San Juan Del Sur is not only for relaxing at the beach and enjoying some great food and drinks. The town also has a wide variety of places to explore and get your blood pumping! From surf lessons to the largest skateboard park and rock-climbing wall in Nicaragua, adventure seekers need not be worried about getting bored in San Juan Del Sur! Although not all are located directly in the center of town, here are some places to check out if you are feeling adventurous.
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San Juan Surf
Located on the main street in town just across from the beach, San Juan Surf is your one-stop shop for enjoying all that San Juan Del Sur has to offer. Visit the store and get yourself set up with surfboard rentals, surf lessons, boat tours, cultural tours of the area, vacation rentals and more! These guys know all about the best surf breaks & day trips around San Juan.
Bring home a “Nica Please” souvenir!
If you are feeling less adventurous, you can always just pop in to scope out their apparel section and grab yourself one of their “Nica Please” shirts or hats, a popular saying amongst the town locals. In addition to their tours and rentals, their real estate office is connected to the shop; if you find yourself falling in love with the area and want to stay longer, these guys can help find you your next home!
Las Maderas Beach
Quickly becoming a very popular beach for locals and tourists, Las Maderas beach is located just outside the center of town, about a 25-minute drive. This is the perfect place to grab a surf lesson or perfect your skill and practice your pop-up, depending on the wave conditions. The best way, and cheapest, to get to the surf spot is to grab one of the daily shuttles from Casa Oro in town. You can get round trip transport for 5 USD and they drop-off and pick-up right at the surf break.
Visit Maderas Surf School for surf lessons and rental of equipment!
Once you make your way down there, head to the Maderas Surf School, where you can rent a board or take a lesson with one of their surf instructors. After you enjoy a nice surf session (typically for 1.5hour), head to Tacos Locos beachfront restaurant and enjoy a plate of their delicious tacos accompanied with one of their cold smoothies or adult beverages.
Surf Ranch Hotel & Resort
Just off the beaten path outside of San Juan Del Sur town’s center is this adventure oasis, Surf Ranch Hotel & Resort. Open to the public daily, the resort offers a variety of activities suited for everyone. They have the largest skateboard park in Nicaragua and the best part: it is FREE to skate! The skate park has areas for all levels and skateboard rentals are available. The hotel also has the only air pad drop in Nicaragua for visitors to use. Get your blood pumping and jump off either the 12 foot drop or the 20 foot drop into the blown up air pad below, feel the rush!
Rock-climbing in Nicaragua
Another first in Nicaragua is the hotel’s rock-climbing wall. With three different sections of varying difficulty levels, the wall is a great place to test your strength and get your adrenaline going. Cool off in their lagoon style pool with swim-up bar between your activities. When you are ready to get back to town, use their free shuttle that does daily pick-ups & drop-offs by Barrio Café in the center of San Juan Del Sur.
San Juan Del Sur - Small town, endless fun!
San Juan Del Sur has a lot to offer despite being a fairly small town. The surrounding areas are perfect for exploring on ATV or horseback. Or if you prefer, do consider hiring a taxi for the day and have a local guide show you around. Whatever your choice of activity is during your vacation, you will find something in San Juan Del Sur to make all types of travelers happy.
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