Rivas is the crossroads city of southwest Nicaragua, on the Pan-American Highway between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific, with 55,739 inhabitants (2022 estimate). Monkeys Travels & Tours was founded here in 2018 by Everth Palma, born and raised in Rivas, and every private tour we run starts from this hub: the San Jorge ferry to Ometepe, San Juan del Sur, the Tola beaches and the Peñas Blancas border.
In 2025 six out of ten visitors entered Nicaragua by land (Divergentes, citing the central bank), and Rivas is the city on the highway north of Peñas Blancas.
What to do in and around Rivas
Use Rivas as your base
From Rivas, the San Jorge dock, San Juan del Sur and the Tola surf beaches are all short drives in different directions. Since 2018 we have made more than 8,000 trips and transported more than 30,000 people, all private, with bilingual guides born in Rivas. Departures are from Rivas and San Juan del Sur, and we work anywhere in Nicaragua.
Cross to Ometepe from San Jorge
San Jorge is the lake port beside Rivas. The ferry to Moyogalpa covers 17 km in about 60 minutes; in the 2026 schedule the first departure is at 7:00 and the last at 17:45, with boats back from Moyogalpa between 5:30 and 17:30. The fare is around C$50 per passenger (Sunset Viaje, September 2026, seen November 3, 2026). Our Ometepe full day includes transport to the port and ferry tickets, from US$55 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$95 solo. More on our Ometepe page.
Follow the 1856 battle history
On April 11, 1856, Central American forces fought William Walker's filibusters in the Battle of Rivas, a date Costa Rica still commemorates (Museo Juan Santamaría). San Jorge, today's ferry port, saw fighting again in January and February 1857. Ask your guide about the battle while you wait for the boat.
Drive the Transit road to San Juan del Sur
The 12-mile road between Rivas and San Juan del Sur was being laid by the Accessory Transit Company in 1851 for passengers bound for California, according to a letter cited by the Maritime Heritage Project. Today the public bus costs 40 córdobas (Destinationless Travel, April 2025, seen November 3, 2026). Our San Juan del Sur full day lasts 8 hours, from US$38 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$75 solo. See the San Juan del Sur page.
Surf and beach days in Tola
Popoyo is in the municipality of Tola, west of Rivas. Mondo Surf rates Popoyo as very consistent, with more than 150 days a year, and says it works on all tides. Playa Gigante is a fishing village. Our Tola secret beaches tour is a full day from US$40 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$75 solo. Details on the La Flor and Tola page.
Turtle nights at La Flor and Chacocente
The olive ridley season runs from July to January according to MARENA. La Flor is in San Juan del Sur; the Río Escalante-Chacocente refuge, created by Decree 1294 of 1983, covers about 4,645 hectares across Santa Teresa, Jinotepe and Tola. Both are evening tours from Rivas: La Flor from US$45 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$80 solo, and Chacocente from US$50; US$85 solo.
How to get there from San Juan del Sur or the airports
From San Juan del Sur, Rivas is 12 miles by the Transit road. From Peñas Blancas, the public bus to Rivas costs US$1 or 37 córdobas (Destinationless Travel, seen November 3, 2026). Liberia airport (LIR) is about 88 km and 1 h 20 min from the border (MyTransfers), and the border procedure averages about 1 hour (Caribe Shuttle). The official Nicaraguan arrival tax is US$10 in cash (UK FCDO); recent travelers report US$12 to US$13 in total. Costa Rica charges a US$8 land exit tax, paid at Banco de Costa Rica kiosks or online. For land entry, Spain's foreign ministry says the immigration form must be filed one week ahead. The step by step is in our Peñas Blancas border crossing guide from Liberia.
Our Liberia to Nicaragua transfer takes 3 to 4 hours, keeps the same vehicle on both sides and the driver walks you through immigration. Prices per person: US$80 for 1 person, US$60 for 2 to 3, US$45 for 4 to 6, US$40 for 7 to 10, US$35 for 11 to 15; 16 or more on request.
From Managua airport (MGA), our drivers usually count about 2 hours to Rivas or San Juan del Sur; from San José (SJO) about 4 h 30 min plus the border. The airport transfer is door to door, with pickup at any hour, from US$30 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$55 solo.
Best time to visit
The dry season runs from November to April and the rainy season from May to October, with September and October the wettest. Demand peaks from December to April (Lonely Planet). Turtle season is July to January. In the first days of Semana Santa 2025 more than 1.3 million people traveled inside Nicaragua; book that week early.
What to bring
- Passport valid for at least 6 months, and the confirmation of the pre-entry form if you arrive by land.
- Small US dollar bills for border fees and córdobas for buses and markets.
- No drones: Spain's foreign ministry lists unmanned aircraft among items not allowed into Nicaragua.
- Sun protection for the lake and the beaches; a rain jacket between May and October.
- Water is included in every tour.
