Flight +
nights stay in a
star hotel / double room, is
Note
These values represent only an estimate of costs for travels from London, bought in
2015-01-16 with departure date in
2015-05-05 and return date in 2015-05-17 . These values refer the best quality and price according to parameters of selection set by Bananatrips. Prices may have changed since date of publication and will also depend on the specific date of reservation. The success in obtaining good prices is to make reservations in advance. For specific values in other dates please REQUEST A SEARCH BEFORE MAKING YOUR RESERVATION.
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua. It is also the largest city in Nicaragua. The city has a population of roughly 1,800,000, composed predominantly of mestizos and whites; making it the second most populous city in Central America after Guatemala City.
Managua's location between the rival cities of León and Granada made it a logical and ideal compromise site in determining the nation's capital. Managua's economy is based mainly on trade. The city is Nicaragua's chief trading center for coffee, cotton, and other crops. It is also an important industrial center. Its chief products for trade include beer, coffee, matches, textiles, and shoes.
The city has been witness to the rise and fall of political powers throughout Nicaragua's history and suffered devastating earthquakes in 1931 and 1972. Managua is the economic, political, cultural, commercial and industrial center of Nicaragua. Since the 1972 earthquake, residential and business areas have been built on the outskirts of Managua. Residents of the city and of the department of Managua are called Managuas
Barrio Martha Quezada and Barrio Jorge Dimitrov (near TicaBus), while relatively quiet, are known as being less safe than other areas of the city. It is advised to not wander the streets after dark and avoid being a target (no flashy jewelry). That being said, there are some great budget hotels in the area and is very convenient for travelers coming in from the TicaBus.
Budget
Nicaragua is one of Latin America's economically friendly destinations. Its hotel, food and transportation costs are a fraction of its neighbors. Eating at local restaurants is extremely inexpensive, and for $30, a meal for four can be served at these locations. Fast food locations are relatively similar to those in North America and Europe in terms of price. High-end restaurants are also affordable. Foreign cuisine, like French and Italian specialties, are served at high-end locations for a fraction of the price found in North American and European cities. Transportation is equally affordable with bus trips for less than US$1.00 and taxi services. Hotels, as anywhere, vary from cheap hostels to full service five stars that can run into the thousands of cordobas.
How to Get in
By plane
Augusto C. Sandino International Airport, IATA: MGA)(ICAO: MNMG), Aptdo 5179.
Delta from Atlanta, United Airlines from Houston, Spirit Airlines from Fort Lauderdale and Houston, American Airlines from Miami and Dallas, and Avianca airlines from Miami. Avianca also connects several times daily from San Salvador and COPA once daily from both San Salvador and Panama City. In addition Aeromexico connects once daily to Mexico City. Flights from Canada are less expensive and less troublesome via San Salvador than via Miami. In the Winter, Air Transat (charter) flies non-stop from Montreal to Managua for packages primarily in Montelimar. Reliable airport pickups/dropoffs available through Mana-Ahuac Hoy
By Motorcycle
A great adventure is to visit Nicaragua on a motorcycle. The smells, the air, nature can be uniquely experience with a motorcycle. For motorcycle rentals visit Nicaragua Motorcycle Adventures
By car
If you are looking for a driver and car hire then check Taxi Managua who have selected a small number of reliable taxi drivers. All drivers are official airport Taxis.
By bus
There are direct bus routes from all major cities stopping at various points.
Buses from Masaya, Granada, San Marcos and some from Jinotepe come in through the southeastern Carretera Masaya entrance and pass by the Centroamerica rotonda before going to either Mercado Huembes or UCA.
Buses from Jinotepe also come in through carretera Sur stopping by 7 Sur, a hub to go to via Carretera Nueva and Vieja Leon and C. Sur.
To go to the mountains in the north or the caribbean coast, buses leave from Mercado El Mayoreo.
Get around
By car
AVIS Rent-a-car. They have offices at the International Airport, Montoya zone, Carretera a Masaya. E-Mail: reservations@avis.com.ni, Toll Free US & Canada: 1-866-978-6539, Nicaragua phone: 505-250-3366.
Budget Rent-a-car. E-Mail: reserve@budget.com.ni, Has 10 locations around Nicaragua, Phone 505 2255-9000. cars from $10 per day up.
Driving directions in Managua are not typical. In fact, they are often regarded as unique and confusing. The major earthquakes have left the city without a consistent and clear street address system. Although the government has made attempts to address this problem, directions are given relative to landmarks and distances. For example, most addresses are given based on landmarks and with the directions al lago - North, towards the lake, arriba/abajo (east/west) and al sur (to the South). For example, to instruct a taxi driver to drop you off at Casa Ben Linder [4], the directions are "en barrio Moseñor Lezcano, de donde fue el Banco Popular, 2 al lago, 2 arriba", which means, "in the Lezcano neighborhood, from where People's Bank used to be, 2 blocks towards the lake and 2 blocks East."
By bus
Please note that although the local bus network is extensive and organised, a recent smart card ticketing system has been introduced, making it impossible for visitors to get about. Getting the card is not simple, and bus drivers refuse to take cash. Either look for a bus that accepts cash and card, slightly difficult, or persuade some stranger to accept you on their card. The system has rightly caused lots of controversy in the city.
There's a wiki (in Spanish) with route information for local buses in Managua.
110 goes from mercado Israel Lewites (buses to León) to mercado Roberto Huembes (buses to Granada), passing on the way by the UCA, where microbuses leave for both Granada and León, as well as Masaya and other cities.
Buses to Granada, Leon, Jinotepe, Masaya, and Chinandega are also available at UCA (Universidad Centroamericana). Several city buses connect through UCA as well (102, 103, 105, 110, 111, 114, 119, 168).
Bus fare is currently 2.5 córds. if you don't know which bus to take you can usually ask someone at the stop. there is no map of managua bus routes so most people just memorize them.
