Transportation
Welcome again to Isla Bonita! Many tourists find themselves drawn to this beautiful island every year, enchanted by its marvelous beaches, stunning mountains and architectural marvels. However, before we dive deep into those attractions, there's a few questions that all visitors to Isla Bonita should know the answer for: how do I get there? How do I move around? Won't I get lost?
An incomplete look at the massive Isla Bonita transportation network
Arriving to Isla Bonita
Currency
Isla Bonita uses the Simoleon, §. Debit and credit cards are common and there's a number of exchange houses all over the island. In addition, most businesses can accept dollars and euros at the official exchange rate.
By Air
The main gateway to Isla Bonita is the Looking For Sponsors International Airport. LFS is located at Airport Island in Bahía Medusa, a suburb of Anclaje, and it has two 09/27 runways and the same number of terminals. Most international arrivals go to Terminal 2, on the north side, relatively near the city itself and connected by monorail (lines A and B), tram (Coast Tram), Subway (Line 5) and rail (Anclaje Docklands line).
Looking For Sponsors Intl. Airport
Some flights can get directed to Terminal 1, on the southern side of the island. This is the old terminal and has less gates, but passengers arriving here can enjoy the large Duty Free Zone and the Bahía Medusa State Fair on the southern side of the island. There's also a monorail (Line A) connection, as well as the Subway (Lines 4 and 5).
There are also other, less used international airports at Anclaje itself (Anclaje City airport, connected to the monorail Line A and a few tram lines) and Cuerno de Águila (CdA Airport, with connections to the Anclaje Northeast rail line and Line 1 of the Subway), but their shorter runways preclude them from receiving widebody planes.
Finally, Isla Bonita has a series of general purpose airfields scattered along the island.
By Cruise Ship
Despite having the excellent South Bay for ships, most Cruise Ships arrive at the Pueblo Simón Cruise Port, located on the South Channel, a few blocks away from the Alta Calle rail station and tram station on the T5 line. While the neighbourhood is fairly commercial and there are bus stops nearby, most tourists are advised to book a cab or some other transport accommodations.
There's a lovely Tourist Trap right next to the Cruise Ship terminal, though!
Moving around Isla Bonita
By car
Isla Bonita has a fairly comprehensive network of double-carriage highways crossing the island. Odd-numbered highways 1, 3 and 5 go north to south alongside the western coast, the central valley and the eastern coast, while highways 2 and 4 go along the South Bay metropolitan area and link the western and eastern coasts, respectively. Out of these, Highway 3 is the most used, with 4 lanes on each side on the short stretch from Anclaje to Interior. Due to the mountainous nature of the island, many highway stretches feature chicanes and steep climbs, so drivers should be cautious.
Isla Bonita drives on the right, despite the British-built cars and buses.
Highway 3 approaching Interior
Besides the highways, Isla Bonita features roads, avenues and boulevards to drive on. However, parking is mostly discouraged, so this can be something to consider if you're thinking of renting a car.
By bus
Isla Bonita features an extensive bus network stretching across the island, even to some rural locations up north. Buses can and do drive on the highways, so they can travel pretty fast. The Government of Isla Bonita has recently concluded a deal with Wrightbus which enables them to manufacture RHD New Routemasters (a.k.a. Borisbuses) on the island, for local use. The hybrid buses feature a very good performance on steep roads, and as double-deckers, they enable any tourist to watch the city from above for just §0.75.
Joerg AFF is the local automotive industry hub
New Routemasters are a very common sight in Anclaje and the other cities
By train
Despite the rugged geography, Isla Bonita features an extensive rail network. There are two main rail companies based in Anclaje, both founded by British interests in the 19th century and nationalised after the Light Blue Revolution. Anclaje Northeast, based at Anclaje Keleti station, serves destinations to the north, east (duh) and south of Anclaje, while Anclaje Docklands, based a few blocks south, near the Docklands (very creative, yes) serves destinations to the east and runs a few trains up north as well.
Anclaje Keleti, right next to the Main Square, on Valenti Boulevard
The newly built Anclaje Docklands terminal station, next to the fishing docks, the Customs house and a Monorail station
While Keleti is the most used rail station out of the two terminal, the most used purely station in the network is Interior Central, in downtown Interior, on the Anclaje Northeast line (but with a few Docklands services).
All passenger trains in Isla Bonita are double-deckers
By monorail
There are two monorail lines, A and B, that go from Bahía Medusa International to Anclaje and Interior. Monorail has had an enormous success in Isla Bonita due to the better grip it affords trains, which enables monorail lines to avoid the curves and climbs that plague regular rails.
Some monorail stretches can be considered scenic attractions in and of themselves. Here, the stretch to reach Finisterra terminal station
Line A follows the right of way of the old Coast Tram, from Bahía Medusa to Finisterra at the very southwest of the island, while Line B heads north and then west to Anclaje.
The old tram bridge over Anclaje Bay
The new bridge, carrying monorail instead of trams
By subway
The Anclaje & Interior Subway, also built by British interests and then nationalised, extends over most of the Isla Bonita metropolitan area and features tubed, elevated rail and at-grade sections (in the mountains, where there's no road crossings). There are currently 7 lines. Stations are usually very close nearby, so it's a great way to move around the city.
This is an old Metro network map, including the monorail. Keep in mind that, after some rerouting, line 3 no longer reaches Victoria station at Puerto Simón.
By tram
Isla Bonita used to feature an interurban tram line extending all along the coast of South Bay. While some parts of it have been lifted to make space for the monorail, there are still extensive tram networks in most cities that feature a degree of interconnection. Most trams run at-grade, but there are several instances of short tunnels (especially at Pueblo Simón) and a cut-and-cover section at Bahía Medusa.
Tram line 5 links the entire Pueblo Simón coast to the western suburbs of South Bay
By ferry
There's an extensive ferry network all over South Bay, reaching all over the metropolitan network and to islands beyond the bay itself. You can bring your car along for some of these ferry trips.
By foot and funicular
The South Bay Metropolitan Area is fairly small and enjoys nice weather year round, so it has become one of the most walkable areas despite the abundance of hills and stairs. Most recently, the Planalto neighbourhood in Anclaje –exclusively featuring walkways and stairs– made it to the podium of the Simtropolis Walkable City challenge! There are also other walkable neighbourhoods all over the island, as well as a few mountain paths to traverse.
The steepest hills usually feature a funicular to save you the trouble. Try and see if you can climb on all the funiculars of Isla Bonita!
The Our Lady of Interior church, the surrounding neighbourhood, and the two cable cars that enable climbing to the church
FAQ
How do I pay for trips?
You can use contactless debit or credit cards, or you can purchase a special Transport Card from any number of kiosks all over the city.
How can I travel to Angry Island?
The island is currently unpopulated and there's no harbor to receive you. There's also no airport. You can book private tours around the island, but landing is forbidden for now.
Do you have tourist buses?
No.
Where can I reach out if I have any further questions?
Not here, now it's lunch time and then it's siesta.
I would like to set up a complaint.
The Ministry of Transportation is located at the Bureau of Bureaucracy, right across from Interior Central. Best of luck!
I feel like this is an appalling way to treat a tourist!
Well, this is a FAQ and you stopped asking questions a while ago, didn't you? Goodbye! Enjoy your trip!
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