San Juan del Sur Shore Excursions: Tender Port and Time Ashore

San Juan del Sur is a tender port: ships anchor in the bay and launches carry passengers to a landing in the center of town. As of November 3, 2026, CruiseMapper lists no calls for 2026 and one for 2027, the Crystal Serenity on August 17, 2027, from 10:00 to 18:00. In an 8-hour call, the town, the beaches, the Cristo and a surf lesson fit; Granada fits only on a tight plan.

Monkeys Travels & Tours runs private tours from San Juan del Sur and Rivas, so this guide is written from the shore side: how the landing works, how much of the call you can really use, and which excursions fit without putting your return at risk.

Are cruise ships calling at San Juan del Sur?

Fewer than before. In 2019, San Juan del Sur received 44,066 cruise passengers and crew, the most of any Nicaraguan port, according to Nica-Biz. Visits stopped after March 2020, and in November 2022 the tourism minister said there was no date for their return.

On November 3, 2026, the CruiseMapper schedule for the port showed no entries for 2026 and a single call in 2027: Crystal Serenity, Tuesday, August 17, 2027, arriving at 10:00 and leaving at 18:00. Wikivoyage notes that San Juan del Sur and Corinto, further north, are the country's cruise ports on the Pacific. If your itinerary lists San Juan del Sur, confirm the call with your line closer to the date.

How the tender landing works

• Ships are moored or anchored offshore and passengers are tendered ashore to the center of town, passing first through an artisans' marketplace (What's in Port).
• Floating docks reported in 2017 can receive up to 4 tender boats at the same time (ViaNica, September 2017).
• The landing is in the center of town, so the beach, the market and the taxis are a short walk away. If you go ashore on your own, ask the ship how tender tickets are handed out that day.
• Bay conditions decide tendering, and the Pacific rainy season can affect both the tenders and the roads (Cruise Deals Tips and Tricks).

Work out your real time ashore

The hours printed on the itinerary are not the hours you have on land. Here is the calculation for the one call listed, the Crystal Serenity, 10:00 to 18:00.

Step	Time	Basis
Ship arrives	10:00	CruiseMapper
You step ashore	after anchoring, clearance and the tender queue; your ship's daily program gives the first tender	Ship's program
All-aboard	usually about 30 minutes before sailing, so about 17:30	The Points Guy
Back at the pier	port guides suggest allowing 60 to 90 minutes to get back to the ship (Cruise Deals Tips and Tricks); plan for about 16:30	Port guides

If you are ashore by about 10:30 and at the pier by 16:30, you have roughly 6 hours. Every excursion below is measured against that window.

What fits in about 6 hours

Excursion	Distance from the landing	Time needed	Fits?
Town, main beach and market	on foot	flexible	Yes
Cristo de la Misericordia viewpoint	about 1.5 km from town; steep walk up, or a taxi	1 to 2 hours	Yes
Surf lesson at Playa Maderas	about 10 km	2 to 3 hours plus the drive	Yes
Playa Hermosa	about 11 km	half a day	Yes
Granada and the islets	98 km, about 1 hour 45 minutes each way	Lokalee lists 5 hours	Tight
Masaya volcano and Catarina	Masaya is 103 km, about 1 hour 48 minutes each way	Pelago lists 7 hours	Only on a longer call
Granada + Masaya in one day	both of the above	9 hours with Monkeys	No

Distances: the Lonely Planet town map for the Cristo and the beaches; Daytrip for Granada and Masaya; the shore-excursion listings for their own durations. More on the statue in our guide to the Cristo de la Misericordia and on the beaches in best beaches near San Juan del Sur.

Ship excursion or independent tour

The difference is who carries the risk if the tour runs late. The Points Guy explains that with a ship-sponsored excursion the ship waits if the tour is not back by all-aboard, while independent tours do not have the same guarantee. If you miss the ship, the cost of reaching the next port is yours, and missed days on board are not reimbursed.

Independent operators know this. Lokalee and Pelago ask cruise passengers for the ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time when they book. Whoever you book with, check that the tour ends with a margin before your last tender, not at it.

Monkeys options for a port day

We do not have a shore-excursion product with a ship-return guarantee. What we offer are private tours from San Juan del Sur, adjusted to your times:

• Surf Lesson at Playa Maderas, 2 to 3 hours, with board, rash guard and instructor, from US$35 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$55 solo. It fits comfortably.
• San Juan del Sur Full Day, 8 hours, beaches, optional surf lesson at Playa Maderas, local lunch and the sunset, from US$45 per person (groups of 4 to 6), US$38 in groups of 7 to 10; US$75 solo. As listed it is longer than a port day; ask us for the parts that fit your window.
• Pacific Sunset Cruise, 2 hours, from US$40 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$65 solo. Only an option if your ship sails after sunset.

Send us on WhatsApp at +505 8506 1173 the ship's name, the date, the arrival and all-aboard times, and the number of people. We confirm in writing what fits and at what price. For Granada with more time, see Granada and Masaya in one day and San Juan del Sur to Granada.

What Monkeys does

Monkeys Travels & Tours is a private tour operator based in Rivas, founded in 2018 by Everth Palma, who was born and raised in Rivas.

• Private tours, only your group, never mixed with other passengers.
• Bilingual bilingual guides born in Rivas, in a private vehicle.
• We plan the tour around the times you send us and confirm price and inclusions in writing.
• Free cancellation up to 48 hours before.
• WhatsApp +505 8506 1173, every day from 7:00 to 20:00, replies in under 1 hour.
• Not included: meals unless the tour states them, tips and travel insurance.