Flying Into Managua, Nicaragua at Night – Is it Safe?
If you’re like us and are always searching for the cheapest way to get from Point A to Point B, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself facing the tricky decision we did when booking our flights to Nicaragua.
From the United States, the cheapest flights into the Managua airport tend to arrive at night – and we’re not talking 7pm. These flights land at approximately 1am, leaving you in the midst of a notably more dangerous city in the middle of the night. However, when it's a difference of $200-$300, is it worth it? And is it safe?
What to Expect at Managua Airport
Upon arrival at Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport, you’ll be herded through a few hallways and will be handed the necessary paperwork to go through customs (they might also pass it out on the flight). If you’ve traveled Central America before, you’ll likely recognize this commonplace one-page slip where you’ll write down everything about your visit to the country. Make sure to have a pen on you as there’s only a few to go around in the customs lines.
We recommend getting in line right away once you reach customs and filling out the paperwork while you wait. The lines get long quick and move very slowly. It took us approximately an hour before we got to the front.
Once you meet with the customs officer, they’ll take your picture and ask you a few questions. Many spoke English when we were there, but be prepared explain your trip to someone who only speaks Spanish. Be ready for questions like your reason for travel, your occupation, and the address of where you’ll be staying (you’ll also need this for the customs intake form).
Hopefully, you’ll pass with flying colors and be on your way to security with a stamped passport! Security took us approximately one minute, give or take thirty seconds. They'll quickly send your bags through massive scanners – no shoes off or laptops out – and that's it!
So, You’ve Made It Through Security...
Now what? By the time we deboarded and made it through customs and security, it was going on 3am. Here’s where being prepared and having a plan can save you a lot of worry.
Our biggest recommendation for flying into Managua in the middle of the night is to book a "shuttle" (private taxi) through your accommodation. You’ll pay more than you would for a taxi, but you’re paying for the security of knowing that this driver has been verified through your hotel/hostel. For us, this also meant that our driver wouldn’t receive payment until we arrived at our destination.
When we got through security, we were met with a number of drivers holding signs and quickly found a man holding up our names. We introduced ourselves and were on the way to our hostel.
While this worked well for us, it's only practical if your accommodation has 24/7 reception and you can get in contact with them ahead of your arrival. If a shuttle doesn’t seem possible for you, the best tip we have is to make sure to get a taxi with a red license plate. This is an indicator of an official taxi in Nicaragua, and unfortunately violent crime has been known to occur with unofficial taxis in the country.
Should You Stay in Managua?
We went back and forth for a long time when booking this trip on whether or not we should find a place in Managua for the first night, seeing as we would be arriving so late. If you’ve read any other articles about the city, you’ll know that most visitors recommend getting in and getting out of Managua as quickly as possible.
After talking with hostel staff in Granada, we realized it was just about as easy to reach Granada (a 1 hour drive from the Managua Airport) as it would be to head into the city of Managua (30 minutes from the airport). We opted to extend our night even longer and go straight to Granada. We arrived at our hostel (Hostel Oasis) at 4am with staff ready to greet us and pay the driver. We woke up in the morning with no rushed checkout time and were able to spend a day kicking the jetlag and exploring the city.
So, overall, is it safe to fly into Nicaragua at night? Yes, but you need to do some planning ahead of time. We’re rarely one to choose shuttles over cheaper transportation, but on this occasion we would have felt much more uneasy if we didn’t know we had a reliable driver there to meet us when we landed.
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