San Juan del Sur Nicaragua is a pretty town on the Pacific Coast. Wooden houses painted bright colors greet the visitor as he descends the hills from one of the resorts there. There are open air restaurants where you can enjoy a glass of wine and some fried cheese. There are red tile roofs cascasing across town, from the foothills down to the ocean. In a nutshell, San Juan del Sur is beautiful!
San Juan del Sur History
The bay is also spectacular at San Juan del Sur. It's perfect and it also has an interesting history. Americans have been landing here for centuries, starting with the Forty Niners (not the football team, the gold diggers). They passed through San Juan del Sur on their way from New England to California in search of gold. Going west across Nicaragua, they got onto boats in the bay here, heading for California.
There was another American, William Walker, who took it upon himself to bring democracy and slavery to Nicaragua. In 1855 he landed at San Juan del Sur bay and soon became president before people realized his true intentions and put him before a firing squad.
The bay here at San Juan del Sur is the prettiest part of town as far as housing goes. If you're staying in San Juan del Sur, either a resort in the hills above town or some seaside rental in this most mellow of seaside towns. The beach is gorgeous. Surfers like it here, as do photographers (think red tile roofs, brightly painted houses, outdoor cafes, Sandinista rallies, etc).
Life in San Juan del Sur
San Juan del Sur attracts surfers and people seeking Nicaragua adventure travel. There are also retirees here seeking out the next Costa Rica and cheap real estate. Sit in any open air restaurant or cafe frequented by tourists and you'll hear talk of surfing, property values, Sandinistas and more. It's really a variety of people visiting San Juan del Sur. The beaches are wide and sandy as well as picture perfect. It's just a beautiful place.
If you plan on beach-going while in San Juan del Sur, set up your beach towels near an open air restaurant. You can take a dip in the warm Pacific water, lay out in the sun, and if you get hungry stroll over to the cafe and order some fried cheese. As you may guess, it's casual attire of course!
Your day at the beach can also include playing soccer on the beach, or just watching others play. Local children do this, and if you are a photographer, well, what great action shots! Framed against the Pacific with local fishing boats tied up just beyond the water's edge, it's a perfect scene.
One thing to look for when choosing a hotel in San Juan del Sur is whether they have a generator. Sometimes there can be blackouts in the area, and you want to keep rolling is this happens. Nicaragua seems to have distanced itself from the political chaos of the past, but privatization of energy companies has been challenging so going without power from time to time is a way of life in San Juan del Sur.
