Whilst most people choose to break up the journey between Granada and San Juan Del Sur with a few days in Ometepe, if you’re craving a surf or some uninterrupted beach time, this is an easy enough route to complete in one day.

In this post, we've shared a clear overview of the route, including costs, connections, and tips to avoid hassle along the way.

This is how to get from Granada to San Juan Del Sur.

(Psssst. If you plan on travelling in the opposite direction, from San Juan Del Sur to Granada, simply do this route in reverse).

Step One | Hop on a bus to Rivas

The buses to Rivas depart from here on Google Maps.

It’s around a 15-minute walk from the Central Park, so depending upon where you’ve been staying in Granada, you can either walk or alternatively hop in a shared taxi (C$20 per person - will possibly charge extra for luggage).

All of them are the standard big old school buses which are common place in Central America.

Before moving on to the route, if you want a much quicker, more direct way from Granada to San Juan del Sur, a private taxi should cost in the region of $50-60 USD. That price is for the whole vehicle by the way, not per person.

Read Later | 13 Wonderful Things To Do In Granada

Option One // Direct Bus to Rivas

This is the simplest option.

If due, buses will be waiting at the bus stop. Simply let the ayudante know you want to head to Rivas and and he will place your backpack on top of the bus (or at the back) and direct you to the correct bus.

Journey time is around 2 hours.

Expect to pay C$50-100 per person. For a backpacker, the fare is unfortunately rather inconsistent, and can vary wildly depending upon whether the ayudante feels like overcharging you or not. The higher amount is usually requested when they attempt to charge for luggage in addition - this is a scam, but speaking from experience, is a difficult one to avoid.

Option Two // Bus to Nanadaime, and connecting bus to Rivas

If you arrive at the bus stop and there are no departures to Rivas in the next hour or so (the direct buses are not as regular as you might expect), your best bet is to jump on the next one to Nanadaime. You will not terminate here, instead you will be advised to jump off at a bus stop just outside the city and transfer on to another bus to Rivas - helpfully there’s usually one waiting.

The first bus costs C$20 per person and takes 30 minutes. The ayudante will advise you when to get off to wait for the frequent connecting bus.

The Rivas Bus arrives into Rivas bus terminal (Google Maps), and takes approximately 1.5 hours. Again, what you pay for this section of the journey is very much decided by those who work on it. C$40-50 is likely close to the real price based on our experiences of bus travel in Nicaragua, but we were forced to pay for our bags on this route and the fact it was an ‘express’ service, being charged C$100 each.

It was not an ‘express’ service friends.

Step Two | Find the Bus to San Juan del Sur

Rivas bus terminal is quite possibly our least favourite place in Nicaragua.

As soon as you disembark, you will be inundated with offers from taxi drivers and tours, all offering to take you to your next destination, and often lying about bus departures and their frequency in the process.

Our advice is to politely say no thank you and either identify the San Juan Del Sur bus yourself, or ask a stall holder, old person or somebody working for one of the bus companies where you’ll find it.

The bus between Rivas and San Juan Del Sur is super regular, so you’ll always find one waiting in the station and never have to look to hard. This isn’t the case if you’re travelling this route - or any route in Nicaragua - on Sundays, when far fewer buses operate.

Travel Tip | If you’re not on a budget, running short on time, or travelling as a group, you can of course take one of these taxi drivers up on their offer. The price should be $20 USD, and You may need to engage in a little negotiation but the price should be around $20 USD - absolutely don’t pay more than $25 USD.

Step Three | The Bus from Rivas to San Juan del Sur

Once you’ve found the bus, the ayudante will again likely take your bag and either throw it up on top of the bus, or stow it in the back.

Expect a journey time of between 45 and 60 minutes.

The price is again up for a bit of debate (hope you’re noticing a theme here!), but expect to pay around C$30 per person.

If you’re reading this and not sure why the prices on Nicaraguan buses are so unclear or why we don’t like Rivas bus station, read 23 Things To Know Before You Visit Nicaragua (published soon).

Step Four | Arriving into San Juan del Sur

The bus terminates in the centre of San Juan Del Sur by the market, so unless your accommodation has advised otherwise, stay on until the last stop (find it here on Google Maps).

If you haven’t decided on a place to stay yet, either take a look at our guide to San Juan Del Sur, or alternatively there are plenty of hostels within walking distance of the bus stop. Do note that if you’re arriving on the weekend and wanting a private room (i.e. not a dorm), it’s imperative that you book ahead!

Alternatively, you may want to continue on to the increasing popular traveller + surfer hub of Playa Maderas.