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The Ruta de transito leads from San Juan del Sur above San Carlos and Ometepe to San Juan del Norte.
background
In the 19th century, but especially in the late 1840s and early 1850s, before the construction of the transcontinental railroad, this route was one of the most important ways to get from the east coast of the USA to its west coast (especially to California). Anyone who could afford it (or who could travel at the expense of others, for example military personnel) avoided traveling overland and took a steamboat to Greytown (now known as San Juan del Norte or San Juan de Nicaragua) and from there the route outlined below before taking another steamboat from San Juan del Sur to California. After a civil war in Nicaragua in the 1850s and in the USA from 1861 to 1865 but especially after the construction of a continuous coast-to-coast railroad in the USA in 1869, the importance of the overland routes through Central America decreased drastically and places like Greytown sank Decades in a deep slumber. The Rio San Juan region is still one of the less well-developed regions in Nicaragua, but has recently been increasingly "discovered" for tourism.
preparation
Vaccinations, especially against rabies and Hep A / B, should be kept up to date. For the citizens of most countries, a visa is not required for stays of less than 90 days, or it is issued upon entry.
getting there
Here we go
This route is described here from east to west, which historically was the predominant direction of travel, but it is also possible to travel this route in the other direction.
From San Juan del Norte to El Castillo
There is a boat that covers the entire route from San Juan del Norte, old Greytown, to San Carlos in twelve or six hours. However, a stopover in El Castillo is recommended, as the city has a Spanish fortress that is well worth seeing and good access to the surrounding jungle.
From El Castillo to San Carlos
Several boats run daily between El Castillo and San Carlos, mainly in the morning and early afternoon. Here, too, you have the choice between fast and slow boats. Some of the hotels to the west of El Castillo have their own jetty and the public boat delivers (on request) "right to your doorstep".
Detour: Solentiname
From San Carlos to Ometepe
There is a weekly boat from San Carlos to Ometepe with stops in San Miguelito and the small town of Morrito. The entire journey to Altagracia on Ometepe takes around twelve hours. After about an hour's stop, the boat continues to Granada.
Dropout: Granada
Even if the travelers of the 19th century mostly ignored Granada, it is definitely worth a detour. On the one hand, you can just stay seated in the boat from San Carlos, as Granada is the end of the line that goes to Ometepe. On the other hand, you can take the bus from Granada to Rivas and from there (or from the suburb of San Jorge) the boat to Moyogalpa on Ometepe.
From Ometepe to Rivas
The boat to San Jorge / Rivas leaves from the other side of the island from Moyogalpa. From Altagracia to Moyogalpa there is an hourly bus that takes between one and a half and two hours for a good 25 kilometers. From the port in Moyogalpa, the boat takes a good forty-five minutes to an hour to San Jorge, a suburb of Rivas about a quarter of an hour away.
From Rivas to San Juan del Sur
Since Rivas is not downright ugly, but also not overly spectacular, the onward journey by bus to San Juan del Sur is a good idea.
