Car rental in Rivas
Rivas is the crossroads of the south: San Jorge’s ferry dock for Ometepe is 5 minutes away, San Juan del Sur about 35 minutes, and the Peñas Blancas border with Costa Rica about 45 minutes.
- To Managua airport
- 2 h 5 min102 km
- Dry season
- December to April
- Vehicles
- economy car, 4x4
- Population
- 56,244municipality, INIDE 2023
Drive times from Rivas
| Destination | Distance | Drive time* |
|---|---|---|
| San Jorge | 4 km | 5 min |
| San Juan del Sur | 30 km | 36 min |
| Peñas Blancas border (Costa Rica) | 36 km | 43 min |
| Popoyo | 45 km | 53 min |
| Playa Gigante | 30 km | 36 min |
| Granada | 69 km | 1 h 23 min |
| Managua Airport (MGA) | 102 km | 2 h 5 min |
| Tola | 14 km | 17 min |
| Playa Remanso | 33 km | 40 min |
| Playa Maderas | 36 km | 43 min |
| Playa Hermosa (San Juan del Sur) | 36 km | 43 min |
| Nandaime | 46 km | 55 min |
| Jinotepe | 66 km | 1 h 19 min |
| Catarina | 66 km | 1 h 19 min |
| Peñas Blancas border (Costa Rica) | 36 km | 43 min |
| El Guasaule border (Honduras) | 272 km | 5 h 25 min |
* Time at the 50 km/h limit the National Police have enforced on all roads since June 2025 (40 km/h on motorcycles), or the router estimate if longer, without traffic or stops. The traffic law still lists 100 km/h on highways: follow posted signs and police instructions, allow extra time in the rainy season and avoid driving at night.
Which vehicle do you need?
The Pan-American Highway through Rivas is paved. For Tola, Popoyo and Gigante the roads include unpaved sections, where an SUV is the safer choice in the rainy season.
When to go
Around Rivas the dry season runs from December to April and the rains from May to November, with a drier spell in July. Dirt roads to beaches, farms and villages are easiest in the dry months; in the rainy season some get muddy or flood after storms, which is when a 4x4 or higher-clearance vehicle earns its price.
Searches for car rentals in Nicaragua peak between December and May, the dry-season high season, so book early for those months.
Show the monthly data
| Month | Rain (mm) | Mean temp (°C) | Humidity (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2 | 26.8 | 72 |
| February | 2 | 27.5 | 67 |
| March | 3 | 28.4 | 63 |
| April | 23 | 29.4 | 63 |
| May | 187 | 28.9 | 71 |
| June | 182 | 28 | 79 |
| July | 119 | 27.8 | 79 |
| August | 178 | 28 | 78 |
| September | 276 | 27.8 | 79 |
| October | 316 | 27.3 | 80 |
| November | 133 | 26.9 | 79 |
| December | 9 | 26.8 | 76 |
Before you drive
Sources: Distances: OSRM on OpenStreetMap (ODbL); times at the 50 km/h limit; Government of Canada travel advice: Nicaragua (2 Nov 2026); NASA POWER monthly climatology 2001–2025; INIDE 2023 population estimate (via citypopulation.de); Google Ads monthly search volume (DataForSEO), Nov 2026.