CityUsable guide

San Carlos (Nicaragua)

Municipality in Río San Juan Department, Nicaragua

Photo: Hobbitschuster, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

San Carlos is a city in Rio San Juan department of Nicaragua.

Where to eat, drink and stay

Eat2 places

Restaurante El Granadino
Address
Frente a Cancha Alejandro Granja
Phone
+505 25830142
Restaurante El Mirador
Nicely located with great views over the river and decorated with Spanish cannons (supposedly from El Castillo and supposedly used by Rafaela Herrera repelling the English pirates in the 18th century) but the food more often than not can't compete with the view.
Address
De la iglesia Católica 1 y ½ Cuadra al lago
Phone
+505 2583 0377

Sleep3 places

Hotel Cabinas Leykodouble w/o bath US$20 triple w bath $36
nice option with parking, friendly staff, and free water - though not particularly cheap by Nicaraguan standards. Clean rooms with complimentary soap and shampoo. Rates include breakfast. They can also arrange tours throughout the area.
Price
double w/o bath US$20 triple w bath $36
Address
Casa Cural, 2 cuadras al Oeste
Phone
+505 2583 0354
Hotel Gran LagoSingle US$35, double US$40, triple US$45
The location of this hotel right at the Malecon is a blessing and a curse at once. On the one hand almost everything is in close walking distance, on the other hand during the frequent events at the Malecon it will get loud.
Price
Single US$35, double US$40, triple US$45
Address
De Caruna, 25 metros al Sur. San Carlos
Phone
+505 2583 0075
Website
grandhotelsnicaragua.com
Hostal Santa LucíaSingle $10, double $15, triple $20
Price
Single $10, double $15, triple $20
Address
Sector 3, Frente a Quinta Santa Rosa
Phone
+505 2583 0385

Getting there and around

Getting there

By bus
By plane

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Getting around

It's a small city - everything is in walking distance. A taxi is C$10 all around town (double rates at night). A local bus exists but is not useful for tourists.

Read in the guide

Airports and nearby hotels

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La Fortuna Arenal Airport

La Fortuna · Regional · FON

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Read before you go to San Carlos (Nicaragua)

Articles and travel topics about San Carlos (Nicaragua) and Nicaragua.

Itineraries

Ruta del Tránsito

Ruta de Tránsito is in Southern Nicaragua, traversing the country from coast to coast through the jungle along the San Juan river and past one of the largest lakes in Latin America — Lake Nicaragua.

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Culture & history

Baseball

Baseball has been considered America's pastime since at least the 1850s and today remains one of the biggest sports in the country.

Wikivoyage

Itineraries

Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail is a 2,200 mi (3,500 km) National Historic Trail across the United States, traditionally beginning in Independence, Missouri and crossing the states of Nebraska, Wyoming, and Idaho before ending near…

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Nature & adventure

Cycling

Cycling allows you to see places close up and at a slower pace. It keeps you aware of your surroundings and you get to experience a place more intimately than you would as a bus or taxi passenger.

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Full travel guide

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UnderstandSan Carlos itself might not be the most interesting or beautiful city in Nicaragua, but it serves as an important local transportation hub and the last place to stock up when heading into the more rural parts of the Rio…

Get inIn years past, there were boats to neighboring Los Chiles (Costa Rica) and all the way to Ometepe as of September 2018 neither of them has gone in over a year and there is no sign of them ever starting up again.

Get aroundIt's a small city - everything is in walking distance. A taxi is C$10 all around town (double rates at night). A local bus exists but is not useful for tourists.

SeeThere are really only two sights in San Carlos - the malecon, and the fort just above the central park.

DoWatch a baseball game.

BuyThere are numerous ATMs and at least two banks around town.

EatAround the Malecon there are several little restaurants where you can get good food from 7AM.

DrinkSan Carlos has two places where the young locals go to party drink and dance.

SleepThere are several budget Hospedajes all around the Malecon and in the streets leading up the hill, but San Carlos is only a place to stay if you arrive late at night with no forward-transit options.

Stay safeSan Carlos might look like a sleepy town but crime does happen here as well. If you have to go longer distances at night, take a taxi. Besides that it should all be just common sense.

ConnectCybers abound in San Carlos Internet is C$10 per half hour and usually charged after you leave.

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Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "San Carlos (Nicaragua)" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "San Carlos, Nicaragua", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Hobbitschuster, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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