bluefields, ni

Most people will probably never come to Bluefields Nicaragua. This page is only for the stubborn ones. The ones who are overlanding, or, who also like me refuse to take airplanes because what's adventure when you use a plane? After spending time in Nicaragua you will probably forget that there is even a Caribbean side. But you shouldn’t. Bluefields is pretty much the only significant town on the east coast of Nicaragua. It’s the biggest town on the largely uninhabited east coast, but it’s mainly significant for its location as the port town for the ferry to the Corn Islands. Also, for its apparently large role in the drug trade. Getting to Bluefields is a long ride. You will be coming from Managua, and if you are coming by your own car, make sure you get yourself on the road early. Driving through Bluefields in the middle of the night looking for accommodation is not something that you want to do. Trust me, I have done it. During a power outage. A nerve-racking few minutes. Bluefields doesn't have much going on. There's not going to be any tourism here, but this is where you get the ferry out to the Corn Islands. The ferry goes on Wednesdays and Saturdays, ONLY. This schedule is also very subject to change. So don't be surprised if you show up and there's no ferry and you have to wait. That's what makes this place such an adventure. But typically, the ferry goes on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9am. Make sure you plan to arrive the night before. Spend a night there, then you get out to Big Corn Island. The other option is the significantly more adventurous route. You can get on a cargo ship taking supplies out to the Corn Islands. I ended up on a lobster boat due to a hurricane breaking the ferry. It's to this day my favorite travel tale.

GENERAL OVERVIEW

LOCATION - Getting to Bluefields ain't easy, but below are a few options. One thing to point out is that there is Bluefields, and there is the barrier island of Bluff. There is a chance that you will have to go out to the Barrier Island of Bluff as a stop on your ferry.
1. BY CAR - You will be coming from Managua. From Managua the drive is going to take 7 hours, and it's about 400 kilometers. The drive is extremely rural, and you are driving through nothing pretty much the entire time. But it's a beautiful and typically unseen part of the country. Just plug it into your map — it's easy enough.
2. BY BUS - If you aren't fortunate enough to have your own car, you will have to go by bus. Get one of the daily buses from the Mercado Mayoreo station. It will be a bumpy ride, and take about 9 hours or so. But it will be cheap, and an adventure. Try to either get on a super-early morning bus (6 AM or 9AM), or you can take the night bus at like 11PM. There's buses throughout the day, but I wouldn't want to arrive in Bluefields in the middle of the night. The ticket will cost $8.
3. FLY - You can fly from Managua to Bluefields. It will save a lot of time. You can book the flight here at Costeña airlines. But if you are going to fly, I would just fly straight to the Corn Islands, and skip Bluefields entirely.
- GETTING TO CORN ISLAND - There will be more on this on the Big Corn Island and Little Corn Island pages. But to get here you will have to take a ferry. The ferry ONLY OPERATES ON WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY AT 9AM. If you miss one of these, you will be stuck. Nowhere online to book, so you just have to show up and ask around.
  - Option #2 - If you want to be really adventurous, and I recommend this, get on a cargo ship. Cargo ships leave daily from the port in Bluefields out to the Corn Islands. Walk down to the port, which is a crazy experience on its own, and ask around. There will usually be someone going out there, and they won't charge you much.
  - Option #3 - Take a panga to Bluff and figure it out. There were no cargo ships leaving from Bluefields when I wanted to leave, so we had to get out to Bluff. A lot of ships only leave from there. You can catch a little panga out to Bluff and there ask around about ships. The boys with the pangas will know if there are cargo ships heading out from Bluff, and they won't take you out there unless there are.
  - Worst Case - There's an airport here that goes out to the islands. If you miss the ferry and don't want to cargo ship it or lobster boat it, then you can hop on a plane.

ACCOMMODATION - There's random little accommodation here. I stayed in the nicest hotel in town (which isn't all that nice), because it was the only place with power when I was there. They also have a restaurant up on the top floor, with a bar. The food was good and cheap.
1. Hotel Casa Royal - This is the nicest hotel in town. They have a gated and guarded parking lot. The rooms have air conditioning. There's also a restaurant and bay on the roof with a good view. It's also right next to the port, so you can figure out your transportation to the islands easy from here.

EATS - There's local options, but I just ate at the hotel I was staying at.

NIGHTLIFE - No, and the place isn't that safe, so I would recommend not even trying to find out.

SIGHTS - Just get to the Islands.

SURFING - Flat-ass Nicaraguan mangrove land.