San Juan del Sur

The Southern Pacific Coast, from Montilimar, near Managua in the north, to the Costa Rican border in the south is the Nicaraguan Riviera. With a few exceptions, this is narrowed down further to the beach town of San Juan del Sur and its surrounds. We are talking miles and miles of golden, white, black or brown (take your pick) beaches, amazing surfing and awesome fishing. Once a quiet fishing village, San Juan del Sur has emerged into one of the nation’s leading Pacific coast destinations. With approximately 18,000 residents and a growing population of ex-patriots, San Juan del Sur has been able to maintain its unique culture, while at the same time feeling like a boom town with more and more great restaurants, bars and boutique hotels. The picturesque, crescent-shaped bay is dotted with local pangas, sail boats, and fishing vessels, and the beach is lined with bars and restaurants serving up cold drinks, local cuisine, and fresh seafood. This is the second time in it’s history that San Juan del Sur has boomed – the first time being back in the 1850′s when travelers took clipper ships from the US Eastern Seaboard to Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast, and crossed the country by paddle steamer and horse and cart to San Juan del Sur, where they boarded another clipper ship north to California and the search for fortune in the gold fields. Mark Twain passed through town back in those days. Nowadays this is a beach town, pure and simple, and if that’s your thing, grab a cold one, get into a hammock and watch one of the worlds best sunsets every evening!

Please click here to view accommodation options in this part of Nicaragua.

See Hotels