San Juan del Sur is the beach town of the Rivas department, on a Pacific bay 140 km south of Managua and 12 miles from Rivas by the old Transit road. Monkeys Travels & Tours runs private tours here and from Rivas, so surf lessons, sunset cruises and turtle nights start at your hotel, with bilingual guides born in Rivas and no mixed groups.
The town was founded in 1851, when gold seekers bound for California came through on the Accessory Transit Company route of Cornelius Vanderbilt: up the San Juan River, across the lake to La Virgen and by road to this bay. According to Frommer's, the last ship to California sailed in 1868; the bay is still the center of town.
What to do in San Juan del Sur
Learn to surf at Playa Maderas
Playa Maderas is the wave we use for our beginner and intermediate surf lesson. Our surf lesson at Playa Maderas lasts 2 to 3 hours and includes a private guide, transport from Rivas or San Juan del Sur and water, from US$35 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$55 solo.
Pick a beach: Hermosa, Marsella, Majagual or Remanso
Lonely Planet, Tales of a Backpacker and Destinationless Travel list Playa Hermosa, Marsella, Majagual and Remanso as the beaches around town. We drive you to the one that fits the swell and the tide that day. Our Playa Hermosa private beach day is a full day from US$35 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$65 solo.
Walk up to the Cristo de la Misericordia
The statue of the Cristo de la Misericordia stands above the bay, and the guides list it as the viewpoint over the town and the Pacific. Ask us to include the stop in the 8-hour San Juan del Sur full day, from US$45 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$75 solo.
Watch the sunset from the water
Sunsets over the bay are on every list of things to do here. Our Pacific sunset cruise lasts 2 hours and costs from US$40 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$65 solo.
Go sport fishing on the Pacific
The sport fishing trip runs 4 to 5 hours from the bay, from US$85 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$170 solo.
See the olive ridley arribadas at La Flor
La Flor Wildlife Refuge sits in the municipality of San Juan del Sur. Mass nestings (arribadas) of paslama turtles, the olive ridley, run from July to January according to MARENA. The sixth arribada of 2026 started on October 1 with 32,949 females (La Prensa, October 13, 2026); in December 2025 there were 36,647 in seven days. Our La Flor night tour leaves in the evening, from US$45 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$80 solo. Read the La Flor turtle season guide and the La Flor and Tola page before you book.
The guides also list yoga, the Sunday pool crawl known as Sunday Funday, and day trips to Ometepe and Granada. Our guide to Ometepe in one day from San Juan del Sur explains the ferry times.
How to get there from Rivas, Managua or Liberia
San Juan del Sur has no airport. From Rivas, the 12-mile road the Accessory Transit Company was laying in 1851 is still the way in; the public bus costs 40 córdobas (Destinationless Travel, April 2025, seen November 3, 2026). Monkeys picks you up in Rivas in a private vehicle, only your group.
From Managua airport (MGA), Audley Travel lists 2.5 to 3 hours by private car; our drivers usually count about 2 hours, depending on traffic. Our airport transfer is door to door, with pickup at any hour, from US$30 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$55 solo.
From Liberia airport (LIR) in Costa Rica, Daytrip lists 132 km and about 2 h 10 min of driving, without counting the Peñas Blancas border. Caribe Shuttle listings put the border procedure at about 1 hour. Our Liberia to Nicaragua transfer keeps the same vehicle on both sides and the driver walks you through immigration, from US$45 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$80 solo. Compare shared shuttles and private cars in our Liberia to Nicaragua options and prices guide.
Best time to visit
The dry season runs from November to April and the rainy season from May to October, with September and October the wettest months. The Pacific coast is drier than the Caribbean. Demand peaks from December to April (Lonely Planet). Turtle season at La Flor overlaps the rains, from July to January. In the first days of Semana Santa 2025 more than 1.3 million people traveled inside Nicaragua, so the beaches fill up and we recommend booking ahead for that week.
What to bring
- Passport or a copy, plus córdobas and small US dollar bills.
- Rash guard, hat and biodegradable sunscreen for Maderas and the beach days.
- A light rain jacket between May and October.
- Dark clothing for the turtle night; the park rangers ask for no white light, no flash, distance and silence.
- Water is included in every tour; a refillable bottle is still handy.
