By Amy Kadori
Things to Do in San Juan Del Sur
San Juan del Sur is a charming low key fishing village and Nicaragua's most popular Pacific
beach town for both international travelers and Nicas. The biggest attractions are the beautiful crescent bay and beach and the sunsets that seem to last for hours. Take a stroll along the beach, take a dip in the surf or grab a chair at a beach side bar or restaurant and enjoy the show.
Beaches
San Juan del Sur facing the harbor
The long and beautiful beach is the big draw in San Juan del Sur. However, there are fine, beaches both north and south of town that are more private and can be reached by 4-wheel drive.
The Majagual and Maderas beaches can be reached by boat.
La Flor is the most famous beach in Nicaragua because it is a wildlife preserve popular for the mass arrival of the Olive Ridely turtles sometime between July and January.
Fishing
Watch the sunset from a beachside restaurant
San Juan del Sur is a fishing village and the harbor is filled with boats of all kinds for catching all kinds of fish. Offshore you can catch dorado, marlin, Marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, shark and wahoo. Inshore varieties include snapper, grouper, rooster fish, sierra mackerel, jack crevalle, bonitos and barracudas. Both half or full day trips are easy to arrange.
Super Fly Sport Fishing
vianica.com/activity/92/big-game-fishing
(505) 8884 8444
Canopy Tour
Ride a horse down the beach
The longest canopy tour in Nicaragua is located only five minutes from town. Da Flying Frog tour has 2.5 kilometers of zipline. A tour of the whole canopy takes about 45 minutes with views of the bay and a chance to see monkeys, birds and other animals.
Canopy Tour Da Flying Frog
Carretera a Marsella
(505) 8613 4460
(505) 8611 6214
(505) 8465 6781
Surfing
There are few cars and a stroll down a quiet street can offer nice views
San Juan del Sur is very popular with surfers as most beaches have surf breaks and the wind blows offshore all day long for months on end. You'll need a 4x4 or boat ride to get to the best surfing spots, however, you can surf right off the main beach in town.
Connect with other surfers on the globalsurfer.com forum.
Hiking
A two hour round-trip hike to the lighthouse provides views up and down the coast as far as Costa Rica. Discover 1700 year old petroglyphs on a walk through the countryside. Most visitors prefer to walk along the many beaches in the area.
It is also possible to take a guided hike to turtle beaches or through the jungle.
Other activities
Other activities to consider are ATV expeditions, kayaking, horseback riding, golf, yoga at sunset or learning to dance the salsa.You can get further information about these activities at your hotel.
Resources
About the Author:
Amy Kadori, a former dietician, has a degree in health and nutrition from the University of Massachusetts and writes on health issues and travel reviews. Before moving to Arizona Amy wrote a travel guide to Florida and a prize winning industrial newsletter.
Photo Credits:
Amy Kadori
