Top 13 Things to do in the Northern Marina Puesta del Sol Area

The following is taken from Kristin Wilson's writeup on www.c21nicabeachfront.com Kristin is the General Manager of the Century 21 office in Marina Puesta del Sol.

1. Surf – San Juan del Sur may be known for some of the best surfing in Nicaragua (and all of Central America, for that matter), but that’s only because the North is still on the brink of surfing discovery. From perfect beachbreak barrels to endless point breaks, the Northern Marina area offers something for everyone, all within a short distance. Hit one of the more popular spots or name a secret spot of your own.

2. Sail – They don’t call it the Marina Area for nothin’! Ideal conditions in both the rainy and dry seasons are created by bands of high and low pressure moving seasonally either north or south and meeting together at all times of year in the South Pacific. The rainy season sees traditionally clear blue skies in the morning, a few puffy clouds at midday, and evening showers. Even in the driest months, the marina basin is characterized by consistent, but not overwhelming, off-shore breezes, making for great sailing.

3. Fish – There’s also good reasons that the national rum company, Flor de Caña, holds its annual Fishing Tournament at the Marina Area! A few of them are: rooster fish, red snapper, blue and striped Marlin, sailfish, yellowfin, wahoo and dorado. Need we say more? Inshore or offshore, there are fish here. Make sure you have a local cook up your prize catch or prepare it “ceviche-style”.

4. Jet Ski/Kayak the Estuaries – Day or night by full moon, exploring the mangrove-lined maze of estuaries of the marina is truly a must-do experience.

5. Mountain & Road Bike – With endless kilometers of pristine beaches, ocean view outposts and open roads, Aserradores is a mountain biker’s playground. Choose your own combination of off-road or paved riding on a newly-asphalted highway with light traffic.

6. World Class Hunting (Deer, Dove, Duck, Bobwhite) – From the ground or your own private helicopter, the hunting in the north is more than abundant.

7. Hike the Volcanoes – Cerro Negro and the majestic San Cristobal both sit short day trips from the marina area. San Cristobal is Nicaragua’s largest volcano, located in the quaint town of El Viejo. Cerro Negro, often described as Nicaragua’s most unique volcano for its short, steep climb and lack of vegetation, offers outstanding 360-degree views from its 400 meter peak.

8. Bask in the Hot Springs – The most popular hot springs are located within the area of the Cosigüina Volcano, which heat local pools and also offer proximity to bird and animal watch in local wetlands. After a dip in the hot springs, don’t miss the pristine Mechapa beaches and their high seaside cliffs!

9. Horseback Riding – Probably one of the best ways to truly explore all that Aserradores and the surrounding areas have to offer is on horseback, the mode of transportation of choice of most locals! For the more adventurous and experienced, there are multiple trails and open beaches to ride, or guides to lead beginning riders of all ages.

10. Bird Watching – The great diversity in the northern Nicaraguan landscape provides a habitat for the same diversity of birds. From the Great Egrets and Blue Herons of the estuaries to the Woodpecker, Warblers, Hawks, Kingbirds and Swallos of the mountains and hillsides, experienced birdwatchers will not be disappointed with viewing their standard favorites and exotic local native species.

11. Visit Flor de Caña Factory & Historic Leon – Flor de Caña is best known as one of the best rums in all of Latin America, having been awarded more than 72 medals worldwide in the past 5 years. The plantation distillery, located near the historic, Spanish colonial city of Leon, founded in the 1500s (a bustling town and “must-see” attraction), was first construction in 1890 but completely modernized in 1996. Don’t miss taste testing their “perfect” 12-year Centenario and other variety of rums!

12. Splurge on Lobster – It’s not really a splurge when it’s so readily available, but you can’t leave our fishing village of Aserradores, known for its seafood without experiencing the locals doing what they do best.

13. Whale watching – Keep an eye out for new tour operators popping up to take advantage of the many opportunities to view dolphins and whales along the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua. Whale spouts can especially can be seen in the north, a common route for migrating Humpbacks headed toward the Golfo de Fonseca, bay which joins Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. Biologists from international research teams are currently identifying the Marina Area as an important region for whale study.

Top 10 Things to do in San Juan del Sur

10. Take a water taxi to Playa Maderas and Bahia Majagual. You can catch the water taxi along the beach front road outside of Bar y Restaurant Buen Gusto. The taxi typically drops you off at Bahia Majagual. From there, it is a short walk around the bluff to Playa Maderas which is one of the most popular surfing beaches in the area.

9. Take a canopy tour. Da Flying Frog canopy tour is the longest canopy tour in Nicaragua. In addition to the adventure of gliding down the canopies you can also enjoy some excellent views of San Juan del Sur Bay.

8. Take a hike to the cross. For the best views of the town, take the short hike up the to the cross on the north side of the bay. Beware, the trails are a little steep, but the view is well worth the effort. The exercise is not bad either.

7. Check out the Mercado in San Juan del Sur or Rivas. I admit, the San Juan del Sur Mercado is not the biggest or best one around, but it is still worth a look. The little food stands have some of the best food in town for practically nothing. I strongly recommend the Jalapeño chicken. The breakfasts are not bad either. For a bigger shopping selection visit the Mercado in nearby Rivas.

6. Enjoy a nice dinner at El Colibri or one of San Juan’s other nice restaurants. El Colibri is renown around town for its delicious food, pleasant atmosphere and excellent sangria.

5. Visit La Isla de Ometepe. From San Juan del Sur you can catch a taxi to San Jorge. From there it is a 1 hour ferry to Ometepe. The ferry will bring you into Moyogalpa. From there there are buses and taxis to shuttle you around. Popular activities on the island include hiking two of Nicaragua’s most scenic volcanoes, visiting waterfalls, horseback riding and mountain biking.

4. Enjoy a sunset in one of San Juan del Sur’s many beachfront restaurants. San Juan del Sur has some of the world’s best sunsets, and there is no more relaxing way to enjoy it than with an ice cold cocktail or a lobster dinner on the beach.

3. Go on a deep sea fishing adventure and try your luck with the Sailfish, Roosterfish, Dorado, Snapper…

2. For those English only speakers, there are plenty of Spanish schools riddled around town. What better way to learn a new language than in a beautiful little town like San Juan del Sur in a friendly, personal family environment.

1. Visit the La Flor Wildlife Reserve. This can be found south of San Juan del Sur, and is the single most important breeding site for Olive Ridley turtles in Nicaragua. One of the two Pacific turtle nesting beaches in Nicaragua, the reserve is managed by Fundacion Cocibolca, an NGO that is attempting to involve the local community in decision-making processes. There is a small fee to enter, plenty of beach on which to camp, park guards to protect the eggs, and adequate transportation from San Juan del Sur.

Simplified Wealth; by Barry Oliver

Growing up in Southern California, some private education, Master's Degree, Deloitte & Touche, etc......whether I wanted to admit it or not I was a Yuppie and my Dad told me so....condo, beamer, trendy gym, vegas trips, 6 figure salary, happy hour on Thursday, always broke and in debt.....but what did we talk about at all of those 'gatherings'? Cars, money and career...nothing more...how shallow? how boring!!!!

When I told my father, who grew up on cotton farm and chicken ranch in Louisiana, I was moving to Central America he almost burst out laughing and figured I would not last more than 6 months. I truly wanted a different life style...simple and wealthy.

Within a month I had sold my condo and beamer and had 2 garage sales and was on a plane to Central America. Everything I owned fit in the Isuzu Trooper I bought. All my clothes, 2 surfboards, mountain bike, boom box, cd's and a toaster. I rented a small house near the beach. My bathroom shelf inventory...razor, deodorant, toothbrush, tooth paste. Shower inventory...soap. This served as my shampoo and conditioner as well.

My Costa Rican wife and I built our own house, mostly just the two of us....while she was pregnant right up until the day before our daughter was born and then again two days after she was born. I kept asking her why we were doing all this work when we can just pay someone else less than a dollar an hour...she kept saying, "It's good for the soul." Sure enough when we were done and I looked at the whole thing I just got that feeling, "Wow we did that." Again, it was simple. Just 700 square feet but it was all we needed. Then we added 2 rooms and 500 square feet and now have one room that is completely empty.

We have no cabinets in the kitchen as all the plates and glasses fit in drying rack. So it's easy....take out of the drying rack, eat, wash and put back in the drying rack. The toaster is a frying pan....

The simple part was easy to figure out....just get rid of everything. The wealthy part, well that has its own meaning to be determined by each user.

I quickly learned what I call the 90/10 rule. In southern California while parked at a stop light to turn left I noticed all the fancy cars turning in front of me and that only 10% of the drivers were smiling. In Nicaragua without all the great wealth that number jumps to 90%. My conversations with my new friends never entailed homes, cars or money but family, friends and interesting stories that made me laugh.

I quickly figured out what wealth meant to me.

Wealth is not determined by how much money I make in a year.

Wealth is determined by how much time in a year I spend with my child, wife and friends. How many puzzles I complete with my wife in a year, how many chess games we play, how much vacation time we have, how many walks on the beach not seeing another person, how many candle light dinners (sometimes mandatory with the power outages). How much time do I spend mountain biking through mist covered mountains through tunnels of trees littered with monkeys. How many family bike rides with Angela sitting right on the cross bars, how many family hikes looking for monkey's and butterflies. How many days spent playing on your own desolate beach, how many days surfing perfect waves with just your friends, how many waves boogie boarding with your daughter in warm water, how much time river shrimping with your whole family, how many days taking your daughter to work every afternoon and on important client meetings. How much time spent listening to music. Reading a book on average every week, playing tennis on your friends clay court, raising 75 head of cattle with your wife's family, raising your own chickens and pigs with your daughter, moonlight crabbing, early morning turtle patrol, building your own house, cutting your own wood for the bathroom countertop and posts,......

Traveling...in one year going to Dubai, Amsterdam, London, Calgary, Miami, Atlanta, Panama, San Diego, Houston, Costa Rica, Italy (twice)

Bottom line......How much time do you spend with a big fat smile on your face? If it is 90% or more then that is being wealthy!!!

My Favorite San Juan del Sur Hotels

There is an abundance of hotels in San Juan del Sur from the upscale expensive to the cheap and downright dirty. My favorites have to be the following:

La Posada Azul - This is a beautiful colonial style building just off the beach in the center of town. The rooms are nice and very comfortable, the staff is friendly and courteous, and it is just the most convenient place in town in terms of location. You are a very short walk to the beach, a block from the mercado, and on the one of the main business streets in town with plenty of shops, restaurants, stores, etc...

Park Avenue Villas - I stayed here on a long term trip and although the location is not as convenient as La Posada Azul, the rooms are very nice. They are actually all 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom apartment style suites with all the comforts of home. The location is a few blocks north of the main thoroughfare through town about a block and a half off the beach and is perched on a hill with a patio that may boast some of the best views of what I think is the best sunset in the world.

Piedras y Olas/Pelican Eyes - This upscale establishment is located on the hill east of town and offers rooms, small houses and large villas. All include queen size beds (or larger), satellite television, wireless internet service, air conditioning, and an in-room hospitality center featuring microwave, refrigerator, and purified water. The restaurant and bar, La Cascadas, is nice as well, but it is a little bit of a journey to town and everything on the hill is a little more expensive than down below.

Landmark Inn - I stayed here for a while and personally liked it. I have talked to others who had complaints about the noise, so if you are looking for peace and quiet you should probably look elsewhere. The location can't be beat though. It is actually next door to the Century 21 office across the street from the beach just north of the main road into town.

There is an abundance of low cost hostels in town where you can stay for cheap, but won't get much more than a cement floor and an uncomfortable bed. If you are in search of a hostel you can get dropped off near the market and a quick walk around will allow you a variety of choices.

Please note, these are my personal opinions only and they have no relation to Century 21 Gold Coast Realty.

Enjoy your stay in beautiful San Juan del Sur

Chris

Restaurants in San Juan del Sur

I did not find that the food overall in San Juan del Sur or Nicaragua in general was anything to write home about, but there were a few places in San Juan del Sur that really stuck out to me.

My absolute favorite place to eat in town was El Colibri. Everytime I ate there, which was at least once per week, it was a treat. Among my favorites on the menu were the hummus appetizer, the Filet Mignon and of course the Sangria. This was the only place in town where I could find a good steak within my budget.

Another top notch option, although more expensive, is La Cascada at Pelican Eyes. I personally did not do dinner there ever, but I can tell you that the breakfast was delicious. My favorites were the corned beef hash and the eggs benedict. Another bonus with Pelican Eyes is that they have wireless internet, so if you are from out of town and don't feel like hanging out in the internet cafe, you can pack your laptop and check your emails and catch up with what's going on in the rest of the world. They also have a generator, so when the power goes out in the rest of town, they are still operational.


Jerry's Pizza is a good option for those on a budget. You can get a good meal for the equivalent of a few dollars. The specialties include rotisserie chicken, pizza and lasagne. It is also a great spot to sit in town with a Tona and people watch.

A couple of popular places for pizza and Italian include Pizzeria O Sole Mio, and Pizzeria San Juan. Both are very good. The Sole Mio was closed during most of my time in San Juan del Sur and just opened right before I moved on, but I ate there once and it was excellent. The Pizzeria San Juan was very good and very popular.

I typically judge the group of beach front palapa style restaurants as a whole. I found that none was particularly good. They seem to bring in customers based on their location and you cannot go wrong with the sunsets. San Juan del Sur just may have the world's best sunsets, but the food was left something to be desired in my personal opinion. I would recommend the strawberry daquaris at the Bar y Restaurant Buen Gusto. It is on the beach front a few lots south of the main road into town.

Big Wave Dave's is a popular place for tourists. I particularly enjoyed that he had the NFL packages during football season and if I was able to get in early I could get him to play the Chargers game. Breakfast is good and he has a good selection of items on the menu including chili, soups, burgers, meatloaf and lots of other things you won't find in most of the other establishments in town.

If you are looking for some good food on a cheap budget I strongly recommend trying the little restaurants in the town mercado. For about one to two dollars you can get a variety of locally prepared chicken with gallo pinto. While there you can pick up anything from fruit and veggies to shoes to gifts for friends from home.

I hope you find this helpful. Feel free to add comments if you have any recommendations of your own.

Chris