El Bluff (Bluefields): clearing in by boat
Port of entry of Nicaragua.
Check with the authorities before you leave (last checked on 28 October 2026).
Services
Clearing out possible here
- VHF
- 16
Good to know
Southern Caribbean port of entry.
Offices to visit
In the usual order of the formalities. Addresses can change: ask the harbour office when you arrive.
Migración – Bluefields
Immigration
Bluefields (à 4 milles d'El Bluff par la lagune, puis 10 min de taxi), Nicaragua
Immigration (about USD 48 in 2012); the maritime transport authority is also in Bluefields, paid by deposit at a downtown bank.
Capitanía de Puerto d'El Bluff
Harbour office
El Bluff, Région autonome de la Côte caraïbe Sud, Nicaragua
Call on VHF: the port captain sends a boat to guide you to a mooring. The Navy boards; customs, health and environment charge fees (2012 report). A zarpe is required between El Bluff and Bluefields.
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Sources
This information is gathered from public sources and sailors’ experience. It does not replace the country’s authorities, whose word is final: check before you leave.