San Juan del Sur travel guide

Background

Andrés Niño, the first European to navigate the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua, entered the bay of San Juan del Sur in 1523 while looking in vain for a possible passage to Lake Nicaragua or the Caribbean. San Juan del Sur remained a sleepy fishing village until after Nicaragua’s Independence from Spain. It began working as a commercial port in 1827, and in 1830 took the name Puerto Independencia. Its claim to fame came during the California gold rush when thousands of North Americans, anxious to reach California (in the days before the North American railroad was finished), found the shortest route to be by boat from the Caribbean, up the Río San Juan, across Lake Nicaragua, overland for only 18 km from La Virgen and then by boat again from San Juan to California. It is estimated that some 84,880 passengers passed through the town en route to California, and some 75,000 on their way to New York. In 1854 the local lodge, El United States Hotel, charged a whopping US$14 per day for one night’s lodging and food of bread, rice, oranges and coffee made from purified water. But as soon as the railway in the USA was completed, the trip through Central America was no longer necessary. The final crossing was made on 8 May 1868 with 541 passengers en route to San Francisco. The steamship was taken over for a while by William Walker to re-supply his invasion forces in the mid-1850s. In 1857, Walker escaped to Panama and later to New Orleans via San Juan. There was some very tough fighting here during 1979 Revolution in the hills behind San Juan, as Somoza sent his best troops to take on Commandante Zero, Edén Pastora, and his rebel southern front. As victory approached, a ragged group of Somoza’s National Guard managed to escape out of San Juan (threatening to burn it down), just as southern Rivas was being taken by Pastora-led rebels.

Best time to visit

This is one of the driest parts of Nicaragua, with rains coming in late afternoon and blowing over quickly in the wet season and the land looking rather parched half-way through the dry season. Winds from December to March can make exposed beaches uncomfortable with blowing sand and boat excursions a wet experience. For surfing, April to December are the best months. To avoid the crowds don’t come at Christmas time or Holy Week; the quietest months are May to June and September to October.

Safety

Under no circumstances walk to Yankee or Remanso, the beaches north of San Juan del Sur, as this road is a long-time haunt of thieves. There have also been reports of unpleasant robberies on the beaches themselves, so check the security situation before heading over. Don’t linger on the sand after dark in San Juan del Sur.

Getting around

You can get anywhere in San Juan by walking; if you are visiting outlying beaches you can arrange transport with local hotels or the ones at your destination. Additionally, there are many new shuttle services making frequent trips north and south of the town. For the wilder and truly untamed stretches further away from town you will need a decent 4WD or even a boat.

A cab from Managua is about 50 bucks, but you can also take the bus. First take it to Rivas, then take another bus right to San Juan Del Sur!