Introducing San Carlos
San Carlos, the capital of the isolated Río San Juan department, gets a bad rap - which, all in all, is probably OK, as it keeps expectations manageably low. So first, the bad news: it's probably going to be hot and muggy while you're here, and there's not that much to do other than swat mosquitoes.
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On the upside, you've got a festive lakefront lined with small fishing boats you can hire for lake expeditions, restaurants on stilts above the water (this mitigates the mosquitoes) where you can relax, plus a fairly happening party scene. Or, just walk the steep cobbled streets running between the ramshackle wooden buildings to a couple of centuries-old Spanish monuments, including San Carlos' newly refurbished 1724 Spanish fortress.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: Suggested Itinerary for 3 weeks in Nicaragua/Costa Rica
by paulschmidtart 14 May 2012
It is not clear from your post how or why you end up in San Carlos and then want to go to Bluefields from there. It is possible by bus…
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Re: Experiencing Rio San Juan
by otta86 25 March 2012
We recently spent 3 days on Rio San Juan back and didn't feel in danger at any point. El Castillo in particular is an idyllic little village…
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RE: from Islas Solentiname to Isla Ometepe
by odey 19 February 2012
No You need to take a boat from Solentiname to San Carlos- there is a collectivo boat leaving very early ( around 5:00am) from the islands…
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