Short trip, questions about tours and itinerary

Hi thorntree,

I'm going to be arriving in Nicaragua next Saturday for ten days. I'm doing the Granada-Ometepe-San Juan Del Sur loop. Im a lady traveling solo which I've done before but this the first time I'll be someplace where I don't have a grasp on the language. I just have a couple of questions for you find people.

The five big things on my agenda are doing a little hiking on mombacho, seeing the masaya volcano, kayaking the isletas, hiking to the San Ramon falls, band kayaking rio istiam. Also spending time on the beach. Overall it looks like I'll need to figure out guides for the isletas and Rio istiam, but generally prefer to do my own thing. My one concern is that the only day Mombacho is open to individuals is the first day I arrive and I'm not sure how hard it will be to take the bus to the volcano. So I guess I'm asking anyone who has done the public transportation route -is it especially difficult? Should I book a tour instead?

Additionally how early should I book tours for the kayaking trips? Is it difficult for solo people to get guides?

Third of all, I've been trying to contact finca mystica and they haven't been emailing me at all. Anybody know a better way to contact them?

And lastly, any other tips? Thanks guys ! And please ignore my typos.

It's never difficult for solo people to get guides. There are always guides available in Nicaragua; you just have to pay more than the people going in groups.

And if your time is limited, the answer is yes, book your Mombacho tour with an agency. Lots of them online now, so you can send emails or get phone #'s. Without good Spanish, trying to find the bus on your own would leave you completely without Mombacho. For a lot of things in Nicaragua, no Spanish is needed, but you will probably find yourself needing travel agencies more than the really Spanish fluent tourists.

I can't speak about the kayaking, but the beaches in Nicaragua are fantastic. If you have the time, head up to Playa Jiquilillo, accessible from Chinandega. That place is the most "tranquillo".

In these places not knowing Spanish will not be a problem. Also, the taxi drivers will speak English and are very used to tourists and their destinations. Prices are negotiable. I would do this especially for the isletas as the taxis in Granada know where everything is. This is just a minute form the main square. The water quality in SJDS is not the best. I would advise going to another beach, north or south, for your day of sunning and swimming. Taxis and trucks take folks to other beaches all the time. Playa Hermosa is especially nice with no houses or hotels, just a small restaurant and some thatch palapas. Nice big beach and calm enough to swim, but there are plenty of them all over. Go where there are other tourists. Just to be safe.

To go to Mombacho from Granada you go to the bus station in the mercado and take a bus to Rivas or Nandaime and ask to be let off at the Mombacho intersection (just say "Mombacho"). Take a tuk tuk or walk 2 km to the entrance. You can then choose to walk up (cheaper but steep) or take their transport up.

For kayaking the isletas we went with Nicaragua Dulce. You can rent a kayak with or without a guide. They have an office in the central park in Granada.

For Masaya you can just take a bus to the volcano from Granada (any bus going to Managua can let you off at the volcano).

It is a fun hike to the San Ramon falls and you can swim there. I know you are planning to stay near the falls but if you are not it can be hard to get there although we saw they were paving the roads in that area, that would of course make a big difference.