San Juan Del Sur is just paradise. It is a small town located on the southwest coast of Nicaragua and is a popular destination for Nicaraguan locals, expats, and backpackers that follow the typical trail in central america. In total, I spent about two months in SJDS and tried my best to find all the cheap and free activities to do that aren’t overwhelmed with other tourists. I hope you enjoy this little slice of heaven as much as I did!
Beautiful SJDS-after the hurricane in 2017, the river would flood the area and you would have to catch a boat or wade your way to the other side.
Happy Hours
San Juan is one of the key places to head to in Nicaragua, and since it is just on the ocean the prices can bit a bit steep (for Nicaraguan standards at least). However, I’ve scoured the town and have found the two best happy hours around! Also, just to be aware, even though they advertise the deals in dollars, you can pay in córdobas ( $1 equals about 31 córdobas at the moment)
El Timon
This is my absolute favorite happy hour because it is right on the beach during sunset hours, and the food is delicious. There is nothing like having your toes in the sand while you sip on flor de cana and enjoy cheap eats!
$1 appetizers
$1 beer and local rum
Time: 4:00-6:00pm
Location: Right on the local beach
So many options! Also, if you miss the first round of happy hour, you can try the second more upper scale version.
Sweet plaintain empanada stuffed with seafood- this thing was heaven on my tastebuds.
Vegetarian mini-wrap with chipotle sauce- nom nom nom nom
El Timon’s famous mini- fish carpaccio. Also- these are the only two beers you should be drinking while in Nica.
All this for $6!!!!
Iguana
This is my second favorite happy hour because of the drink specials and because Eddy is the best waiter in all of SJDS! Just look for the waiter with the huge smile, you can’t miss him!
10 Cordobas per wing
$1 cerveza and local rum
Free Activities
Open Mic Night at Cerveceria
Head on over to the the only brewery in town and check out live music from locals and travelers passing through every Wednesday night! It’s a great way to pass an evening and make a new friend.
Cerveceria: 7-10pm Open Mic 🙂
Anyone can join! Grab a guitar and sing your heart out.
Some of the local “workers” in town 😉
This place gets packed!
Trivia Night at Big Waves Daves
Every Monday night at 7:30pm you can head to Big Waves Daves in town for a night of trivia. As a fair warning, the questions are not the usual trivia pop culture questions you may find back at home. Before heading over, brush up on your periodic table and animal facts. Needless to say, our team did pretty well! This is a legit local hangout, so be ready to meet some expat townies!
Infinity Pool at Pelican Eye
This was one of my favorite finds during my time in San Juan! If you´re looking for a place to watch the sunset or view the town then head to the Pelican Eye, tell the guards that you’re going to the restaurant, and then head up to the third pool! The walk should take between five to ten minutes, depending on how fast you can ascend about 1,000 steps. But trust me, it is well worth the hike and the pool will feel so refreshing after you have sweated up a storm! Once you have arrived to the top, soak in the view, jump in the pool, and enjoy all the glory that is one of my favorite infinity pools that I have personally enjoyed as of yet. The bartenders may or may not ask you to purchase a drink at the bar, but if they do a $5 mojito is not the worst thing to sip on while enjoying a beautiful sunset.
Can you believe this view of the sunset!?!?!
Hike to El Cristo
One of the most common destinations in San Juan is to hike to the Cristo. From the bottom to the top, it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to walk, depending on how quick you are. It costs $1 for Nicaraguans and $2 for Foreigners. Now $2 doesn´t sound like a lot, but when you´re on a budget you will want to skimp anywhere! When you head up to the Cristo, you will see a steep driveway on the left right before you reach the stairs to go to the Cristo. Instead of taking the stairs to the Cristo, take the steep and short driveway and walk all the way to the railings. There you will be greeted with the exact same view you get from entering the Cristo with a lot less wind and a lot less people. It´s one of my favorite spots in San Juan to look out over the city, and a great place to stop after running up the hill for a quick workout.
The walk is all up hill, so get ready to feel it in your glutes and legs!
Make sure to remember to turn around and appreciate the view as you climb!
The amazing view that you will be rewarded with after the hike
Hike to the lighthouse
The hike to the lighthouse is a little less known throughout those that visit San Juan, but it is well worth the time to go there! The hike does not have any clear signs like the hike to the Christ has, but the directions are simple enough if you follow the path. The hike begins at the fish market, which is located all the way at the end of the beach on the left side. Once you reach the fish market, you will turn left onto a dusty path and continue up, always keeping in mind to stay on your left. You will pass some shabby houses, possibly the largest pig you have ever seen (at least I did when I walked it, I think by now it might have been eaten for Christmas dinner), and will continue onto the path which will lead you to be surrounded by lots and lots of greenery.
See? This has got to be the biggest pig I have ever seen!
The walk should take between 20 to 30 minutes depending on your speed, and how many times you stop to soak in the scenery. There are several view points along the path, you just have to follow the beaten down grass to the right or left of the path and you will be greeted with beautiful views of San Juan on one side or of the various beaches up and down the coast on the other side.
Beautiful view of the other side of the city where you can see El Cristo across the bay.
Once you reach the lighthouse, there won´t be a lot of shade to shield you so I would suggest water and a face full of sunscreen! You can follow the same path down or when you start to descend, there is a fork in the road and you can take the path to the right and it will be a much shorter descend, but with no view points. Happy hiking!
Beaches
Most of the beaches surrounded SJDS you do not have to pay for, but what will cost you is the $5 shuttle service from the local hostels. If you’re interested in the variety of beaches, then check out my post here solely dedicated to the beaches of San Juan Del Sur!!
San Juan Del Sur town beach located right next to the main town area.
And last but not least, if you really want to live like a Nicaraguan local then you have to buy your fruit from the local produce man! All you have to do is listen for the horn and rapid Spanish being yelled through a loud speaker in the streets. When you hear the avocado or banana man coming then you just have to bring out your cordobas to the streets and pick what you want! It is absolutely my favorite way to buy fruit now!
These were just 15 cordobas a bundle! That’s 50 cents for about 5 bananas- wow!
Living in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua was an absolute dream of mine. I had always wanted to work in a beach town and spend my days serving drinks and exploring the local beaches and I am lucky enough to say that I did! If you are at all interested in doing the same, then I highly suggest you check out my other blog post about workaway here. You wont regret it!
Happy Travels and enjoy the land of flor de cana! 🙂