OLDSANDBAGGER
EOG Senior Member
If you need to made a quick and easy Visa Run, inexpensively, there is a great new option. A 35-40 minute flight in a small plane departing from Pavas airport and landing just over the Nicaraguan border on the Caribbean side at a newly certified international airport with an immigration post called San Juan de Nicaragua. Not to be confused with San Juan del Sur on the Pacific side.
It has only been an official international airport since April 2012 and a charter service using Paradise Air prop planes is arranged through Rio Indio Adventure Lodge. This service started last November. The flight leaves at 7 am and arrive about 7:40 am. The area is a giant rainforest with no cars or even motorcycles. Off the plane immigration stamps you in. Then a boat takes the half dozen to dozen passengers to a beautiful lodge called Rio Indio Ecolodge. It will stop in the small village on the way for a tour if the passengers want. We did and it was small but quaint. Worth a stop.
The lodge is amazing. A fishing paradise with lots of birds and wildlife as well. Check out their website for photos and info. They give you coffee and snacks and a tour of the grounds. Local rum and beer included. Then comes lunch. We had a great fresh fish and vegetables. Before noon it's back on the boat to the airport and the flight home, another 35-40 minutes. Immigration at Pavas is friendly with the charter company and quickly and smoothly stamp your passport for 90 days. They don't ask for a ticket showing you are leaving the country but the charter company provides you with one! For show only of course.
The whole trip was a little over 5 hours and was fun. No stress. As a new service it is only going once a month but as it grows the frequency will too. Total price was $199 but with fuel prices going up they are raising it to about $225 soon.
Pavas phone number is 2296-3338 or call Dr. Alfredo Lopez on his cell at 8382-3860.
It has only been an official international airport since April 2012 and a charter service using Paradise Air prop planes is arranged through Rio Indio Adventure Lodge. This service started last November. The flight leaves at 7 am and arrive about 7:40 am. The area is a giant rainforest with no cars or even motorcycles. Off the plane immigration stamps you in. Then a boat takes the half dozen to dozen passengers to a beautiful lodge called Rio Indio Ecolodge. It will stop in the small village on the way for a tour if the passengers want. We did and it was small but quaint. Worth a stop.
The lodge is amazing. A fishing paradise with lots of birds and wildlife as well. Check out their website for photos and info. They give you coffee and snacks and a tour of the grounds. Local rum and beer included. Then comes lunch. We had a great fresh fish and vegetables. Before noon it's back on the boat to the airport and the flight home, another 35-40 minutes. Immigration at Pavas is friendly with the charter company and quickly and smoothly stamp your passport for 90 days. They don't ask for a ticket showing you are leaving the country but the charter company provides you with one! For show only of course.
The whole trip was a little over 5 hours and was fun. No stress. As a new service it is only going once a month but as it grows the frequency will too. Total price was $199 but with fuel prices going up they are raising it to about $225 soon.
Pavas phone number is 2296-3338 or call Dr. Alfredo Lopez on his cell at 8382-3860.
