos
Granada
Estelí
×

Geocoding Error Occured.

Tried to Geocode:

Error Type:

Please be sure to follow the tutorial on how to setup the Google APIs required for the Advanced Google Map Widget.

Google Map API Key Tutorial

Karte

Sehenswürdigkeiten
San Carlos Malecón
11.121957920959915, -84.77751388669175
Food & Drink
San Carlos Mercado
11.124242353068437, -84.77599574193694
Naturwunder
Reserve Esperanza Verde
11.113966518840343, -84.77258189182832
Isla Zapote
11.083228850170391, -84.89021364839216
Islas Solentiname
11.183809429417181, -85.0252784251113
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos
11.014429763842328, -84.94661441092542
Show Places
San Carlos Malecón
11.121957920959915, -84.77751388669175
This malecon provides great views of the Lake Nicaragua and surrounding islands and volcanoes. Along the lakefront there are many restaurants and bars serving cheap and delicious local food. This is peaceful and safe walk where a lot of local families come to spend time together and enjoy the lake.
San Carlos Mercado
11.124242353068437, -84.77599574193694

The market at San Carlos is hands-down the best place to try typical Nicaraguan dishes. It is also wise to purchase any essentials that you will need for the trip down the San Juan river. Here you can also observe local life.

Reserve Esperanza Verde
11.113966518840343, -84.77258189182832

Monkeys, jaguars, deer, butterflies, reptiles, and birds roam and fly over this rich reserve. You can explore this jungle sanctuary on horseback or on foot. A day tour from San Carlos costs 25 USD. This price includes transport, entry fee, a guide for the hike, and lunch. If you prefer to stay overnight, the 40 USD ticket will grant you lodging and three meals, alongside the entry fee and guided hike.

Isla Zapote
11.083228850170391, -84.89021364839216
A day trip from San Carlos, Isla Zapote is a protected island with a lot of beautiful and unique wildlife that can be observed from the boat. The trip last 30 minutes.
Islas Solentiname
11.183809429417181, -85.0252784251113

An archipelago of 36 islands located on the Lake Nicaragua, perfect for art and history lovers. All the inhabitants of these islands are artists who actively create art, such as balsa carvings and primitivist paintings. This place is also full of gorgeous natural spots and unique, colourful birds. The Solentiname Islands are not touristy, so your only choice of accommodation is staying at a local’s house, which is a wonderful experience! The islands can be reached from the San Carlos port and the ride lasts around 2 hours and cost 150 córdobas.

Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos
11.014429763842328, -84.94661441092542

This ecological reserve is home to over 100 species of orchid, as well as turtle hatcheries and caiman breeding centres. Los Guatuzos is the best place to get close to the unique wildlife of Nicaragua. You can explore the reserve on a kayak or canoe, or go hiking with a knowledgeable local guide. A guided hike will cost you around 150 córdobas, while a canoe tour through the dense jungle and rivers of the reserve costs 350 córdobas. There are plenty of other tours and options to choose from, too.

×

Geocoding Error Occured.

Tried to Geocode:

Error Type:

Please be sure to follow the tutorial on how to setup the Google APIs required for the Advanced Google Map Widget.

Google Map API Key Tutorial