Truck Rental/Itinerary for 10 days in Nicaragua

First off, thanks for the information that you all provide. I have browsed the last many months of posts and have gleaned some great information.

Timing: We booked this last minute: leaving August 27th!

Background info: We are two Spanish speaking, experienced travelers with a limited amount of time to enjoy Nicaragua, so we prefer not to spend a lot of time waiting for buses, waiting for rides to be organized, etc. We will budget $500 to cover either a truck rental or taxis, cabs, private shuttles. 20 years ago in Costa Rica I had a truck with a friend and it was a blast and very convenient, but we did have to wait several times for ferries.

Itinerary:
Granada for one night
Then depart either to Leon/Las Peñitas3 nights
Ometepe: 3 nights near Merida at Finca Mystica or similar
Beaches near Popoyo: 1-2 nights

Question: Should we rent a truck or is the hassle factor too much? If so, any recommendations for truck rentals that are 4x4 and cheaper than the corporate chains?

Will it be easy to get a ferry to Ometepe with a truck? If so suggestions on which ferry to book?

Any other suggestions?

You guys don't need a truck, rent a car or a 4x4 for anywhere your going on that route. It's very easy and overall cheap to use shuttles or bargain with taxi's, in fact from what it sounds like taxi's will work best for you guys, very convenient as you can leave when you want and stop along the way.

When you get to Granada start asking around for transport to Leon, ask at you hotel, taxi stands and shuttle service, just work it while your checking out the town, it's pretty easy and you'll get a good/decent price fairly quick. Do the same when you get to Leon and repeat.

Mopeds are a good way to cruise around Ometepe.

Why not start with Leon and then Granada, Ometepe, Popoyo ?

It sounds like you are set on renting a car but really, that route is easy with buses and taxis. Minibus from the UCA in Managua to Leon takes 2 hours. Bus to Las Penitas is 30-45 minutes or taxi. Leon back to the UCA and minibus to Granada. From Granada bus to Rivas, taxi to San Jorge and boat/ferry to Ometepe... On Ometepe there are not that many buses (and hardly any on Sundays) but there are taxis. And the scooter rental mentioned above.

If you do rent a car and want to take it to Ometepe, you need to reserve a spot on the ferry. The boats don't take cars but I believe all the ferries will. Check out this website (as far as I know departure times are more or less correct and there are phone numbers for reserving a spot for a car): http://www.ometepenicaragua.com/ferryboat.php

I normally travel through Central America in buses but I found taxis so cheap in Nicaragua that I often used them. You certainly don't need a truck - either hire a car or go on a taxi/bus combination which you'll find convenient. Also, why such a brief stop in Granada? It's a lovely town with lots to do in the area so you might want to consider an extra night there.

I don't see why you need a rental vehicle based on your areas of interest.

I hope that is not the order in which you plan to go those places either...?

You can taxi hire for all this which is even easier than a rental and far more fun, and since you speak spanish, you can converse, get tips, and talk about life in Nicaragua with the taxi driver, and leave the driving to someone else.

Your budget looks fine for taxi hire. It does not cost that much in Nicaragua...

Why two beaches? With such a short time in Nicaragua, isn't one enough? And also, Nicaragua is more a cultural destination than a beach destination unless you surf IMO..

The only time a rental vehicle makes the most sense is for exploring the north, which takes time and is more spread out, otherwise, taxi hire, shuttle or bus...

No we haven't decided on the order of the trip yet.

As far as the beaches go, yes we are contemplating taking a 2-3 day beginning surf lesson.

Re: short stay in Granada. I've heard mixed things about it being touristy. What are the main attractions? We are coming from San Francisco and we get as much city life as we need here. The main attraction for us is the nature of Nicaragua and the culture/friendliness etc.

Btw: thanks everyone for your great advice. You guys and gals rock 😄

Granada is a very pretty old spanish colonial city, that is more a town overall than a city, its pretty slow paced and low key, few cars/traffic. It is touristy in regards to it being popular and catering to tourist, but, so is Rome & Paris, would you miss those?

Google "Granada Nicaragua" and hit the IMAGES Tab....you tell me, you doit walk or bike those streets? Its is a mini Florence Italy...

It is also a very colorful town, literally, as everything was painted after the after earthquake thanks to donations from wealthy countries, and it also has some lovely churches. The cafe/dining scene is also very good, not mention the nice grand old hotels and casas, in addition to many small business from cigar stores to shirt makers, dressmakers and art galleries. It is a very romantic city as well, sunsets are stunning on the white washed and bleached out colors on every street, all framed by cobblestone streets...

1-2 nights is great, if you doing activities nearby as day trips, it makes a great base.

What guidebook are you using?

People say Antigua Guatemala is touristy, and maybe it is, its one the prettiest spanish colonial towns in Central America, and is also very nice and pleasant to visit, nice nightlife and gorgeous architecture too...

Granada is pretty and compact. Nice to just wander around, especially early in the morning. The main sights can be seen in a few hours: the central park, a few churches, don't miss the sunset from the bell tower of La Merced, the San Francisco museum with the zoomorphic statues, stroll through the market, have lunch at El Gordito in the central park (try the vigoron).... You can go kayaking (or take a boat tour) through the isletas: see how the locals live and fish, see birds as well. There are tourists, yes, and some people complain about Calle La Calzada (the street with all the restaurants) being too busy but if you go closer to the church on that street it gets less busy and there are of course also restaurants elsewhere. I have always enjoyed Granada, it is not like there are throngs of tourists clogging up the streets. Possible day trips are active volcano Masaya, Lake Apoyo, volcano Mombacho (cloud forest).

Leon is another great colonial city. People often say it feels "more real" than Granada. Lots of churches, murals, museums, a great market, view from the roof of the cathedral, delicious street food behind the cathedral, great restaurants and nightlife. Nearby volcanoes like Cerro Negro (half day trip, short hike up, active crater, great views and you can board or run down) and Telica (very impressive crater).

For culture : Granada, Leon. For nature : the volcanoes, the isletas, Ometepe (and Ometepe also for rural life). And you will meet even more friendly locals if you take the bus.

With 10 days (9 full days ?) it is hard to see Leon, Granada, Ometepe and Popoyo. I would suggest spending 2 days in Leon (with Cerro Negro), get your beach time with 2 days Las Penitas (with surf lessons, check out : http://www.cocosurfschool.com and maybe a sea turtle evening tour in the Juan Venado nature reserve), 2 days Granada (maybe with the Masaya volcano) and 3 days Ometepe (volcanoes, nature reserve, lake beaches, kayaking, waterfall hike, natural spring pool, horseback riding...).

Sonia you hit the nail on the head. I need to get to Leon...and Estelli..and C.I. and El Castillo on the RSJ...

Don't forget Los Guatuzos and Matagalpa/Jinotega...

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