Not too far from the border with Costa Rica, along the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua, lies San Juan del Sur, a once quiet fishing village that became a hub for those looking to explore or surf the awesome beaches both to the north and south of town.
The town is small and easily explored on foot. While San Juan del Sur itself doesn’t have a great beach, it does have a lot of great restaurants and bars along the waterfront. It also has a party scene, especially on weekends during the dry season and has only clubs in the area.
As I left my clubbing days behind me years ago, I opted to check out the local brewery, Nicaragua Craft Beer Co – Cervecería San Juan del Sur, the first craft brewery in Nicaragua.
They have a few beers on tap, a beer garden out back and Open Mic night every Wednesday. They also have amazing ‘Drunken Nachos’ with pair perfectly with a flight of their beers!
As we were here in rainy season, we spent most of our day in San Juan del Sur finding places to duck into each time it started to rain!
La Tostaderia, was the perfect place to stay dry while enjoying a latte (with the cutest little latte art!) and watch the waves crash in across the street.
And no trip to San Juan del Sur would be complete without surfing! There are numerous places in town offering surf lessons and board rentals as well as rides out to the other beaches.
My sister joined me on this trip and we opted to stay only one night in San Juan del Sur and the other two nights outside of town at the Dreamsea Nicaragua– a sustainable eco-lodge located in a tropical paradise!
You can sign up for the week long surf camp or if you aren’t staying that long you can just take surf lessons or rent a board.
The resort was gorgeous, with delicious meals and morning yoga with a beautiful view!
There are also lots of group activities, including a sunset beach picnic at Playa Marsella, a good swimming beach with gorgeous sunsets!
We signed up for a surf lesson, which included one hour of surf theory, that day it was in the pool, followed by 1.5 hours in the water and all equipment. We headed to Playa Remanso, a nice little bay which has a smaller beach break, making it ideal for beginners.
It had been about a decade since I last tried surfing, so my goal was to get up and ride a wave….and I was able to do that on the first try!
Our instructor, Luis, was great and helped the 3 of us find our waves. What an incredible feeling it is to ride a wave into shore. Feels like you’re flying on water!
After our lesson, we walked along the beach and watched as those with a lot more skill caught some waves. I will definitely need more practice before I can surf like these guys!
The whole atmosphere in this area is very relaxed. The perfect spot for those looking to learn how to surf or just relax at the beach, while still being able to enjoy a great meal. If you’re heading to Nicaragua, be sure to add San Juan del Sur to your list!
Tales of a Travel Addict 
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