How to Get From El Salvador to Nicaragua by Boat: Guide (2024)

Table of Contents

El Salvador – Nicaragua Border Crossing by Boat

If you’re looking to travel straight from El Salvador to Nicaragua, you have three options. The first and easiest (but also the most expensive) is to fly. This is for those who are not budget traveling and don’t mind spending more money for comfort. The second option is to travel by bus, crossing from El Salvador into Honduras, then from Honduras into Nicaragua. That is a LONG bus ride with some tough border crossings.

The third option and the one we chose is what we’ll go over in this post, which details how to get from El Salvador to Nicaragua by boat. Quick heads up: we’ll sound overly-critical of this journey, and that’s because there are so many simple and small improvements that could make this a 5 hour journey instead of 3 times that. Hopefully this trip will improve in the next few years!

We recommend booking your accommodations in advance, but letting the host know your arrival time will be sometime between 5 and 11 pm, depending on how well this day goes!

We did this journey in 13 hours, but this has the potential to be a 19 hour sleep-deprived, hunger-filled journey depending on where you start. We’ll go over the different opportunities for saving time or money, depending on what your travel style is. Going from El Salvador to Nicaragua by boat and bus is no easy task, but this guide will go over everything you need to know before embarking on your border-crossing journey!

Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we earn a commission if you make a purchase.

How to Get from El Salvador to Nicaragua

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!

Safety Wing’s Nomad Insurance is how we travel knowing that if something bad were to happen to us, we’d be protected. They cover medical assistance if you get sick or get into an accident which gives us peace of mind while on the road. In addition to medical benefits, they also cover lost baggage, travel delays, and even evacuation from political and environmental dangers! They have additional add-on coverage for non-US residents for extreme adventure activities, electronics theft, and US coverage. This is a must-have for every long-term traveler!

Gekko Trails Explorer

We used Gekko Trails Explorer for this service. The base offer is the boat crossing (which costs 60 USD), and they also provide shuttle services from most tourist hotspots in El Salvador (Santa Ana, San Salvador, El Tunco, El Zonte, La Libertad, and El Cuco) to the El Salvadorian port as well as from the Nicaraguan port to a few spots (Chinandega, León, Jiquilillo, and Aposentillo). Each shuttle ride you choose to add on costs 15 USD (with the exception of pick-up in Santa Ana, which costs 35 USD).

Gekko Trails Explorer only offers El Salvador to Nicaragua boat service four times a week – Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays – so make sure to plan around that.

In terms of baggage, you’re allowed to have one backpack and one handbag, and you can pay extra for more luggage, surfboards, or bikes.

Book Your Journey with Gekko Trails Explorer Here

Nicaragua Entry Requirements

Nicaraguan Entry Form

There are a few Nicaragua entry requirements that you should be aware of and prepare accordingly for. One of these requirements is to present an email that verifies that you’ve filled out the appropriate entry form. We recommend doing this as soon as you’ve booked transportation and know the date that you’ll be entering the country because it’s an easy thing to forget to do if you put it off (though as long as you submit this form the night before your trip, you should be fine). There were a few people from our group that did not realize they had to submit this form, and that gave them some problems when we reached Nicaraguan immigration. They were still allowed into the country, but it was definitely stressful for them and an avoidable problem.

The form is only available in Spanish, but you can use the translate function in Chrome or Firefox (not Safari – the form gets all screwed up) to read it in a different language. The translations may not always make the most sense, so we recommend referencing the example form Gekko Trails Explorer will send you in your confirmation email.

Once you’ve filled out the form and gotten to the page with the bar code, either screenshot or email the page ensuring that it has the ticket number, verification code, and the bar code on it. We really recommend having a screenshot because there is not great cell service at the Nicaraguan border, so you may have trouble loading an email.

Fill Out the Form Here

Passport Photocopies

In your verification email from Gekko Trails Explorer, they will say you need three printed copies of your passport. We were never asked for these, but I would recommend having at least one in case you do end up needing it. We got copies of our passports done in La Unión (search Google Maps for “infoservis”); the price was 0.10 USD per copy, and this place was open pretty late.

What to Expect on Your Journey

How to Get to La Unión: El Salvador’s Port Town

La Unión is the town that the boat to Nicaragua will leave from. If you book the shuttle service to pick you up somewhere in El Salvador, you may be picked up as early as 1 am and have a 3-7 hour bus ride in the early hours of the morning. No thank you!!

We decided (and urge you to do this as well) to get to La Unión the night before so we could have a full night of sleep before embarking on this adventure. We left for La Unión from San Salvador, where we were able to get a three hour coach bus from Terminal Nuevo Almanecer for $6 USD each.

The Boat Crossing

If you stayed the previous night in La Unión, you’ll start your day bright and early at 7 am at the Oficina de Migración. You’ll likely be standing around for a couple hours while they process your passports. While they’re processing, grab some breakfast at Cafetería y Pupusería La Familiar or the pupusa place across the street. It’s going to be a long day and you’ll need your sustenance!

If you opted for the shuttle service, you’ll show up to La Unión around 8:15, when you’ll also have time for a quick snack while your passports are processing.

Once all the passports are processed, you’ll be all set to head from El Salvador to Nicaragua on the boat! The ride took about 2.5 hours, leaving La Unión at around 9:15 am and arriving in Potosí around 11:45 am.

The Nicaraguan Border

Once you reach Nicaragua, get ready for a lot of standing around. You’ll wait on the dock until you’re called forward to hand over your passport, fill out a form (with all the same information as the one you filled out online), and get your bags searched. This process took about an hour.

Then, you’ll head over to the border office where your passports will be waiting. You show them the barcode in the email you got after you filled out the electronic form. Your passports will be processed as a group, so it takes a very long time. Some people were asked a few questions at this point, and then everyone pays the 13 USD entry fee. This took about 40 minutes in total.

Tip: El Salvador uses $1 US coins, so you’ll likely have a lot of those when you go into Nicaragua. Try to use all of these up at the border because US coins are not accepted in Nicaragua.

Leaving Potosí

Once you’re through all of the border processes, you’ll finally be on your way. If you booked the transfer service through Gekko Trails Explorer, you’ll hop in their shuttle and be whisked off to your first Nicaraguan destination.

If not, you’ll be taking the chicken buses! This is the cheaper option, but will certainly take much longer. The buses pass the immigration office at 1 pm and 3 pm; due to how long the border process took, we just missed the 1 pm bus and had to wait until 3 pm. If you get stuck in Potosí like we did, we recommend heading to Aguas Termales de Potosí and hanging out there until it’s time for the next bus.

No matter where you’re going in Nicaragua, your first stop from Potosí will be Chinandega. The bus takes about 2.5 hours and costs 70 Cordoba (just less than 2 USD). From here, you’ll be able to take a bus to most major tourist destinations in Nicaragua.

We were heading to León, and we decided to get a taxi to bring us the rest of the way because we were so exhausted from our day of traveling. However, you can take the chicken bus to León from Mercado Binse; the buses run until 8 pm and costs around 1.25 USD. From Chinandega to León, a taxi takes about an hour, mini buses take about 1.5 hours, and chicken buses take about 2 hours.

Where to Stay in León

Tip: Go to booking.com and check the filter for “Air Conditioning”. You’ll certainly need it!

León Accommodations

Where to Stay in Leon: Hostal La Tortuga

BUDGET

Hostal La Tortuga Booluda

Tips For Traveling From El Salvador to Nicaragua by Boat

Bring motion sickness medication if you get seasick
Wear a lot of sunscreen
Bring lots of snacks and water
Bring flip flops/shoes you don’t mind getting wet – you’ll likely have to step in the water when debarking the boat
Try to get some Nicaraguan currency (Cordobas) before entering Nicaragua, as you’ll need them to pay for any buses you end up taking. If this is not possible, try to buy something in Potosí with US dollars and ask for change in Cordobas. Be aware that they do not generally accept the $1 US coins in Nicaragua, so try to have small bills.

How to get from El Salvador to Nicaragua by boat

Traveling by Shuttle Instead

If you decide that crossing from El Salvador to Nicaragua by boat isn’t for you but you don’t feel like splurging on flights, crossing via a shuttle is the next best option. There are a few different companies that will offer shuttles from El Salvador to Nicaragua, so we recommend shopping around to see what works best for you. Don’t forget that doing this trip will mean two border crossings, so make sure you know what you’ll need for border fees.

Book a Shuttle from El Salvador to Nicaragua with Gekko Trails Explorer or Ticabus

Check Out Our El Salvador Posts!

Check Out Our Nicaragua Posts!

Our Favorite Travel Resources

Accommodations: We use Booking.com for hotels and HostelWorld for hostels. We also use VRBO or TrustedHousesitters for longer stays.

Flights: We recommend using Skyscanner to find the cheapest and best flights.

Ground Transport: We use 12Go and Omio for buses and private transfers, and rentalcars.com and Discover Cars for rental cars.

Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are the best websites for booking organized tours.

International Medical Insurance: We highly recommend SafetyWing for Digital Nomads and HeyMondo for those not traveling full-time, or who frequently engage in higher-risk adventure activities.

eSIM: We recommend Airalo or Holafly for getting data internationally.

Check out our Travel Resources Page for more of our favorite travel-related products and services!

How to Get From El Salvador to Nicaragua by Boat: Your Ultimate Guide