How to get to us:

Please let us know should you have any questions regarding transportation. If you have any problems regarding transportation on your arrival day, than please call us at (505)88634180. Don’t email us, since we might not read it in time!

We can arrange an airport pick up (100USD, up to 4 passengers per car) by a experienced driver with a reliable 4WD (day or night) or we can give you all the needed information to get here yourself.

Let us remind you that the conditions of the roads in Nicaragua can be poor (especially in the rainy season) and that you need a 4WD vehicle to get up to our place. So if you decide to come here by rental car, please make sure it is a 4WD! Below you can read the directions of how to get to us. Please make sure you arrive before 18.00 PM, since it is hard to find us in the dark!

How to get to us yourself?

Arriving from Managua:
Bus:
Take a taxi to the bus station for long distance routes, Mercado Roberto Huembes. Buses to San Juan del Sur leave there. In a regular bus it will take you approx. 3 -4 hours to San Juan Del Sur.
Please check: www.thebusschedule.com

After entering San Juan del Sur>>>>>>>>>>read below

Car:
Leave the airport in the direction to Tipitapa. Follow the sign that says old road to Tipitapa (vieja carretera de Tipitapa). After that follow the signs to Rivas or Peñas Blancas. After Rivas you will see signs San Juan del Sur. After 10-15min (after passing Rivas) take a right at the junction of ‘La Virgen’. From there it’s approx. 20min to San Juan Del Sur (18km). 

The total trip from the airport to our place should take approx. 3 hours (2.5hrs to San Juan Del Sur).

On the road to San Juan del Sur>>>>>>>>>>read below

Arriving from San Jose, Costa Rica or Liberia, Costa Rica:
Bus:
The easiest and most comfortable way is to take the Ticabus (www.ticabus.com) or Transnicabus (www.transnica.com), These are air conditioned buses with an onboard toilet and coming from Costa Rica you won’t have to switch busses at the border. Once you’ve entered Nicaragua (after immigration) just get off at ‘La Virgen’ (let the busdriver know you want to get off here!). This is approx. 20 min after leaving the border.
Or the cheaper way is to take a normal bus to the border (Peñas Blancas), after that take a bus (one which goes into the direction of Rivas) and get off at ‘La Virgen’. At the junction of ‘La Virgen’ either catch the bus from Rivas heading to San Juan del Sur or take a taxi (or a ‘collectivo’ = shared taxi).

A little bit more expensive, but way easier is to directly take a taxi from the border to San Juan Del Sur or Playa Maderas. Please let us know if you want us to organize a 4x4 taxi from the border (approx. 35-40USD).

On the road to San Juan Del Sur >>>>>>>>>>read below

Car:
Head for the border (Peñas Blancas) and after you crossed the border follow the signs Rivas. Approx. 30 km later take a left at the junction of ‘La Virgen’ (you will see signs San Juan del Sur, 18km).

Attention: Almost all rental car companies will not allow you to cross the border with the rental car! You might have to change cars at the border. Please check carefully!

On the road to SJDS & the Buena Vista Surf Club:
Just before you enter San Juan Del Sur take a right at the city hall (Big red & white square building) and go on the dirt road (la Chocolata). The first part is actually paved now. If you drive past a Palí supermarket on your left, you have gone too far!
Take this road for approximately 15-20 minutes until you come across a little bridge (one lane) with a low yellow railing. Take a left after the small bridge, and you will come to a big bridge over a (dry) river.
After crossing the river, the road forks. Take the left fork to Playa Marsella/Playa Maderas and continue for approximately 5 minutes. You will go past the ‘Mango Rosa resort’ on your right hand side.
The road will fork again, take the right fork to Playa Maderas. After a short drive take a right at the next fork, you will see two brick towers on the left, and a big tree on the right. You should engage 4WD at this point. Don’t forget to ‘lock’ the hubs on your front wheels when you put the car in 4WD!
Go up the hill, and when at the top, follow the road to the left, down the hill (past a big entrance of Parque Maderas). Once at the bottom of hill (150m before the beach) you’ll see a wooden ‘BVSC’ sign in the trees on the right. Take a sharp right (You will see a well on the left) and follow that road up the steep hill. If you hit the beach, you have gone too far. We are on top of the hill on the left hand side. Normally the trip from San Juan Del Sur to our place takes approx. 20-30min depending on weather & road conditions.

If you take a taxi from San Juan del Sur tell the taxi driver you want to go to Playa Maderas. Please know that only 4WD taxi’s/cars can make it all the way up to our place. Don’t try it without a 4WD! Most taxi’s will drop you off at the top of the first hill and you might have to walk the last part.
There are only approx. 2 taxis with 4WD in San Juan del Sur! Look for Victor with his gray Toyota 4Runner at the corner of Barrio Cafe. If you call us from San Juan Del Sur (or before) we can also reserve him for you.

Another way to get to Playa Maderas is by taking one of the beach shuttles. The most known one is leaving from Hostal Casa Oro. They’ll bring you to Playa Maderas and you’ll have to walk back up the last bit (see directions). Ask for Marco & Mariel at the beach and the locals will be able to show you the way.
Scheduled departures from Casa Oro are 10am, 12.30 and 3.45pm (Please check with them for any changes). If you’re traveling with 3 or more, than a private taxi is more or less the same rate.