So you want to take the bus to Popoyo? Let me first start off by saying that if you are headed to the main strip of hotels near Popoyo main surf break (Playa Guasacate) then you should know that you can not get a bus to your door! You will have a bit of a walk ahead of you unless you can find a ride.
Buses depart from the Rivas station.
You have two options:
Option 1: Get the bus headed to Astillero and get off at the entrance to Playa Guasacate and walk the ~4km to your hotel.
Option 2: take the bus going to Las Salinas and then try to taxi the rest of the way. This bus leaves Rivas at 5:30am, 9:10am, 11am, 12:50pm*, 2:30pm, 4pm and 4:50pm. (*possibly no 12:50pm bus anymore)
Taxi from Rivas
Everyone’s least favourite part about Rivas – dealing with the taxi drivers. A taxi fare should cost you about $30 USD (2017). I’d recommend looking around for others to share the taxi with. Chances are if you wait a bit someone will show up.
To Magnific Rock or Nica Waves
If you are staying at Magnific Rock or Nica Waves – You can take that Las Salinas bus and get off at the road that heads to Magnific Rock – there will be a sign or ask the driver. It is about a 2km walk in to Magnific Rock and about 1km to Nica Waves.
Going Back To Managua
One helpful traveller named Emma has confirmed there is a bus that leaves Las Salinas between 5am and 5:30am. You can flag this bus down on the main road by the Magnific Rock sign as it passes or can also flag it down on the NI-62 stretch between El Limon Dos and Las Salinas.
Help your fellow traveller
If you have taken any of the buses on this page, please drop us a comment below about how the trip went, what time you left, how long it took and what it cost. And, definitely let us know if we have anything wrong.
Lets help each other in our travels!
Guasacate-Granada
We hitchhiked to Las salinas (super easy) and were told there is a direct bus, but only two a day (around 5:30 am & 4:30 pm). We ended up catching the bus to Rivas at 10:20 (2 hr journey) and then switched to the Granada bus (1.5 hrs journey) at the Rivas central station.
FYI: if they tell you that the Managua bus passes through Granada, it doesn’t really. You’ll be dropped off in Guanacaste and have to take a tuktuk for 200-300 cords