Rama (also written El Rama) is a municipality and city in the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region of Nicaragua. It lies in the country's Caribbean lowlands at roughly 12.16°N, 84.22°W, on the Escondido River, which branches into three rivers: the Sumi, the Rama and the Escondido (Bluefields). The municipality has a population of about 59,000. The city is home to an important Atlantic/Caribbean port.
The settlement is named after the indigenous Rama people, a Caribbean indigenous group who once populated the area of present-day Bluefields and Rama municipalities. Unlike the Miskito, the Rama were not subordinated to the British or other European nations from 1633, and they fought pirates and Spanish conquistadors who sought to enslave them. The municipality grew in importance in the late 19th century with the start of timber, rubber and banana extraction by US companies; this activity drew migrants from elsewhere in Nicaragua and Chinese-origin citizens, who were mainly engaged in trade. Construction of the Managua–Rama highway later facilitated waves of peasant migration.
Rama is reached by boat from Bluefields (about 1 hour 30 minutes) or by bus from Managua (about 5 hours 30 minutes), with a direct bus also available from San Carlos. The city is small, and local taxis and buses connect it with nearby towns such as Puerto La Esperanza and El Recreo. Mosquitoes are abundant, so repellent or a bed net is advised, and most travellers continue directly to Big Corn Island via Bluefields.