The San Miguel bus terminal is a nice, clean organized station. There are a bunch of vendors selling food, drink as well as a ton of other random items you may need. There is even a fried chicken place upstairs. Buses are lined up and well marked for which ones are going where. And, like all other stations, someone is most likely to help you find where your bus is before you even get a chance to look for yourself. There are also decent looking bathrooms in the back of the station.
San Miguel to San Salvador (301)
From San Miguel to San Salvador there are two options: 1) regular ‘chicken bus’ or 2) Super Especial. The chicken bus, also called the Directo, leaves about every 15 minutes and takes about 2.5hrs and starts around 3am until 5pm. The Super Especial takes about 2hrs and leaves less frequently – the current schedule (2017) is 5am, 6am, 7am, 8am, 11am, 12:20pm, 1:40pm and 3pm (see photo of ticket below) and costs $5. The regular buses pull up right inside the station and the Super Especial pulls up outside next to the gas station beside the terminal. Just ask around and someone will point you the way. You will arrive at the Terminal de Oriente.
San Miguel to La Union (324)
From San Miguel to La Union you have both regular ($1) and Especial ($1.50) buses. The regular bus takes about 1.25 hrs and leave every 15 minutes and the Especial takes less than an hour and leaves every 30 minutes.
San Miguel to El Cuco (320)
Bus 320 goes from the San Miguel terminal to El Cuco. The trip takes about 1.5hrs and buses leave every 30 minutes from 5:30am to 4pm for $1. On Sundays this bus only runs 2 times per day and asking 5 different people we got 3 different answers, including from the bus drivers. To our best knowledge there are only two on Sundays, one in the morning and one in the evening. 10am and 3pm were the most common answers, possibly 6am. Will try to clarify this soon.
San Miguel to Alegria
Grab the bus heading to San Salvador and get off in El Triunfo. You will then have to cross the street (use the overpass) and there you will find both mini buses and regular buses heading to Santiago de Maria. The large buses are likely heading to Usulután and passing Santiago de Maria. Once in Santiago de Maria the driver will drop you where you need to meet the bus to Alegriá.
San Miguel to Perquín (Perkin)
Bus 332 goes from san Miguel to Perquín (3hrs, $1.50). But it only goes 4 times per day with the last being mid day. The other option is to take bus 328 which goes to Gotera (2hrs) and then we understand there are pickups that go the rest of the way leaving every hour. We know from one traveller comment below that you can do a day trip and leave at 9:30am (332) and return at 4pm.
One very helpful traveller named Tony left some good comments below, adding much more information for you. He says:
I traveled from Perquin to San Salvador a couple of weeks ago. That trip took 5 hours. It’s worth mentioning not all routes 332 reach Perquin. 332 is subdivided by letters. I am certain 332-F reaches Perquin, and I am also certain 332-D doesn’t. I have no idea about other letters.
My route:
—————
1. Pick-up from Perquin to San Francisco Gotera. $0.75. Runs every 30 minutes.
2. 332 from San Francisco Gotera to Terminal de San Miguel. $0.75. Every 15 minutes or so. From Gotera, it doesn’t matter which letter it is. You’ll get to San Miguel. The issue starts after Gotera, at that point, the bus may enter into a side road and never return to the highway depending on its letter suffix.
3. Super Especial from Terminal de San Miguel to San Salvador. $5.00. Runs every hour until 3 pm. Takes almost 3 hours. I was surprised when I heard others have made this trip in 2 hours. The difference in my case is probably due to repairs underway on a large stretch of the highway.
I heard from the pick up drivers doing the Gotera-Perquin route that pick ups run every 30 minutes from 3:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. At least M-F. I have no idea about weekends.”
Sleep
Not a lot of people stop in San Miguel for more than a night or two, if at all. I was happy to find a nice chill place to rest while I caught up on some writing and was grateful for the hospitality shown at the Hotel Caleta. Simple rooms (with TV and A/C if you want it) and a nice green garden to take the heat out of the day. The manager Roberto was very kind and helpful and made a good breakfast too. I also liked that it wasn’t too far to walk to the ATM and the supermarket. There are a few banks along the way but there is an ATM inside the Despensa Familiar Catedral if you want privacy when taking out your money. And, if you need a break from rice and beans there are chain restaurants, including a Subway, at the park.
Help your fellow traveller
If you have taken any of the buses on this page, please drop us a comment below about how the trip went, what time you left, how long it took and what it cost. And, definitely let us know if we have anything wrong.
Lets help each other in our travels!
I love all of this information and they are so simple and easy to implement! Thank you.
If like us you want to reach Nicaragua without stoping in Honduras, that’s a road that works.
San Miguel – León, Nicaragua
– San Miguel to frontera El Amatillo: bus 330 to Santa Rosa, the town close to the boundary. It will however take you to the frontera if you ask the driver. Costs 2$ p.p. Takes about 1.5 hours
– El Amatillo to Guasaule: you can do it with chicken buses, however they are shuttles doing this route directly for 6$ p.p. and taking around 2h.
– Guadaule to Léon via Chinandega: direct buses from the frontera run every 1.5h to Managua and pass close to Léon. Otherwise, collectivos or chicken buses will take you to Chinandega (we took a collectivo for 2$/60c p.p.) from where another chicken bus can take you to Léon (28c p.p.). The terminal is relatively remote from the city center, town buses run for 5c p.p.
Safe travels!
Thanks for this, I’m doing it in the opposite direction and I’ve been scouring the internet for info so you’ve saved me a serious headache 😁
Hi Guys,
Firstly Thankyou so much for all the hard work here. I’ve never consulted a single website as much as this one on my travels. One small thing. You’ve listed all the departure times above as being from San Miguel to San Salvador. But the 4 later departures are the other way round ie from SS to SM – 11:00, 12:20 etc. It’s correct on your photo of the ticket
Hi
Took the bus from San Miguel to El Cuco on a Sunday. Just to let you know that there is one at 12pm.
Thanks!
I heard from the pick up drivers doing the Gotera-Perquin route that pick ups run every 30 minutes from 3:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. At least M-F. I have no idea about weekends.
I traveled from Perquin to San Salvador a couple of weeks ago. That trip took 5 hours.
It’s worth mentioning not all routes 332 reach Perquin. 332 is subdivided by letters. I am certain 332-F reaches Perquin, and I am also certain 332-D doesn’t. I have no idea about other letters.
My route:
—————
1. Pick-up from Perquin to San Francisco Gotera. $0.75. Runs every 30 minutes.
2. 332 from San Francisco Gotera to Terminal de San Miguel. $0.75. Every 15 minutes or so. From Gotera, it doesn’t matter which letter it is. You’ll get to San Miguel. The issue starts after Gotera, at that point, the bus may enter into a side road and never return to the highway depending on its letter suffix.
3. Super Especial from Terminal de San Miguel to San Salvador. $5.00. Runs every hour until 3 pm. Takes almost 3 hours. I was surprised when I heard others have made this trip in 2 hours. The difference in my case is probably due to repairs underway on a large stretch of the highway.
Thanks, Tony! Great advice, I will surely get it integrated above.
Hi. We took the 9.30am bus to Perquin (332). It took 3hours and cost $1.50 per person. We got the return bus at 4pm to San Miguel. We were told there was a return bus to San Miguel at 1pm but can’t confirm.
Thanks for sharing, Chris! Good to know that a person can do a successful day trip on the 332.
Took the fast bus today (23.04.) from San Miguel to San Salvador. Yes, it takes about two hours but full throttle regardless of the consequences.
Sometimes felt a bit uncomfortable but at the end I arrived San Salvador. Btw, it costs 5 Dollars.
Thanks, Sebastian. I didn’t realize I forgot the write the price above, thanks for pointing that out. And yes, some of the buses are frighteningly fast at times aren’t they! I have definitely also had a number of nervous moments in my travels. Keep us posted on any other bus trips you do. Que te vaya bien!