Things to do & places to visit in San Juan del Sur, Rivas Department, Nicaragua

This beautiful fishing village is a Nicaraguan gem, a magnet for surfers and sunbathers. At night, the beach still pulses with activity, thanks to a few popular beachfront bars and nightclubs. Surf clubs abound—catch a wave with an expert instructor if you’re a hang-ten rookie, trying to hang with the surfer big boys.

San Juan del Sur municipality in , Nicaragua. Timezone: America/Managua, current date and time: Saturday, May 04, 2024, 10:25.

San Juan del Sur Weather Statistics view more »

General weather summary in May

88°F - 80°F

Temperature Highs - Lows

Very warm with a gentle breeze

Feels like

50%

Chance of rain

307.0 millimeters

Amount

11.6 mph

Wind speed

72%

Humidity

12.6

Daylight length

5:20 AM

Sunrise

5:58 PM

Sunset

23%

Cloud cover

Sleeveless shirt, rain coat and rain boots

What to wear

Top things to do (16)

Top places to visit (29 attractions)

5.0 Transporte Gaby Day Tour (140 reviews)
- Superior Service!
Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Taxis & Shuttles

Based out of San Juan del Sur, Transporte Gaby is a family-owned and operated transportation service company focused on helping locals and tourists make the most of their time in Nicaragua. With us, you won’t miss a thing! See more..
5.0 Zen Yoga (112 reviews)
- Best Yoga Class Ever
Saturday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Yoga & Pilates

Zen Yoga Studio is a stunning two story yoga studio and institute featuring daily yoga classes, hosted Luxury Yoga Retreats, 200Hr Teacher Trainings. Massage is also offered. See more..
5.0 Latin American Spanish School (95 reviews)
- A great experience!
Saturday: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM Educational sites

Latin American Spanish School is a non profit company, the owners are teachers from San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua with more than 19 years of teaching Spanish like second language. We offer many different courses for all levels, beginner to advanced, and special courses for professionals, travelers, investors, children and more. Come and learn Spanish living like a Nicaraguan people in a nica-families, knowing and living our culture affected for many years for the U.S.A policy! See more..
5.0 Grateful Surf Yoga and Ayurveda (74 reviews)
- Sat Chit Ananda
Spent 1-2 hours Spas

At your home or property. WhatsApp or email to reserve Yoga, Yoga & Massage Therapy, Ayurvedic Consultations, Spiritual Counselling and Daily Surf Lessons & Tours Your choice of experienced guide, bilingual, VIP Service Full Day Tours to Private Beaches Nanny Services See more..
5.0 Energy Touch (70 reviews)
- 60 Minutes in Heaven
This location was reported permanently closed Spas

Working with ambitious, successful people who come from all over the world and all walks of life, I have noticed they are often disconnected from the essence of life and fail to make their highest contribution. They are stressed out, exhausted, and living life as if they are spinning in circles. For over ten years I have observed many of my clients flounder with an underlying sense there must be something more. They are sick and tired of feeling that day-to-day stress and desire to make a change. They want to live lives with a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. It is through our bodies that we truly connect with ourselves, our wisdom and our purpose. This connection leads to the fulfillment we all desire and inspired my new programs. I love guiding clients to a blissful, relaxed state, where you find peace. Your mind becomes calm and you connect with your true nature and find clarity. It is in this place where you find alignment so you can make your highest contribution. See more..
5.0 Gaby's Spa (69 reviews)
- Great service, amazing massages, relaxing manicures!
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Spas

At Gaby’s, you can choose from a full range of deluxe spa and aesthetic care services, including pedicures, manicures, waxings and facials. All services are done by the hands of a highly skilled team that Gaby personally trained based on the knowledge and experience gathered throughout her extensive care. We are located in Sn Juan del Sur and Granada.Two places with great tourist attraction of Nicaragua. Donde relajarle es un placer... See more..
5.0 The Art Warehouse (46 reviews)
- Best SJDS cafe for the community
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Art Galleries

ART CAFE: We are an Art Gallery/ Studio/ Cafe. A creative space where people can come and make all type of art. We have kids art clases, all types of workshops and all our food is fresh and homemade. See more..
5.0 Beach Fun Rentals (39 reviews)
- ATV Fun Day Out
Saturday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Gear Rentals

Beach FUN Rentals is an atv rental company committed to our customers tour needs. We have all sort of tours to choose from. All is gear to have one goal in mind-FUN ADVENTURES. All ages can enjoy touring with Beach FUN Rentals to the maximum. San Juan del Sur through the eyes of Beach FUN Rentals...is not just a choice...is your only choice!!! We offer morning tours and afternoon tours. See more..
5.0 Pepe's Rental (33 reviews)
- Good rentals ffor a fun day!
Saturday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Gear Rentals

Pepe's Rental it's a family business, we rent motorcycles, scooters and atv. We also have tours to the best locations in town, we love the sand and mud. We provide all the toys that you need for your adventures, Gopro include if you want to record your adventures. Lets have fun with us. See more..
5.0 San Juan del Sur Spanish School - Day Classes (32 reviews)
- Integral Part of the San Juan del Sur Experience
Lessons & Workshops

Various members of our family has attended at Veronica's San Juan del Sur Spanish School on several occasions and we love it. the teachers are all very friendly and enthusiastic and custom design their one-on-one lessons to coincide with the students background ability, knowledge and areas of interest. The school offers a range of afternoon activities - from Nicaraguan cooking to trips to the beach. Spanish language learning is blended seamlessly into each activity. Veronica and her teachers are passionate about children and community development. While she does not push these interests on her students she is more than willing to give students the ability to participate in a hands on way in giving a hand up to nearby communities. I have no hesitation recommending this school whether for a 3 hour introduction to basic Spanish or a month long intensive program or anything in-between. See more..
5.0 Surf Bus Nicaragua (31 reviews)
- Allan is the best!
Spent More than 3 hours Taxis & Shuttles

Surf Bus Nicaragua provides safe and reliable door-to-door ground transportation solutions to and from the Managua International airport, hotel, home or office to San Juan del Sur. Since 2001, Surf Bus Nicaragua transport service has been providing quality ground transportation services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Surf tours are also offered when you have reached San Juan del Sur, as well as fishing tours. Groups and families are welcome! See more..
5.0 Surf Ranch Skateboard Park (20 reviews)
- FUn
Game & Entertainment Centers

This is Nicaragua's largest skateboard plaza in the whole country. It is located at the Surf Ranch Action Sports Resort, and has an onsite skateboard shop. No helmets required and free entry. See more..
5.0 Pranamaya Yoga & Thai Massage Studio Playa Maderas (14 reviews)
- Thai massage with Alex at the Eden on the chocolata yoga retreat in San Juan del sur.
Spent 1-2 hours Yoga & Pilates

Therapeutic Thai Massage (sessions are 1hr45min). Yoga: -Personalized yoga programs -2x weekly Ashtanga classes (experience only) -Online yoga courses Health coaching: An holistic view on health. Science has shown for decades that body and mind are strongly interrelated. Yet Western medicine continues to treat the body and the mind as two separate fields. I help improving well-being of body and mind by combining traditional coaching, compassionate inquiry, breathwork, massage, and yoga. Background info: BA in Psychology, MA in Neuroscience. After leaving academics I became a yoga teacher in 2014 and thai massage therapist in 2017. I intergrate ALL these fields in my coaching, licensed since 2020. See more..
5.0 Costa Dulce Beach (7 reviews)
- Loved it!
Spent More than 3 hours Beach & Pool Clubs

Visit Costa Dulce Beach - A remote beach 14km south of San Juan del Sur. We offer 3 different packages to make your stay at this beach an unforgetable experience. Nestled in the jungle, the Costa Dulce Hotel offers: Yoga in our shala overlooking the ocean, massages, healthy and delicious meals, horeseback tours to the waterfall, surf, roundtrip transport from San Juan del Sur, and much more! See more..
4.5 Mirador del Cristo de la Misericordia (571 reviews)
- Bit of a sweat for a great view
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks

The statue of Christ the redeemer can be easily seen from the streets of San Juan Del Sur. Getting here is relatively easy - just walk along the beach (Entire length) towards the statue. Right at the end a footpath (actually looks a bit like a drain) will take you to the street. Follow this street around and up the hill. This part is fairly challenging but is over pretty quickly. Once at the top you will be charged 1USD (National) or 2USD (Foreigner). The views afforded from the statue are quite impressive. Not only can you get a panoramic view of San Juan Del Sur beach you can actually see all the way to Costa Rica. The whole trip return took us maybe 1.5-2 hours from the centre of San Juan Del Sur. See more..
4.5 La Flor Beach Natural Reserve (107 reviews)
- Fantastic, unmatched experience
Beaches • Nature & Wildlife Areas

The whole trip and service from both Rosa and the driver was incredible. Firstly we were running late and Rosa not only waited for us, but also offered us to get drinks and snacks as she was aware we had been rushing. When we got to la flor we were one of the only tourists there and got to release hundreds of newly hatched turles. Rosa and the driver didn’t rush us at all, we waited until all the turtles had reached the sea, and gave additional help to the ones struggling. She also took photos of us and was very proactive about giving us a good experience. We also went off season so Irvin was very proactive about finding out and contacting us when we could go. Could not recommend more. See more..
4.5 Playa Hermosa (80 reviews)
- Stunning beach with nice shady area, where to relax
Beaches

Our most favorite beach in SJDS area. Long sandy beach with gentle vawes and great facilities (even showers) provided by Eco Lodge and local restaurant.Lot of hammocks, large sitting area in a shade. There is something so calming about this place.Three dollars entrance is worthy. See more..
4.5 Marsella Valley Nature Center (34 reviews)
- This is a slice of heaven
Nature & Wildlife Areas

I have been living here for almost 2 months in one of the beautiful little cabins Vince rents out. It really is a slice of heaven, with a small kitchen and a pizzeria 2 minutes walk away there really is no reason to leave. A brisk 15 minute walk and you're on the beach amongst the surfers and sun bakers. Vince has really looked after me and my friends during our stay and I'd recommend Marsella Valley to anyone who visits this area. See more..
4.5 Fight Club Gym (31 reviews)
- Highly recommend
Saturday: 6:30 AM - 8:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Health Clubs

Fight Club Gym is your friendly neighborhood gym located in the heart of San Juan del Sur. We have free weights, a full size boxing ring, cardio machines, floor mats and we offer fitness classes such as MMA, Crossfit, Yoga, Muay Thai, Boxing, general strength and conditioning, etc. Open Monday to Saturday 6am to 8pm & Sundays 6am to 12pm. See more..
4.5 Playa Remanso (14 reviews)
- Life’s a Beach
Beaches

Great little beach, just a short ride from San Juan Del Sur. Had a wonderful day here with friends. Learned to surf at Robertito’s Surf School. He was a great instructor. After a couple hours playing in the water we were able to kick back and enjoy great music, food and drink at the few little beach bars scattered across the sandy beach. This is truly a great hang out spot with a good beach vibe. See more..
4.5 Spanish School House Rosa Silva (11 reviews)
- Oscar is a fantastic profesor!
Educational sites

I really enjoyed my week of classes with Oscar at Rosa Silva's Spanish School. He is a grad student studying to teach English, so he is great at teaching, teaches primarily in Spanish but can translate or explain in English when you get stuck, and he is a great conversationalist. We would spend the majority of our classes discussing Nicaraguan culture, politics, and history, comparing and contrasting with my experiences in the US, and learning lots of new vocabulary and grammar through conversational practice. This gave me a lot of confidence to speak more Spanish when traveling. See more..
4.5 Playa Escameca (4 reviews)
- worth finding
Spent More than 3 hours Beaches

the beach at playa escameca is a fantastic place to surf, but you will need to get a local to take you there or book a surf tour and they will likely take you there. big waves and lots of fun See more..
4.0 San Juan del Sur Beach (936 reviews)
- Beautiful beach area.
Beaches

I have traveled for many years to Nicaragua always avoided the tourist heavy areas like SJDS. This trip I decided to take a day to see why so many people love it. It is a beautiful place to relax and enjoy a meal while watching the waves crash. See more..
4.0 San Juan del Sur Library (4 reviews)
- I got a library card from San Juan del Sur
Libraries
Loved the availability of books and free WIFI. Too bad their own computers didn't work, and also, you were only allowed to borrow two books at a time. Well run by volunteers. What a great little library. See more..
4.0 Playa El Toro (1 review)
- Beach to ourselves!
Beaches
This is a beautiful private beach a short walk from where we were staying at Eden on the Chocolata. You walk down a small dirt path to get there and there’s a local family on the way that you need to pay 60 cordobas each for access. It is a white sand beach with waves that are good for body surfing. From the water you can see the Christ Statue. We were the only people there apart from some local fishermen. It was lovely swimming in the water and we could have happily stayed there for hours. See more..
3.5 Plaza del arte, san juan del sur (34 reviews)
- Nice little plaza
Points of Interest & Landmarks

Te plaza is easy to get to and there is a good selection of local crafts. Worth 40 minutes to stroll around. Close to the cruise ships. See more..
3.5 ChocoMuseo San Juan del Sur (4 reviews)
- Interesting for chocolate lovers.
Spent < 1 hour Speciality Museums
ChocoMuseo es un atractivo turistico donde se puede aprender y conocer sobre la historia, preparacion y degustacion de productos alimenticios, cosmeticos, decorativos a base de chocolate, los cuales podras probar de forma gratuita. Ademas la participacion en talleres donde aprenderas a realizar tu propia barra o bebida de chocolate. See more..
3.5 Rentanica (3 reviews)
- Fantastic rental experience!
Saturday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Motorcycle Trails

Fantastic experience! We realized when we got to SJDS we needed transportation. Eric at Rentanica had us send our documents by WhatsApp and had an ATV ready for us in 15 minutes. When we wanted to trade up to a side-by-side for more room they put us in exactly what we wanted in 15 minutes no problem. The vehicles are new, very clean, and in perfect repair. They are all registered and insured and helmets are provided free. The side-by-side we got was a Honda with the sporty upgrades so it was a blast to drive and it is street legal too. The staff is terrific. Polite, efficient, and helpful. Eric speaks excellent English and was very helpful recommending food and beaches, where we could find an ATM, etc. They only accept cash including a cash deposit, which is not a problem just be aware. One of our best rental experiences anywhere. You will have a lot more fun in SJDS with your own transportation. Look no further than Rentanica. They are super. See more..
Playa Pena Rota (0 review)
Beaches
See more..