Overall Score
San Juan del Sur is a resort in Nicaragua on the Pacific coast, which is very popular with tourists, and locals do not mind relaxing here, especially on weekends and holidays. The town is often visited by cruise ships and looking out to sea you can always find one or two of them. About what to do, where to live, where to go – below.
How to get to San Juan del Sur
Coming from Granada: take a bus to Rivas at the bus terminal next to the market (about 1,5 hours and 30 cordobas). If you are coming from Managua or Leon, you have to go to Granada first: from Leon – bus terminal east of the center, from Managua – UCA bus terminal. At the same bus terminal in Rivas you change the bus to San Juan del Sur (takes 1 hour). The buses in Granada and Rivas are run-down school buses and leave when they are full; sometimes you have to wait a few hours for the bus, but the bonus is the price!
If you are coming from Ometepe or from the border (frontera) with Costa Rica, the algorithm is the same: bus to Rivas, then bus to San Juan del Sur.
Overall Score
- Tap water: No, not drinkable
- Religious government: Non-religious
- Population: 16,000 people
- GDP: $2,151 / year
- Foreigners can own real estate: Yes
- Power outlets: 115V60Hz
- Internet: 8 Mbps
- Best wireless: AT&T
- Tipping: Locals do not usually tip. Finer restaurants might add gratuity/propina onto your bill (usually 10%). Always check your bill first. Sometimes there is an “IVA” tax on hotels and restaurants (15%) which is what legally everyone is supposed to pay/charge.
- Apartments: Airbnb
- Hotels: Booking.com
- More hotels: Hotels.com
- Best coffee 24/7: NomadLife
- Best short-haul air carrier: American Airlines
- Best intl air carrier: American Airlines
- Monthly costs for expat: $950
- Monthly costs for family: $2000
- Monthly costs for local: $600
- Meal: $4.5
- Small Cola: $0.7
- Beer 1 Pint: $2
- Coffee: $1.7
View Larger Map