How To Get To Ometepe Island: Full Guide!

Ometepe Island is a small island located in Lake Nicaragua, also called Lake Cocibolca. It mainly attracts visitors with its beauty, 2 spectacular volcanoes, adventure activities, and relaxing places. Ometepe Island has a volcanic origin and is situated in the largest lake in Central America.

I traveled to Nicaragua for a month, visiting all the highlights, including Ometepe. So, I’ve created this guide for getting to Ometepe Island based on my experience. It’ll make your travels much easier, and you’ll know what to expect.

Getting To Ometepe Island In Nicaragua

To get to Ometepe Island, you’ll first have to get to Rivas. From there, take a taxi to San Jorge, where the port is located. Ometepe is an island, so the only way to reach it is by boat. Board the ferry in San Jorge, and you’ll reach Ometepe in about an hour. The boat will take you to the main town on Ometepe called Moyogalpa.

You can either stay in Moyogalpa and do all activities and day trips from this town or rent a scooter and drive to your accommodation.

Now that you know, in short, how to get to Ometepe Island, let me give you more details about this journey.

👉 READ ALSO: Where To Stay On Ometepe Island: Best Hotels

How To Get To Ometepe Island From Managua

If you travel from the Nicaraguan capital, you must take a bus to Rivas.

All buses from Magaua to Rivas leave from the station called: Mercado Roberto Huembes. The buses to Rivas depart every 30 minutes, so just come there and ask for a bus to Rivas.

Some buses go to San Juan del Sur but stop near Rivas, so you can also take this kind of bus.

The bus journey from Managua to Rivas takes about 2 hours & 30 minutes and costs between 66 to 70 cordobas. Sometimes, they charge 20 cordobas extra for luggage.

Remember that to get to Ometepe; first, you must go to San Jorge. So you don’t need to go all the way to Rivas. Instead, you’ll have to get off at a roundabout. They know which roundabout it is as many travelers travel this way. So just tell the bus driver you want to get off at the roundabout (en la rotonda – in Spanish).

Once the bus leaves you at the roundabout, you’ll take a taxi to San Jorge.

It’s just a 10-minute drive and should cost you around 40 cordobas. But not more than 50 cordobas per person. They always take advantage of you being a foreigner and can easily charge you 70 cordobas. So tell them you know it costs 40 cordobas and negotiate.

When the taxi leaves you in San Jorge, you’ll proceed to the port and take the boat to Ometepe Island.

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How To Get To Ometepe Island From Granada

If you’re staying in Granada and want to get to Ometepe Island, here is how to get there.

There are also regular buses from Granada to Rivas. The buses leave from the bus terminal called: Nueva Terminal de buses a Rivas (type it into Google Maps, it’s a 10-minute walk from Central Park).

The bus from Granada to Rivas leaves 7 times a day; here is the schedule:
5:50 am / 6:30 am / 8:05 am / 9:30 am / 11:30 am / 12:40 pm / 1:10 pm / 3:10 pm (the last bus at 3:10 pm doesn’t go on Sundays).

The bus ride from Granada to Rivas takes about 2 hours and costs 50 cordobas

Again, you don’t need to travel all the way to Rivas. Get off at the roundabout. Tell the driver to leave you at la rotonda. From there, take a taxi to San Jorge (as I mentioned above).

👉 READ ALSO: Where To Stay In Granada Nicaragua

How To Get To Ometepe Island From San Juan Del Sur

If you’re traveling from San Juan del Sur, you must first take a bus to Rivas. The only exception is that you’ll drive directly to the main station in Rivas, not getting off at the roundabout (as with the previous two cases when traveling from Managua or Granada).

The bus from San Juan del Sur to Rivas leaves every 45 minutes, from 5:00 am until 5:00 pm.

NOTE: On Sundays, there is only 1 bus from San Juan del Sur to Rivas at 12:30 pm. So plan accordingly.

The bus journey from San Juan del Sur to Rivas takes 1 hour and costs 40 cordobas (+ they might charge you extra 20 cordobas for your luggage).

Now listen, the bus station in Rivas is super crazy. I didn’t like it that much, honestly. When you get off the bus, there will be people, taxi drivers, and random guys offering you a drive to San Jorge port. They’ll even tell you lies that you have to hurry because the last boat leaves in about 10 minutes.

Unfortunately, many of them want to charge you. This is my experience. Luckily, I met a great taxi driver who told me that they were doing this and to prepare. You don’t have to speak to them. Look around and think for yourself. Take your time and look for a taxi driver you like.

Then take a taxi from Rivas to San Jorge. It takes about 15 minutes and costs around 70 cordobas per person.

From San Jorge, take a boat to Ometepe Island, Moyogalpa.

👉 READ ALSO: 11 Best Things To Do On Ometepe Island Nicaragua

San Jorge To Ometepe Ferry Information

Once you reach San Jorge, getting to Ometepe will be straightforward and less stressful.

You must pay 1 USD (entrance fee) or 36 cordobas when you enter the port.

Then walk to the lake and board the ferry. It’s obvious which ferry leaves for Ometepe. If you’re unsure, ask around.

The ferry from San Jorge to Ometepe takes 1 hour and costs 50 cordobas. However, unlike buses, you won’t be charged anything extra for your luggage on this ferry.

The ferry will take you to the town in Ometepe called Moyogalpa. It’s the main town on the island with all facilities, restaurants, and hotels.

I suggest renting a scooter in Moyogalpa for your stay.

You can stay the first night in Moyogalpa to organize yourself. Then rent a scooter, and book another hotel in another part of Ometepe Island for a few more nights.

Ometepe Ferry Schedule

Here is the ferry schedule from San Jorge to Ometepe Island in Nicaragua:

7:00 am / 7:45 am / 8:30 am / 9:00 am / 10:30 am / 11:00 am / 12:00 pm / 12:30 pm / 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm / 3:30pm / 4:00 pm / 4:30 pm / 5:00 pm / 5:45 pm

The ferry from San Jorge to Ometepe takes 1 hour and costs 50 cordobas. I recommend coming to the ferry at least 15 minutes before departure. It’ll be easier for you to get seats.

It’s only possible to pay cash on the ferry. So have enough cash to pay for your tickets.

You can also check ferry Ometepe official website for updated schedule.

👉 READ ALSO: Best Of Nicaragua Itinerary: 7 Days With Map & Tips

FAQs

To help you navigate to Ometepe Island and have a great time there, I’ve also answered some of the most frequently asked questions. Check the answers below:

How Many Days Do You Need In Ometepe Island?

You need between 3 and 5 days in Ometepe. 3 days is the minimum to fully enjoy the island, hike the Concepcion volcano, and enjoy other activities. 5 days is just enough time to explore the entire island and do everything it offers.

How Long Is The Ferry Ride To Ometepe?

The ferry ride to Ometepe from San Jorge is 1 hour. It’s a beautiful ride, and if you get the ferry with a rooftop, spend time up there enjoying the views.

Can You Swim In Ometepe Island?

Yes, you can swim in Ometepe. It has some nice beaches, so you can relax on the beach the entire day and enjoy swimming. Don’t go too far from the shore, though. Locals say that there are sharks inside.

WRAP-UP: Getting To Ometepe Island Nicaragua

This is a full guide on getting to Ometepe Island. It’s quite easy to get there, and traveling by local buses (chicken buses) is great fun in Nicaragua. So you don’t have to be worried.

Remember to negotiate the price with taxi drivers, who often charge more than it costs.

Recently, locals started to take advantage and charge 20 extra cordobas for luggage. You can argue about that as well with the person on the bus. Or pay for it. It’s not an official fee you have to pay. But they know most tourists will do, so they ask for it.

If you have any questions or need a customized travel itinerary, contact me at info(at)voicesoftravel.com. I’ll gladly help you.

Happy Travels!