Sun and Surf in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
Looking for a great beach vacation? Consider San Juan del Sur, on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Once a small fishing village, San Juan del Sur has become a popular tourist destination and a magnet for those who love to surf. The town is filled with bars and restaurants and there many great eating options available, from small food stands with traditional Nicaraguan food to upscale restaurants. The town itself is located on a horshoe-shaped bay, with a brown-sugar beach that is perfect for an early morning stroll. The magnificent surfing beaches are located to both the north and the south, just a short shuttle ride away.
David and I were in Nicaragua visiting friends at Christmas when we decided to head to San Juan del Sur relatively last minute. This was Christmas week, a time when San Juan del Sur and other beach towns are packed with both international travelers and Nicaraguan families on vacation. We didn’t have a lot of lodging options open, and so we gladly checked into one of the few hotels that still had availability. After checking in, we went to move our car, only to discover a nail embedded in one of the front tires. Yikes! We were not hopeful at being able to find a mechanic on a Sunday afternoon. A friendly passerby directed us to a mechanic’s shop just a few blocks away, and the men working there were more than happy to help us. Most of their business involved repairing motorcyles and bicyles, so there was no tow truck to come to our rescue. They lent us some tools and back to the car we went. David and our friend removed the tire, and then they took turns rolling it throught the streets to the repair shop. Our tire was patched up in no time, with no appointment and no wait time!
There tend to be vendors on the beach throughout the day. It’s a great convenience if you’d like to buy a bottle of water or an ice cream during the afternoon. However, we tended to buy things we needed in town. Once you buy something from the vendors, they definitely keep an eye on you in hopes of selling more. The one exception for us were the incredible cashews that we purchased. Before traveling to Nicaragua, we had heard about the terrific coffee and the to-die-for -chocolate that must be tried and possibly purchased for friends and family back home. It’s true, we enjoyed both the coffee and the chocolate. But the cashew nuts we bought on the beach turned out to be Nicaragua’s best-kept secret. So fresh and far less expensive than we can get in the States. We bought these early on in our trip, but didn’t open the bag right away, and so we didn’t realize what an incredible find we had stumbled upon. We regretted not stocking up on cashews as gifts for family.
High on my list of restuarants to check out was Mesón Español. Why did I want to go there so badly? Easy: Paella! Living in northern Michigan, it is really difficult to find decent paella, so finding a restaurant that serves it is an irresistible draw for me. Mesón Españo is an upscale Spanish restaurant known for its tapas and seafood. We chose to sit inside, as there was a significant breeze coming off of the beach. The service was top-notch and the food very good. I came away with the impression that it was more an expensive tourist restaurant rather than a spot where locals eat. Even so, this is the place to go if you are looking for a more formal dinner or a romantic date night.
The following night, we asked a local couple where we should eat, and they told us that the chocolate lava cake at G & G Gourmet was not to be missed. They were not kidding! Owned by a Guatalman- Argentinian couple, G & G’s Gourmet is a lovely little high-end restaurant. My Pasta Vongale (homemade pasta with fresh clams, garlic, white wine and cream) was one of the best meals that I had in Nicaragua. The couple we spoke with certianly were not exaggerating when they recommended the lava cake. It was absolutley fantastic: a rich, flourless chocolate cake with a warm, liquid chocolate center. So good in fact, that it disappeared in no time before I could get a photo of it.
Ater those two luxurious evenings, we were ready for some more simple fare. (except for the hot lava cake, which we returned for one more than one occasion!) We happened to be walking past a small place called The Taco Stop. It was filled with local people, which we consider always a good sign. I ordered the cerdo abodado taco with pico de gallo, and swooned when I tasted it. Seriously: I have never had a taco I have loved so much! David was equally enthusiastic about his pollo asado burrito. (marianted pork for me and grilled chicken for him) The people seated next to us also raved about the vegetarian burritos. Check out the Taco Shop menu. The Taco Stop is a win-win: local fresh food prepared to order that is inexpensive and doesn’t take a long time to make or to eat. The only downside? You can’t get a taco between 5:30 and 8:30 am. That’s right. They only serve tacos 21 hours a day! And it’s just a short walk from there to Bolingo Gourmet Gelato Italiano for Italian handmade ice cream.
In addition to its awesome beaches, San Juan del Sur has another claim to fame: one of the tallest statues of Jesus in the world. The Christo de la Misericordia (Christ of Mercy) towers high on a cliff above the bay. It was an uphill climb to the base of the monument, and then 96 steep steps up after that. But the stunning 360 degree panaromic view from the top was totally worth it! There is a small chapel/museum under the statue with informational displays on Christ statues around the world. There is also an altar and various paintings of Jesus and Mary, as well as descriptions of history of the monument.
It takes a good hour or so to walk from the north end of San Juan del Sur for those who are up for a fairly strenuous walk and can handle going uphill through the streets of some of San Juan del Sur’s wealthiest neighborhoods. I’d definitely recommend changing your beach flip flops for tennis shoes. You can drive there yourself if you have a car, but be sure to get clear directions as the streets are not clearly marked. Do carry water as we didn’t see any to purchase along the way. While it is possible to get a taxi, you best bet may be arranging a lift from Gaby Transport, a family-owned transportation service, or getting a shuttle from the Casa Oro hostel. Bring your camera, of course, as well as 60 cordobas ($2.00) for the entrance fee.
We had heard about the dramatic rock formations along the coast north of town. I checked with the clerk at the desk of our hotel to see if he could recommend a boat tour company that would take us out for the day. Even better: he contacted a local fisherman wha agreed to take our party of 4 out on the water. Apparently, many fisherman in town supplement their income this way. Two men appeared in a flat-bottom fishing boat with a sun canopy, and they drove the boat right up onto the beach. We took a couple of steps into the water and hopped in.
Christmas in Nicaragua means fireworks and firecrackers. Lots of them! They had been going off intermittenly all day, and started booming in earnest around 10 pm. Lying in bed well after midnight, it occurred to me that this is not a night that Nicaraguans spend sleeping. I was jolted out of bed just after 3:00 am. It sounded as though a swarm of tuba players were about to burst through our hotel walls. I peeked outside to see scores of people parading down the street: a full band with trumpets and woodwinds, drums and yes, a throng of tuba players. People were walking and singing and banging pots, with trucks loaded with passengers bringing up the rear. As sleep was clearly not on anyone’s agenda, what else to do but get dressed, head out into the streets and join the parade? The procession wound around the perimeter of the town, and then cut up through the center of town to a church for a sunrise service. There were so many people that we couldn’t even get close to going inside of the church, but it was still a thrill being caught up in that celebratory crowd.
We found San Juan el Sur to be a laid- back, friendly place that we would definitely be up for visiting again. Except for the fact that there were too many other great places to visit in Nicaragua that we didn’t get to…. The local people were friendly and helpful everywhere we went. It was a wonderful place to be at Christmas time.
We felt perfectly safe when we visited Nicaragua in December, 2017. Political unrest flared just a few months later when demonstrators hit the streets in April, 2018. The U.S. government advised against all nonessential travel to Nicaragua at that time. There has been some progress recently, but for now the travel advisory is still in place. If you go, take a few more precautions than normal. Avoid all political demonstrations, as they can become violent.
If you travel after the political situation calms down, you still need to take reasonable precautions. As is true in many Latin American countries, you need to take care not to be a target for pickpockets. Leave your fancy jewelry at home. David and I both have neck wallets that we wear under our clothes, and we only carry enough money on us to get us through the day. Most of our valuables remain locked up in the hotel safe. Never drive on rural roads at night. If you do need to travel at night, have your hotel or restaurant desk call a taxi for you.
Returning to Nicaraugua when conditions improve is high on our travel list. There are many beautiful areas that we did not make it to, including Isla Ometepe in Lago de Nicaragua, and Little Corn Island on the Caribbean side. Nicaragua’s sensational beaches and numerous volcanoes call to the nature lover in me, while David is drawn to the colonial towns. Nicaragua’s tourist attractions are not as developed as those in the U.S. and Europe, which is one of the reasons why we so enjoyed our time there.
Love all your posts in On To New Adventures! Great memories, great adventures and looking forward to you sharing future travels. Thanks for all the local tips.
Nicaragua is such a beautiful country to visit!
I love traveling through your adventures… I need a real adventure but in the meantime I’ll live through yours.
Thanks, Angie. I do hope we will all be able to go off on new adventures soon.
Wow is all I can say this looks amazing. Would love to go there sometime. Thank you for sharing
Thanks for commenting. We didn’t really know what to expect when we decided to go to Nicaragua, and we ended up loving it there.
Love your pictures and I’m pretty impressed with that guy holding all of those cashews on his head!
Thanks, Jill. We also were very impressed with the cashew guy.
Beautiul countryside along with the beaches. It is always great when you can find a neat place to visit.
Nicaragua truly does have beautiful countryside.
Neat rock formations coming out of the water there. Thanks for the pictures!
We loved the rock formations. We had no idea we would see rocks like that in Nicaragua.
Sounds wonderful, especially now! And my husband loves cashews!
I never would have considered myself to be a cashew lover particularly, but I do now!
This will be a great trip once we are travelling again!
I couldn’t agree more.
Fellow Midwesterner here. Your trip sounds amazing! The food looks delicious as well😋 I don’t know what I would do if we had a rental car break down in a foreign country. 😅
Well, the one phrase in any language that is great to learn is “Can you help me, please?” Turns out most everyone everywhere is glad to lend a helping hand.
What a great article. You two look like a lot of fun!
Thanks Jen! We do try to create happy memories wherever we go.
I think my hubby has family here. I have been afraid to go but it actually looks nice.
Things may be a little unsettled at the moment, but honestly, we felt perfectly safe while we were there. We were talking with a local woman who said, “You’re from the United States? I would never go there. It’s the gun capital of the world!” It really helped us keep things in perspective!
Wow, I never would have thought to go here. My first question is about safety, but you answered that, so thank you! It looks charming. I love how you seemed to have lived like locals while you were there.
It’s not always a well-known destination, but I am sure that in the next couple of years it will be safe to visit Nicaragua again.
I’d love to go here once we can start traveling again!
I hope you can make it happen in the next couple of years.
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to go here. Thanks for the tips!
Tricia, I do hope the opportunity to check out San Juan del Sur will work out for you.
What an amazing trip. One that appeals to me… laid back, warmth of weather and people, and a beach with surfing always helps.
I’m with you: nothing like a laid back vacation in a warm and sunny place!
Wow, looks like a beautiful place! Now I am craving some tacos though!!
The tacos were unbelievably good!
The beach looks so nice! And I would love to try that chocolate cake 🙂
I could definitely go for some of that lava cake right about now.
I have been dreaming of a beach vacation ever since this lock down started! This looks like an amazing place to visit!
The beaches are incredible, and not as developed as here in the States.
What a great looking destination. Your pictures are fabulous!
Thank you for your kind comment!
That food looks amazing! Lava cake! Yum!
I know! I’ve since tried making lava cake at home but it wasn’t quite the same.
What an incredible trip!!! I want to go to Nicaragua so badly.
We definitely want to go back. There were so many great locations that we didn’t have time to get to!
Wow! What Enjoyed the pictures!
Thanks for checking out my blog.
We’ve never been to Nicaragua but this made us put it on our list!
We found the local people to be very friendly and welcoming.
What an amazing trip you had! Beautiful pictures, makes me want to visit! Thank you for sharing your journey!
Thanks for commenting, Holly. It really was an amazing time.
Wow! I would love to go there! Great photos and information! I’m going to refer to your post when I plan on traveling there.
I do hope you can get to San Juan del Sur one day!
This sounds incredible! Im so glad you got the tire repaired efficiently. The food sounds out of this world! Those views are breath-taking!
The mechanics couldn’t have been more efficent about repairing our tire. And yes- the food blew us away!
Looks like an amazing trip! Central America is beautiful! Can’t wait to get back out and travel.
We love traveling to Central America. Less commercial and less expensive than many places in the US and Europe.
What is the current state there – is it a good time yet to travel politically (hence not when this pandemic is still going on)
Things are improving in Nicaragua over last year. A friend of ours just traveled to and returned from there with no problem. If there were no pandemic, I still would probably look around for other places to go for now and would look into Nicaragua again next year.
Hello fellow Northern Michigander! Your exploration sounds wonderful in San Juan del Sur! Thanks for sharing your adventure!
A fellow Northern Michigander! So yo can relate to the cravings to get to a warm and sunny place during the winter!
My brother in law lived in Nicaragua as a missionary for 2 years. He went back once to go surf but I don’t think I ever saw many of his pictures. Such a beautiful place! Thank you so much for sharing!
Before our trip, we had no idea that Nicaragua is such a beautiful place!
What an amazing trip! I will have to add this to my bucket list.
Looks like you had a wonderful time! It looks like it would be a fantastic place for a run away from real life vacation, which I am sooo ready for. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I understand, Shirley. I am ready for a run-away-from-real-life adventure!
It looks like a beautiful place to visit! I would love to go someday and you have inspired me to add it to my bucket list!
Nicaragua is incredibly beautiful: lakes, beaches, volcanoes, rain forests, colonial cities. There’s something for everyone!
Oh my goodness, this looks like it was such a magical time! Thank you for sharing!
We had such a great time!
Looks like a fun trip! I hope conditions continue to improve there so visitors can enjoy the country again.
Oh Cindy, I hope so, too.
Looks like a great trip. Our family loves cashews – even with all the amazing things you posted the cashews still sound like one of the most enjoyable parts. I’m ready to go there just to try them.
Finding those cashews was a highlight of our trip!
This place looks beautiful! I would love to travel there one day. Especially now that I can envision it and even where we might go while there. Thank you for sharing!
It would be wonderful it I could inspire you to check it out.
You are very adventurous! Interesting trips make the best stories.
Thanks, Sandi. We aren’t big on guided tour groups at the moment, but always keep that option open for one day when we are older.
This looks beautiful. And it looks like a good time.
We really enjoyed San Juan del Sur and hope to return some day.
These pictures look amazing. If ever the opportunity arises to go here I think I will!
Glad to hear it! Hopefully in another year or two Nicaragua will once again be an ideal place to visit.
That looks amazing! I’m so ready to travel again!!
Melissa, I feel the same way!
What a great trip. The last pic with the yellow bench by the sign – that’s one of my favorite for some reason. Thanks.
I love that photo, too!