You can drive in Nicaragua on your valid foreign drivers license for a 30-day period only. To get a Nicaraguan drivers’ license, you must first be a resident, then apply for a license at the local police station.
A stretch of the Pan-American Highway
People drive aggressively – and often foolishly – in Nicaragua, so you need to be very aware of other vehicles at all times, especially if you are not familiar with the streets.
At nighttime, many of the streets are poorly lit, or not lit at all. This makes driving even more dangerous, considering the potholes, animals and drunks staggering home from the bar along the side of the road.
You can drive from the States or Canada to Nicaragua. If you decide to make the journey purchase the guidebook, Driving the Pan-American Highway to Mexico and Central America. You can now order this one-of-a-kind book by writing to Costa Rica Books, SJO 981, P.O.Box 025216, Miami Fl 33102-5216, through www.amazon.com, calling 800-365-2342 toll free or see the ad in Chapter 7.
Nicaragua has about 18,000 miles of roads of which 25% are paved.
Expect to get flagged over from time to time by Transito police who operate roadside checkpoints. Make sure all your paper work is in order and handy. It is a bad idea to try to bribe cops; it is illegal and could get you in more trouble than you are already in.
Be very careful when driving in Managua or any other cities. Many streets in Nicaragua are narrow, one-way and very crowded due to heavy traffic. When in doubt always yield the right of way. Some names of streets are not on signposts, but tacked to signs on corner buildings. Still other streets don’t even have signs, or names, at all.
Drive slowly and cautiously and always be on the look out for pedestrians and bicyclers, especially in pedestrian cities such as Granada.
In the countryside, be careful when exploring unknown roads that are not paved, especially during the rainy season, when roads can quickly turn into rivers. |
