SAN JUAN DEL SUR, NICARAGUA
San Juan del Sur is a Nicaraguan beach town located just north of the Costa Rican border. Most travelers making their journey through Central America stop here to experience its color, life, and energy! This is also an ideal spot to try your luck at surfing. There are multiple surfing schools in town and plenty of beaches on the Pacific Ocean with great waves. Be sure to spend a Sunday in SJDS during your stay; you won’t regret it! Well, you actually might depending on how much you drink!
Attractions:
Surfing Lessons: When in San Juan del Sur, do as the locals do! Since this is one of the most popular surfing towns in Central America, there are plenty of beaches where you can get your fix. If you are looking to get lessons or rent a board, check out Alex’s Surf School; they offer two hour surf lessons for $30 USD including board rental. If you’d like to surf on your own, go to Playa Maderas or Playa Hermosa (listed below).
Hike to Christ of Mercy: Also known as “Cristo de la Misericordia”, this round-trip hike takes 1-2 hours to complete. If you are at Playa San Juan del Sur, follow the shore towards the statue; you can’t miss the 134m tall structure in the distance. Cross the suspension bridge on your right, make two quick turns (left then right), and follow the signage to the top! You will be asked to pay the guard C$60 ($2 USD) - well worth the unbeatable view of the beach and bay of San Juan del Sur!
Sunday Funday: Perhaps the most well-known pool party in Latin America! The $30 USD ticket price gets you entrance to each of the five bars, shots upon arrival to each, a tank top, and transportation to and from Naked Tiger (the last bar of the crawl). Most of the bars have a pool and drinks are C$50 ($1.50 USD)! Pace yourself!
Lay at the Beach: The surrounding area has many lovely beaches including Playa Maderas and Playa Hermosa. Both are great for surfing and are 30 minutes by shuttle bus from San Juan del Sur. The round-trip shuttles via Casa Oro to Playa Maderas cost $5 USD while the round-trip shuttles to Playa Hermosa cost $10 USD. If you would rather stay in town, you can visit SJDS’s main beach, Playa San Juan del Sur. Playa Marsella and Playa El Remanso are other options as well.
Other attractions include: Finca Las Nubes and Da’ Flying Frog Adventures.
Accommodation:
Selina: Situated a bit outside of the city center (very near to Playa Maderas), this hostel has it all - kayaking, surfing, yoga, snorkeling, and more! From San Juan del Sur, the taxi ride is 20 minutes and costs $15 USD. Selina is a world-renowned hostel chain, but if you would rather stay in the city center, I recommend checking out Hola Ola Hostel (15 minutes walking from Market Bus Stop).
Transportation:
San Juan del Sur’s main chicken bus station is Market Bus Stop and where all of the below chicken buses depart from. If you choose to travel via shuttle bus, those will pick you up from your hostel.
Granada is 2.5 hours by bus from San Juan del Sur (indirect; via Rivas) and costs C$65 ($2 USD). The first bus from San Juan del Sur to Rivas is a 1-hour chicken bus and costs C$15; buses run every 30 minutes. The second bus from Rivas to Granada is 1.5 hours and costs C$50; buses leave at approximately 6:10am, 8:00am, 10:15am, 11:15am, 12:10pm, 1:55pm, 3:10pm, 4:20pm, and 5:55pm.
Ometepe Island is 3 hours by bus and ferry from San Juan del Sur (indirect; via Rivas and San Jorge) and costs C$60 ($2 USD). The first bus from San Juan del Sur to Rivas is a 1-hour chicken bus and costs C$15; buses run every 30 minutes. The second bus from Rivas to San Jorge is 15 minutes and costs C$10; buses run every 30 minutes. Ferries from San Jorge to Ometepe Island leave every 30-45 minutes from 7:00am-5:45pm. Be sure to get a ticket going to Moyogalpa (not San José del Sur). The ferry is 1 hour and costs C$35.
You can also take a 1-hour direct shuttle at 9:00am to San Jorge for $15 USD via Gekko Trails Explorer. A taxi costs about the same.
León is 6.5 hours by bus from San Juan del Sur (indirect; via Rivas and Managua) and costs C$135 ($4 USD). The first bus from San Juan del Sur to Rivas is a 1-hour chicken bus and costs C$15; buses run every 30 minutes. The second bus from Rivas to Managua is 3 hours and costs C$60; buses run every 30 minutes. The third bus from Managua to León is 1.5 hours and costs C$60; buses run every 30 minutes.
You can also take a 6-hour direct shuttle at 9:00am to León for $25 USD via Gekko Trails Explorer.
Monteverde, Costa Rica is 7-8 hours by bus from San Juan del Sur (indirect; via Rivas and Lagartos) and costs C$815 ($24 USD). The first bus from San Juan del Sur to Rivas is a 1-hour chicken bus and costs C$15; buses run every 30 minutes. The second bus (blue and reads “Transnica”) from Rivas to Lagartos, Costa Rica is 4 hours and costs C$700. Before reaching Lagartos, you will cross the border at Peñas Blancas. Depending on the day, you could wait 15 minutes to 2 hours. Once you get through border control, get on the same Transnica bus you were on before. 3 hours later, you will be dropped off on the side of the highway in Lagartos. From here, board your third and final bus to Monteverde; this bus is 1 hour and costs C$100.
When crossing the border from Nicaragua to Costa Rica, you will have to pay $3 USD to exit Nicaragua. There is no fee to enter Costa Rica.
You can also take a 6-hour direct shuttle at 6:00am to Monteverde for $65 USD via Gekko Trails Explorer.
San José, Costa Rica is 7-9 hours by bus from San Juan del Sur (indirect; via Rivas) and costs C$965 ($28 USD). The first bus from San Juan del Sur to Rivas is a 1-hour chicken bus and costs C$15; buses run every 30 minutes. The second bus from Rivas to San José is 6 hours and costs C$950 (it is the same Transnica bus mentioned above; the price is different because you are going to a different destination). Before reaching San José, you will cross the border at Peñas Blancas (see above for border crossing notes). Once you get through border control, board the same Transnica bus you were on before. The Transnica Terminal in San José is located at the intersection of Avenida 5/Calle 20.
See the above border crossing information.
You can also take a 7-hour direct shuttle to San José for $72 USD via Caribe Shuttle.
The closest airport to San Juan del Sur is Costa Esmeralda International Airport (ECI), 60km (37 miles) away. The taxi ride is 90 minutes and costs $130 USD, which is more expensive than renting a car. That said, I do not recommend flying into ECI. Instead, I recommend first traveling to Monteverde (Costa Rica), Granada, or León and then making your way to SJDS.
Thank you, Jezer Josué Mejía Otero, Jason Briscoe, Juanma Batz, Paul Biondi, Azzedine Rouichi, Tobias Tullius, and Bronson Harrington for the photos! Additionally, thank you to my surf instructor, Pedro, for the photo of me, Amanda, and Freddy!