Bluefields

Bluefields is a city on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.

Bluefields street scene

Understand

Bluefields is the capital of the Southern Autonomous Region on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua. The people have a combined heritage of being escaped/freed slaves, part of indigenous groups, descendants of Spanish settlers, and/or mix of any of these groups. This creates a very diverse and vibrant community. The language most spoken is a Creole of English. Most people speak Spanish as a 2nd or 3rd language after Creole and/or an indigenous language. All in all there are 6 different ethnicities that can be found throughout the region: Black/Creole, Mestizo, Miskito, Rama, Suma, Garifuna. For some reason, basketball is really popular around here and numerous jerseys of NBA teams of varying quality and authenticity are sold here.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Bluefields Airport. La Costeña flies to/from Managua. The flight is about US$80 each way. Some of the planes continue on to Big Corn Island after a short stay at the airport. There are also direct flights to/from Corn Island.  Limited baggage, so travel light and take essentials in hand bags or pockets.

By bus

From Managua direct to Bluefields about 7 hours on a road completed in 2019. Taxi from the bus station (3km west of the town) into Bluefields centre.

By boat

There is a boat leaving San Juan Del Norte every Wednesday at 8AM to Bluefields. Do check at the pier as the schedule is liable to change on a moment's notice. It is the same Boat which goes to the Big Corn Island and Little Corn Island. There are pangas from Bluefields to and from: Rama, San Juan de Nicaragua (del Norte), Pearl Lagoon, Haulover, Kukra River, Tasbapouni, La Cruz de Rio Grande, Karawala, Sandy Bay and El Bluff

Get around

By taxi

C$14 (córdobas) per person (in 2020) anywhere you go, sharing a cab. However coming from the airport or bus station with a lot of luggage they will charge you C$20.

See

• The Moravian Church (one block north of the docks). 
• El Bluff. village on an island 9 km from Bluefields. Walk through the village and you end up on a very long sand beach facing the Caribbean Sea. Pangas leave from the docks as soon as there are 12 people. Last return at 5:30PM. 
• Laguna de Perlas. beach up north, pangas leave in the morning 

Do

• Enjoy a Tona Cerveza at the balcony of the Cima club while you watch the rain slam the street in July.
• Bluefields has a great local sports culture. Ask if there is anything going on in the Stadium and you may get a chance to see an electrically charged event of local athletic talent. The most popular sports locally are Baseball, Basketball and Soccer in decreasing order of popularity.
• Palo de Mayo, a month long festival culminating during the 3rd week of May that showcases the mix of English and creole cultures.
• Visit the museum of Caribbean history of culture (admission is free but they encourage you to donate)

Buy

• Basketball jerseys.

Eat

• Rondon - a coconut stew made with coconut milk yuca, plantains and lobster, fish, beef, or chicken.
• Vigorón - a mid-morning snack made with yuca, chicharones (fried pork skin) or flores (fried pork meat with chicharón) and cabbage salad (cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, vinegar, salt & pepper).
• Frito - an evening meal made with tajada (fried green plantain), stewed chicken or pork, and cabbage salad.
• Order the Camarones cocktail at the Bella Vista restaurant on the water.

Drink

• Four brothers, ☏ +505 88 40 75 31. Th-Su. 
• Restaurante y club Flotante (3 blocks south of the docks). Loud music. 
• Pelican (Old Bank). Best fish. Not too safe coming home after dark. 

Sleep

• Hotel El Dorado (Next to Lobster Pot). Very dodgy from the beds to the showers. Funky smell in the room. One night there is probably the maximum one can stand. Single without bath C$140, Single with bath C$200. 
• Mini hotel y Cafetin Central (By the Cima Club). Great rooms with cable TV and your own bathroom. Various breakfast in the restaurant downstairs. 
• Hotel Centra Quinto. air-conditioned and with reasonable showers, very clean and serves meals. Good beds. Accept credit cards. US$10 per night. 
• 1 Hotel Casa Royale, Commercial Ave, ☏ +505 2572 0668. Pool, restaurant, views of the Gulf. 

Learn

• 1 Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University.  

Stay safe

When traveling at night always take a taxi, especially around "Four Brothers". After 8PM it is recommended you take a taxi. After 10PM, always taxi. Do not carry more money than necessary. Do not flash expensive items (such as cameras) around. Use common sense. Don't go into small alleys. Wear lifejacket when using pangas.

Go next

• Little Corn Island - (either by boat or by plane)
• San Juan del Norte - (by boat, once weekly, schedule liable to change)
• Pearl Lagoon - (by boat, at least once daily)