The beaches in the San Juan del Sur area are by far the most popular in all of Nicaragua. Blessed with natural beauty and an abundance of coves and half-moon bays its no wonder that San Juan del Sur and its surrounding beaches are the fastest growing tourist attractions in the country. Here is our second part of the beaches in San Juan del Sur area:

South of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Cabo Manzanillo

Cabo Manzanillo is located about an hour drive south from San Juan del Sur. This beach has a small pier that is located directly in its center. The pier is quite picturesque but was never finished so it is hardly used by anyone. Manzanillo is one of many other beaches in Nicaragua with the same name. It is almost hard to believe but there are 2 other beaches in Nicaragua that sport this same name.

Once a new tourist border crossing is created joining Costa Rica with Nicaragua this beach will be one of the very first to benefit from this. Manzanillo has very flat surf making it a friendly place for swimming and snorkeling.

La Flor National Park

La Flor is a large stretch of beach that is located about 40 minutes from San Juan del Sur.

La Flor is a national park that was created specifically to protect paslama sea turtles, which hatch and lay eggs from July to January every year. The park is administered by an NGO called Fundacion Cocibolca and allows entrance to visitors for a small fee.

The park owns over 1500 acres of land and plenty of beach for the turtles to call home. There is only one other park in the country that protects these endangered species. La Flor is also home to an abundance of birds, lizards and monkeys and is certainly a must see amongst other beaches located in Nicaragua south Pacific.

Playa Coco

Playa Coco is located 30 minutes south of San Juan del Sur. It’s a spectacular beach that has become a favorite for Europeans living and traveling in Nicaragua. An Austrian family started one of the first projects in the area. They currently own and operate the hotel Parque Maritimo Playa Coco and beachfront restaurant Puesta del Sol. The restaurant is known for its variety offering everything from Wienerschetzel to fish Ceviche.

With La Flor National Park to the south and Escameca Private Ecological Reserve to the north, Playa Coco is nestled between two large tracts of green area. The beach also has the added advantage of having the proposed coastal highway running only steps from the ocean. Playa Coco has rental houses available on the beach and with great ocean views. There are also beachfront lots and beachfront condos available on Coco beach. Coco is both a swimming and surfing beach and the coast is gently sloping making it safe and kid friendly. There are also great natural pools located on the south end of the beach just over the last bluff. These pools are calm, clean and completely transparent. You can only access these natural ponds during low tide.

Playa Yankee

Located about 20 minutes south of San Juan del Sur is Playa Yankee. The entrance to this beach is a little difficult if it’s your first time. Pay no mind to the formal entrance that says “Cantamar de Yankee”, this is seldom open and is usually locked. The entrance to Yankee is through a dirt road after you have passed the formal entrance if you’re coming from the south. There are many properties available with great access and views of Yankee beach.

Yankee is known as a surfing beach with an impressive left break that comes off the rocks during high tide. Yankee is not as popular as Maderas, which makes for a much less crowded wave. The surf is not as consistent as other beaches in San Juan del Sur but many people enjoy this fast breaking powerful wave. The beach is separated in two with the north side being the flat calm beach and the south having the point breaks coming of the rocks and reefs.

Remanso Beach

Originally called Playa El Sucio (which means dirty in Spanish) owners of this beach changed the name to Remanso making it more marketable than its unclean predecessor. There is a real estate development offering lots, and homes with great access to Remanso Beach. Remanso is a small cove that is less than 1km long. Located only 5 minutes south of San Juan del Sur, Remanso is home to 30 different homes that are all only minutes walk from the ocean.

There is both a private entrance and public entrance to this beach. The public road is located just before getting to the private gated entrance. This public road receives less maintenance so you will need to drive slow and in 4 low. Remanso is a great beach for beginning surfers. The waves here are docile and slow breaking and there are usually less than 3 surfers in the water.

The beaches in the San Juan del Sur area are by far the most popular in all of Nicaragua. Blessed with natural beauty and an abundance of coves and half-moon bays its no wonder that San Juan del Sur and its surrounding beaches are the fastest growing tourist attractions in the country.

San Juan del Sur was founded in the 1800’s when Nicaragua was still part of the Central American Republic, a region that stretched from Costa Rica to Belize. The importance of San Juan del Sur was paralleled by its twin port in the north called San Juan del Norte. Both ports were extremely important for commerce. San Juan del Norte (meaning north) was a Spanish beacon allowing commerce to communicate with the Atlantic via Lake Nicaragua and Rio San Juan. San Juan del Sur was strategically important because of its proximity from Lake Nicaragua. Located only 1 kms from Lake Nicaragua this port town was situated on the largest bay in all of Nicaragua. Spanning well over 3kms the bay was a natural aquatic beachhead allowing businesses to thrive.

With the gold rush boom of the 1840’s San Juan del Sur grew in importance as goods, gold and people moved to and from the town. In the last decades of the 1800’s San Juan del Sur’s main industries moved into new markets like fishing, agriculture and beef. This time period lasted for over 100 hundred years. Today these commercial activities remain strong and you can still see cows, crops and fishing boats everywhere you go. Only recently has tourism surpassed these industries as the most important source of income for the towns people.

With the growth of tourism the town has awoken to a more vibrant and welcoming spirit. This can be felt all along the streets and in the restaurants and bars along the beach. The food in the town of San Juan is known as the best Nicaragua has to offer and the bars are known for their lively and festive vibe.

Tourist friendly activities have bloomed throughout the city. Today everything from snorkeling, scuba-diving, sport fishing, surfing, motorbikes and even a forest canopy tour can be found in the town of San Juan del Sur.

Other than being known as a tourist friendly town with wonderful cuisine and great people, San Juan del Sur is also know for its great beaches.

Beaches North of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Majagual Beach

Going farthest north along the Chocalata (Chocolate) road you will find Bahia Majagual. This beach is completely accessible all year round. It takes probably about 25 minutes in car and its highly recommended that a 4 x 4 be used to get here. The access is to the beach is a little tricky because the entrance is hidden between a wall and a path of trees.

Majagual is a great beach for an afternoon swim. Since the beach faces west the sunsets are spectacular. You will be amazed as the soft hues of pink, green and blue fill your sight while the sun slides into an ocean surrounded by lush green rock outcroppings.

Majagual was once home of an Australian owned budget hotel that catered to mainly foreign back-packers. Many guidebooks will mention the hotels restaurant and it is important to note that this place no longer exists. If you’re coming to Majagual make sure to bring a cooler and a good array of picnic snacks.

Los Playones Beach

Playa Playones is located just south of Majagual. Driving to this beach is roughly the same distance since both their public access points are next to each other. The beach at Playones is not as gently sloping as Majagual so the surf is a little rougher. There are several reefs surrounding the outer parts of this beach so it is not uncommon to find people snorkeling or using harpoons to catch fresh fish. This beach has a magnificent landscape on its north side that naturally creates a wonderful shade on the beach in the afternoons.

Playones is home to Balcones de Majagual www.balconesdemajagual.com, the eco-sustainable home project being built by the creators of Morgans Rock www.morgansrock.com. There is both a private and public access to this beach. The private access is through Balcones de Majagual and leads to a small food and beverage palapa called Pitaya Baya that serves cold beer and fresh sandwiches. There you will find a couple of hammocks and nice size picnic table where you can linger for hours all under the shade of dried palm leaves.

Maderas beach

Maderas is probably the most popular beach in the San Juan del Sur area. It’s located about 20 minutes away and is accessible only by 4 x 4. This beach is a surfer’s paradise, hosting one of the most consistent surf breaks in the country. There is small surf shack right on the beach that serves decent meals and cold beers all day long. There is also some very rustic lodging available for pennies on the dollar. This beach attracts everyone from pro-surfers to beginners to people just looking for a place to relax.

For surfing, the beach is almost always crowded in the afternoon. If your dreaming of owning your own wave at Maderas than your going to have to wake up before the sunrise. People from all over the world visit Maderas making it a great place to meet well traveled people.

All three beaches Maderas, Playones, and Majagual are connected and can be accessed by foot.

Playa Marsella

Marsella is only 10 minutes from San Juan del Sur. During the dry season it can be accessed without a 4 X 4 vehicle. This beach is probably one of the most private beaches in the area. It is only about a km long making it one of the smallest coasts in San Juan del Sur. Marsella is characterized for a large rock formation that is located on its south end. Offering a gentle slope towards the ocean, Marsella is a safe and attractive spot for swimming.

Marsella is home to Bosques del Mar residential project. This development features modestly priced homes made of a combination of stone, brick and local hardwoods. Bosques has a private access point to Marsella through 1 ½ acres of beachfront land reserved for the project. On this land owner’s enjoy a common area with its own bathrooms, two social areas and barbeque pits.

… to be continue.