Fiestas Patronales

The entire town comes alive from June 16 to 24, with fun and frolics such as rodeos, pig chasing, and pole climbing.

Visitor Information

The tourism office Centro de Informacion Turistico (tel. 505/2568-3022; www.visitanicaragua.com) is located in front of the plaza and is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm. Although the staff is very helpful, only one person speaks English and works the morning shift. The hostel Casa Oro, 1 block west of the plaza (tel. 505/8458-2415; www.casaeloro.com), does a very good job of keeping people up-to-date with what is going on, what excursions are available, and the ever-changing bus timetable. The website www.sanjuandelsur.org.ni gives limited listings; www.vianica.com is a more comprehensive site, with information such as hotel addresses and telephone numbers. Two other useful sites are www.sanjuandelsurguide.com and www.sanjuansurf.com.

Getting There

By Taxi/Shuttle

The safest, fastest, and most convenient way to get to San Juan del Sur is via a shuttle service that picks you up at your Managua or Granada hotel. Adelante Express (tel. 505/8850-6070; www.sanjuanvan.com) arranges taxis or vans to and from Managua, with rates that run from C600 to C800, depending on group size.

By Bus

Buses leave from Mercado R Huembes in Managua at 10:30am, 4, and 5:30pm (C75; trip time 3 hr.), but it's a long, bumpy ride with lots of stops. The 4pm is the expresso in name only. Buses going to Managua directly leave from the San Juan del Sur market (at calles Central and Market) at 5 and 6am daily. There are buses to Rivas every 45 minutes (C30; trip time 1 hr.) between 5am and 5:30pm, where you then catch a connection to Managua and elsewhere. Central Line S.A., half a block west of the market (tel. 505/2568-2573), has direct buses to Managua at 10am, going to the Antiguo Cine Cabrera, on Avenida 27 Mayo. The fare is C60.

Getting Around

San Juan del Sur is small and easy to explore by foot. Beaches farther north and south can be accessed by boat, taxi, or shuttle bus. Rana Tours (tel. 505/8877-9255) operates a daily water taxi to Maderas beach at 11am, returning at 5pm. They have a beach kiosk in front of the Hotel Estrella from which the boat departs. A round-trip ticket costs C220. The coastal road to the surrounding beaches is at the moment rough and unpaved, with little to see. It is best traveled in a four-wheel-drive until a very slow paving project is complete. Beaches south of the town can be accessed by a regular bus to the southern town of Ostonial that leaves from the market at 1, 4, and 5pm.

Hostel Casa Oro, 1 block west of the plaza (tel. 505/8458-2415; www.casaeloro.com), organizes beach shuttles three times a day to Majagual and Maderas beach at 10am, 12:30, and 4pm. The cost is C110 round-trip.

Taxis are easy to catch on any street corner, but always negotiate the price before jumping in.

Alamo (tel. 505/2277-1117) has an office in front of the restaurant El Velero in the Hotel Colonial. Elizabeth's Guesthouse, 75m (246 ft.) east of Mercado Municipal (tel. 505/8840-0299), rents bicycles for C132 per day, as well as double rooms starting at C400.

Fast Facts

Banks -- You can exchange money or withdraw cash from ATMs at Bancentro, half a block east of El Timón restaurant (tel. 505/2568-2449), or at Procredit, 1 block west of the market (tel. 505/8853-3433). There is another ATM at BDF a half-block from the Casa de Cultura.

Emergencies -- Dial tel. 118 for police, tel. 115 for fire, and tel. 128 for an ambulance.

Hospitals -- The closest hospital is in Rivas, though there is a clinic, Centro de Salud (no phone), that will take care of minor ailments. It is 20m (66 ft.) southwest of the Texaco station and is open from 7am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to noon on Sunday.

Internet -- You will have no problem finding an Internet cafe, as there is one on every corner, usually providing very slow connections. Cyber Leo's (no phone) is one of the better-established internet cafes, a half-block south of El Gato Negro. There is another one at the Hotel Costa Azul, 1 1/2 blocks west of the market on Calle Central. The rate per hour is C30.

Laundry -- Gaby's, east of market (tel. 505/8837-7493), is a laundromat that charges C100 per load. Otherwise, most hotels provide a laundry service.

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