Fishing Tour | San Juan del Sur
San Juan del Sur is the quintessential Nicaraguan fishing town: low-key and unhurried, yet sparkling with life.
Once upon a time, San Juan del Sur was a locals-only hideaway. It didn’t take long for intrepid travelers to seek out the paradisaical, crescent-shaped bay. Now, San Juan is a joyful merging of cultures—still uncrowded and drop-dead gorgeous, yet with enough American appetizers and air conditioners to make most foreigners happy.
The majority of San Juan’s residents make their living from the sea, fishing or managing dive and snorkel tours in and beyond the picturesque bay. International travelers also find San Juan’s waters superlative for surfing, fishing, and other water sports, and its neighboring beaches ideal for embracing the Nicaraguan beachfront mantra: Relaxation, with a capital R.
San Juan del Sur is a small and very nice village placed inside the bay with the same name that overlooks the pacific ocean 60 kms west of Granada and 24 Kms from Costa Rica's frontier.
Enclosed by prehistoric volcanic hills, San Juan del Sur is characterized by a very broad beach of white sand, that is 3 Kms long, and with very good climate for the whole part of the year it permits to practise surf, underwater fishing, deep sea fishing and bathing.
Those who like walk around San Juan del Sur will find scenic vistas and wildlife sightings, the view from the top of the sorrounding hills is breathtaking. A short walk up the bluff on the south side of San Juan del Sur's beach takes you to the lighthouse and William Walker's ruined fort. On the trail you'll see few people, out many fabulous views-gaze upon the far-off.
Once a quiet fishing village in a forgotten corner of the country, San Juan del Sur is now Nicaragua’s primary Pacific coast destination for both national and foreign tourists. Many of the pueblo’s 18,000 residents still make a go at fishing, but most are putting their money on the steady stream of big-spending visitors that, after having been predicted for more than a decade, is finally here.
Everyone and their mother is developing a new shuttle service, bar, surf camp, or hospedaje—but not to worry, it’s all happening at a leisurely pace and, besides random annoying bursts of fireworks, San Juan is still a quiet village.
San Juan’s principal resource is its perfect, protected harbor and its crescent beach, open to the setting sun and protected by El Indio (The Indian), whose silhouetted face hides in the rocky cliffs on the north end of the bay. Surf’s up, but so is foreign investment. Fortunately in San Juan del Sur, business and pleasure mix easily, usually over heaping plates of seafood, pasta, and fresh snapper.
You’re sure to cross paths with the land sharks, property pimps, and the frenzied flock of checkbook-toting prospectors madly scouring the coastline for a piece of the pie. Only in Granada is the interest more ravenous. Don’t let the frenzy sour your mood. The beach is clean and mellow, and the evenings are rum-soaked and starry.