San Juan del Sur Basics

First Impressions

San Juan del Sur is a small beach town, perched behind the strand that stretches along the bay for three-quarters of a mile from north to south. Thatched roofed cafes and bars have staked out their place along the beachfront, and behind them is the sleepy town that is only a few blocks deep. It's the kind of town that you want to check out to see what makes it tick; but alas, the vast majority of ship's excursions don't allow you that luxury, instead whisking you to Granada or Masaya or to Lake Nicaragua for a full day's adventure, and making it back to town just in time to board the tender and sail away.

Your ship will lay anchor in the bay, and passengers are transported to shore aboard your ship's tenders. You'll land on the dock at the south end of the bay, where a small band greets you with Nicaraguan music. Here you'll also find a small group of vendors hawking their wares of locally-made craft items, ersatz cigars and post-dated bags of coffee. It's a 5 minute walk from the dock to the center of San Juan del Sur. If you're going on a shore excursion, you'll board your transportation at the dock.

While San Juan del Sur played a supporting role during the California Gold Rush era (see our history section), today the town is a Mecca for surfers and ecotourists. It's an easy going place, where life goes on in the town much as it has for a hundred years, but with high technology making it more acessible to the gringos. You can watch sports events taking place as you enjoy a meal in one of the cafes, and surf the internet via a Wi-Fi connection after a day of surfing on the waves.

Since your trip to San Juan del Sur may be the only time you'll ever spend time in Nicaragua, and you'll be spending most of that time in transit between San Juan del Sur and Granada or Masaya or to Lake Nicaragua for a full day's adventure, just sit back and enjoy the hospitality of the Nicaraguans that you meet. They're wonderful and hospitable people, and the country is a beautiful place. It's just a pity that their government has so ill served them over the years.

Time Zone

San Juan del Sur is on Central Time, six hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time during standard time. Nicaragua does not observe Daylight Savings Time.

Language

Spanish is universally spoken in San Juan del Sur; many of the shopkeepers catering to tourists also speak English.

Currency

Currency

The Cordoba Oro is Nicaragua's official currency, and uses the "C$" sign to denote the cordoba amount. Banknotes come in denominations of C$10, C$20, C$50, C$100, C$200 and C$500. Coins come in denominations of 5, 10, 25, 50 centavos, and C$1, C$5 and C$10 Cordobas.

The current US Dollar/Nicaragua Cordoba exchange rate is as follows:

Banks and ATMs

A few banks with ATM machines can be found in San Juan del Sur. ATM machines can be found at the following locations:

• BAC: On the Malecon, just at the corner of the Hotel Casablanca. BAC is a member of the PLUS network.


• BanCentro: has a branch with an ATM just half a block east of the Restaurante El Timon (which is located on the Malecon).

See our San Juan del Sur ATM map for the locations of the above ATMs.

Using US Dollars in San Juan del Sur

US dollars are widely accepted in San Juan del Sur, so you don't have to change your dollars into cordobas. If you're using dollars alone, make sure to bring smaller denominations to pay for incidentals and taxi rides. Your change will be given to you in cordobas.

Weather

Keeping In Touch

Internet Cafes

While San Juan del Sur has seen the opening of a number of cyber cafes in recent years, Wi-Fi in bars and restaurants is often a more pleasant alternative. Internet connections can be found at the following establishments:

• Big Wave Dave's is a restaurant and bar that offers free Wi-Fi. It's located on the corner of Calle del Tropezon and Avenida Central. It's hard to miss.


• Pau Hana is a beach-side restaurant located on the town's Malecon that offers free Wi-Fi connections. They're located 1½ blocks north of Calle del Tropezon.


• El Gato Negro is a coffee shop, cafe and bookstore that offers free Wi-Fi connections. Open from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm. They're located at the corner of Calle del Tropezon at the intersection of Avenida Central.


• Cyber Leo's is a small internet cafe; they're located on Avenida Central just a half block south of Calle del Tropezon. Expect to pay around 20 to 30 cordobas per hour.

See our San Juan del Sur Internet Cafes & Wi-Fi Hotspot Map for the locations of the above internet access points.

Cellular Phone & Data Services

Travelers with American cell phone plans should be aware that their carriers will add a variety of international roaming and other charges when their phones are used in Nicaragua. Calls back home and data are really expensive in Nicaragua. Check with your carrier for the precise details.

	Cell service: Verizon users must use a quad-band GSM phone when calling from Nicaragua. Data services: Through its partners, Verizon offers data coverage in Nicaragua when using a UMTS-capable device with an active SIM card and global plan. See details on Verizon's cell and data services pricing and coverage maps.
	Cell service: AT&T's GSM service in Nicaragua is provided by partners Claro and Movistar. Data services: AT&T offers 3G service in Nicaragua through its partners Claro and Movistar. See details on AT&T's cell and data services coverage maps.
	Cell service: Sprint's users must use a quad-band GSM phone when calling from Nicaragua. Data services: Through partner Movistar, Sprint offers 2G coverage in Nicaragua when using a UMTS-capable device with an active SIM card and global plan. See details on Sprint's cell and data services pricing.
	Cell service: T-Mobile's GSM service is available in Nicaragua through its partners Claro and Movistar. Data services: T-Mobile offers 2G and 3G service in Nicaragua through its partners Claro and Movistar. See details on T-Mobile's cell and data services pricing.

Kindle Connectivity

Local Holidays & Festivals

Cruise Port Schedules

San Juan del Sur is a boutique port of call; ships arrive here either before or after Panama Canal transits. As a rule, the cruise lines visit San Juan del Sur from late October through April.

As a rule, ships arrive in San Juan del Sur between 6:00 am and 7:00 am, and depart between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm.

In 2013, San Juan del Sur is slated to host around 20,000 passengers sailing on 9 ships, up 67% and 50%, respectively, from 2012. For further information, see our San Juan del Sur Cruise Ship Schedule - 2013.

Cruise Lines Making Port

The following cruise lines will make port in San Juan del Sur in 2013:

	Princess Cruises		Cunard Cruises