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My friend, Bob, an avid fisherman, and I are going tarpon fishing on the Rio San Juan in Nicaragua next month. The cost of the excursion will be paid in U.S. dollars to the lodge owner who lives and banks in Costa Rica.
Question: What currency is in common circulation in Nicaragua? While the base cost of the trip will be paid in U.S. dollars, we’re sure to want to buy a beer or a souvenir while we’re there. Can we expect to spend U.S. dollars? Costa Rican colones? Or should we plan to exchange dollars for (whatever the Nicaraguan currency is)?
Last time I was there they didn’t take Colones and a few places did take dollars. The currency is “Cordebas” (not sure if that’s spelled correct). Just like here, I found it easier to take money out at the ATM in local currency.
You can exchange US dollars for Cordobas at the Nica border crossing, just be sure to have the exchange figured out ahead of time, as the money traders will try to pinch you for a few extra bucks. They wander around the bus parking area with wads of money, you can’t miss them.
If you have time and are anywhere near Masaya Vocano, it is worth the trip. Park & hike right up the rim of an active volcano(mostly smoke),pretty impressive.Dave, I just got back from San Juan del Sur. DO NOT use the money changers at the border! Why bother? They will give you the worst rates, unless you are good at thinking on your feet and think haggling is fun, and you have time to waste. ATM’s are everywhere, with the best rates. It’s kind of confusing trying to think in 3 currencies. If you are like me, and don’t use dollars, it’s best to get cordoba’s at the ATM and use their currency. Taxi’s and street vendors give prices in dollars though, and they do expect to bargain with you. Be careful if using your credit card at a restaurant. I had some charges on my statement that were more than even a generous exchange rate could explain. Save your receipts, or just use cash. The border crossing was interesting! We didn’t want to do the long drive on unfamiliar roads so my friend and I took Tica Bus. FBI and DEA agents got on our bus at the Costa Rica border once we were through customs, (over 2 hours) and took us to a garage and more agents with dogs came out,and made us all get off the bus and line up on a ramp in the garage. The dogs sniffed the bus, the luggage, and after making us put our hands on our shoulders, they had the dogs sniff us, including the nuns! They told women with children to get off first and they put them in the back of the garage. Nicaraguan border was much quicker and cleaner! (bring toilet paper)
Thank you all for sharing your insights and experiences. We’ll be meeting a guide in Los Chiles, Costa Rica and taking the river north into Nicaragua. Someplace on the trip, we’ll have to deal with Nicaraguan Immigration and Customs. Has anyone been on this trip? If you know of an ATM there, I’d love to hear about it.
John, it was leaving Costa Rica, and the bus driver was fully cooperating with the officers, he was talking to someone on his cell phone (probably Tica Bus office). They had caps and jackets on with the FBI or DEA logo’s, but they spoke spanish, didn’t seem to understand much english. They seemed to be based at the garage they took us to, in the no mans land between borders. Can’t say for certain they were actually US agents. The recent topic of the murders in Mexico highlight that the Central American highway is used for smuggling drugs, and the US may be assisting. Just a theory. This is way off topic of money, and I don’t know if there would be ATM’s near where Dave is going, but as we saw them everywhere we went, I’m guessing there would be some. There was one at the border. Make up a chart of how many cordoba’s you should get for 10,000 colones, so you know if you do choose to use the money changers.
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