"Where you count your days by the sunsets!" Top 5 Page for this destination San Juan del Sur by Marie-France
San Juan del Sur Travel Guide: 87 reviews and 234 photos
San Juan del Sur is on the Pacific side of Nicaragua. So, of course, you can't expect a white sand beach with turquoise water.
What you can expect is a laid back little town with a wide crescent-shaped beach which is great for swimming. Numerous little bars and restaurants line the beach and you can always get a cold beer, fruit shake or a fish dinner.
Apparently, there is a cruiseship that docks here every other week, but I was lucky enough not to see it! On weekdays, the beach is virtually empty. On week-ends, some tourists arrive (mostly Nicaraguans from the city) but there is still plenty of space everywhere.
Update Nov 11, 2004: Well, exactly a year ago I was here. I really miss this place. I met so many friendly people here. It was such a warm and relaxing place. Sigh.
This story is really amusing!
One morning, I had arranged to go on a short hike to a viewpoint with Laura, a girl I met while in San Juan. When she showed up, she said that this French guy from her hostel also wanted to join us.
So the three of us went for a sweaty but interesting walk up the hill, chatted for several hours, came back down, and only then (when Christian recommended that I check out his VT page) did I realize that I had just had a VT meeting without realizing it!!
What are the chances of running into another VT member in a not-so-well-known country such as Nicaragua? May be I should have bought a lottery ticket...
- Pros:Laid back, good food, great sunsets and swimming beach
- Cons:None
- In a nutshell:An off-the-beaten-path beach break
Reviews (13)
The pool!
Favorites
(2)
Here is a better view of the beautiful pool at Pelican Eyes. more travel advice
Food by the pool at Pelican Eye
Restaurants
(4)
See above tip for more details. You can have your meal served by the pool! (See General Tips for views of the... more travel advice
Probably not a well-kept secret...
Restaurants
(4)
This is as fancy as it gets in San Juan. This restaurant is attached to the hotel of the same name. Right next to a... more travel advice
Beyond the beach
Things to Do
(4)
San Juan del Sur is more like a village than a town. You can probably walk around all the main streets in 10-15 minutes... more travel advice
San Juan del Sur Travel Guide
Member Travel Pages
- "Where you count your days by the sunsets!"
- "San Juan del Sur"
- "San Juan del Sur"
- "Best beaches in the Nicaraguan Pacific."
- "Bahia Majagual eco-lodge"
- "San Juan del Sur"
- "the wonderful world of San Juan del Sur"
- See All...
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Badges & Stats in San Juan del Sur
- 13 Reviews
- 14 Photos
- 1 Forum posts
- 11 Comments
- 10,071PageViews
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Have you been to San Juan del Sur?
Share Your TravelsLatest Activity in San Juan del Sur
- updated a San Juan del Sur Travel Page "Where you count your days by the sunsets!"
- Wrote a Review The pool! in San Juan del Sur Favorites
- Uploaded a Photo to "Probably not a well-kept secret anymore..."
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Friends
See All Friends (32)Latest San Juan del Sur hotel reviews
- Casa Marina Condominium Hotel on the Beach
- 3 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jan 30, 2012 - Bahia del Sol
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Latest: May 6, 2012

Budget Travel
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Comments (10)
It is almost 20 years since I visited San Juan del Sur. Next year I want to go to Nicaragua and then I absolutly want to come here again. It is a lovely place!
Happy Birthday......it is going on 6 years since I have been there, still miss it...
Beautiful! Wish I was at the Pelican Eye right now. Thanks so much, bathing suit pics always appreciated. dear Marie ;-p
Marie, Thank you so much for posting up your travel experiences from San Juan del Sur. We're planning on visiting this town in August....and your tips have been very helpful. Happy travels to you!
great tips!
Hi there again your sunset pictures on this page where great. I enjoyed your tips. Cheers from Labrador :-)
Me gusto ver tu viaje a Nicaragua, si bajas a México tienes que venir hasta Honduras a ver las ruinas de los antiguos Mayas en Copán. You can't come so close and never get to Copán.
Real joy to read and view your pictures. What a beautiful place, you clever girl, great vacation on a small budget! (See you again soon?)
Wow Marie -France this is a very nice page you made , I do not see many pages from Niguaragua, and running into (or running with I should say) a VT member is indeed very rare. Great page Marie -France.
So, what's it like to hike with the famous Christian Lafont? ;-) Good thing u live on the other side of the continent, lol...
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