New video from San Juan Howler Taken by David Kalani Larkins

The following is some new video we just found from the San Juan Howler taken by David Kalani Larkins:



http://vimeo.com/10743217

The Howler Nicaragua - Mountain Bike Race, 2010 from david kalani larkins on Vimeo.

Century 21 Gold Coast Realty held their annual Christmas party on Tuesday December 15 and as always it was a great success. The party was held at Galeria San Juan (next to El Pozo restaurant) which is owned by Century 21 clients, Tom and Janet Quinn. Special Guests were the Mayor, Captain of the Navy, our legal team from Dr. Carcamo’s Office and Nicaraguan surf champ Rex Calderon.

Below are some photos from the party. Enjoy.


Rex Calderon (green shirt), Nicaraguan Surfing Champion...on his way to Australia to surf with Quiksilver


Nelgin and Erika


Nelgin, Barry and Erika


Our new agent Jamie Warner and her boyfriend


The Mayor of San Juan del Sur and the Captain of the Navy


Rex Calderon and his girlfriend


JG, Gaspar, Nelgin and Barry's wife, Sigrid


Marjorie from the Marina office


Erika and Sigrid


Happy Happy, Barry and Boris


Denise and her cousin Gabriela


A picture of the whole crew


Another shot of the whole crew


The night is good

The good life in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua...

My girlfriend and I came here from England well over a year ago now, and have moved into a great new home with a beautiful view looking straight over the Bay of San Juan del Sur. We're also pretty close to the newly built statue of Jesus up on the bluff in Pacific Marlin. I've heard it's 3 foot shorter than the one in Rio which is pretty special, it's going to be a huge land mark! (This is the view from our balcony...)

For all you guys thinking about moving out here or buying somewhere here, now is a great time. Prices have been reduced hugely in line with the rest of the world property markets, but as a result, we are getting a lot of people coming down looking for deal...and finding one! People who may have otherwise gone to Costa Rica or Hawaii are now looking at Nicaragua which is great!

Tourism took a hit at the start of the recession, but has really bounced back because of the low cost of holidays out here so town is bustling and I am almost too busy at the office! Don't worry, I'm still finding the time to do a lot out of work, and take advantage of the main reasons we first moved to Nicaragua!
The waves have been really good recently so we've been trying to make it out to the beaches for a surf as often as possible, even if it's for a short time at one of the close beaches to town, Playa Madera, Remanso or Yankee. Here's a pic of local legend Rex Calderon (Junior Central American champion) now that he's back from the Junior World Championships in Ecuador, flying across a wave.

With town being so busy, the social side of life here has been growing as well, with more and more people starting to fill the old and new bars & restaurants around town.
All this growth in Tourism out here and there is still so little information available to people looking to find out where to stay, or where to go and what to do, so my girlfriend has started to build a tourism directory website called SanJuanSurf.com which will give all this information to visitors and locals. It's designed to help the businesses here and also the tourists so a win win situation for everyone. We're hoping to get it launched in the next week, but it's been a huge project, just building the site, now we have to get all the businesses on board! Check out the really good photography on the site and we'll have a constantly updated gallery of the latest surf pics on there. Have a look and see as it develops and help support us try to help San Juan del Sur. Hopefully you can use it when you planning your next trip out here! I'm also going to put a few of my favorite properties and any hugely discounted places on there as well for you to have a look at.

I've also just finished filming for House Hunters Int. doing a special program on a couple looking to buy a property in Nicaragua which was great fun. Really hard work standing in front of the camera trying to think on your feet all the time about what your going to say next, but I think it went really well, and its going to be more really good publicity for Nicaragua. I wont tell you what house they went for, you're going to have to watch it yourself...i think it will be on HGTV in 3 months or so. My parents also just came over to visit all the way from England, so we had a great time playing tour guide and showing them round Nicaragua, We visited the historic colonial City of Granada, and did a quick day trip over the see the volcanoes of Isla Ometepe! The rest of the time they just relaxed in San Juan and enjoyed a nice beach holiday! They liked it so much that they've actually just put an offer on a place just down the road from our new house, which is exciting...I hope they get it! Sean and Charlie.

The Dining Duo: Welcome to Nicaragua

The following is a cool post from the "Dining Duo", Michael Hadley Epstein Scott E. Schwimer, about their recent experience in Nicaragua with a little help from Century 21's Barry Oliver and Johnny G.

http://thediningduo.blogspot.com/2008/08/welcome-to-nicaragua.html

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.

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

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Next on my list of must see destinations in Nicaragua is San Juan del Sur.

This town of approximately 20,000 residents in located along the southwest Pacific coast of Nicaragua just north of the Costa Rica border. The center piece of the former fishing village is its beautiful horseshoe bay filled with small yachts, sail boats, fishing boats and the occasional cruise ship. The white sand beach makes a half circle around the town and is great for leisurely walks, exercising or a quick dip in the water.

One of the major attractions of San Juan del Sur is the easy access it provides to many of Nicaragua’s finest beaches and surfing destinations. Nearby are such popular beaches as Playa Madera, Remanso, Popoyo, Gigante and many more. There is occasional surf in town near the river mouth on the north side of the bay, but it is rarely anything to write home about. The surf in the region of the country is helped by nearly year round off shore winds as a result of the weather patterns caused by Lake Nicaragua.

I found San Juan del Sur to be the perfect blend of relaxation and civilization. Prior to my time in San Juan del Sur I had spent a month in Playa Negra in Costa Rica, and while the surfing and the scenery in Playa Negra was amazing, I actually missed the idea of being able to walk to a variety of restaurants, bars, stores, etc. San Juan is not too big yet it is not too small. Some of my town favorites included delicious dinners at El Colibri, sitting at almost any of the beachfront palapa bars sipping strawberry daiquiris while watching the sunset or enjoying a football game at Big Wave Dave’s.

San Juan del Sur also has a great variety of places to stay. Your options range from such upscale accommodations as the Piedras y Olas Pelican Eyes, Morgan’s Rock and Park Avenue Villas to budget hostels such as the Costa Azul or Casa Oro. Another nice option is La Posada Azul near the beach in town.

For me, San Juan del Sur offered the perfect location to venture off and visit as much of Nicaragua and Costa Rica as possible. It is a mere half hour to 40 minutes from the Costa Rica border and Costa Rica’s northern peninsulas are visible from parts of town. When I return to Nicaragua I will once again make San Juan del Sur my home base.

New Listings - San Juan del Sur Property

Property L-343 - San Juan del Sur

Only one property available in the hottest commercial area in San Juan del Sur! Located on beach road in the heart of town. Gaze out at the cruise ships in the bay. Business possibilities abound. Great holding property. Motivated sellers! Financing available! Offered at $325,000. To learn more about this great investment and comparable sales in the area, don't hesitate to contact one of our real estate professionals.


Size: 253 square meters

Price: $325,000

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New Listings - San Juan del Sur Property

Property L-380 - San Juan del Sur

One of the largest properties available in San Juan Del Sur; 3000 square meters of buildable terrain with beautiful trees . Ideal for
hotel/condos/commercial/rental properties. Just three blocks from the beach. This area is becoming the next hot spot in San Juan del Sur. Neighboring developments include Brisas del Pacifico, Nicovale and Las Palmas. Financing available!.

Size: 3,000 square meters

Price: $175,000

Financing Available

View all Listings

House Hunters International

Century 21 Videos

Century 21 Gold Coast Realty
Barry Oliver, General Manager of Century 21 Gold Coast Realty in Nicaragua shows a couple from Hawaii several properties in Nicaragua on House Hunters International.

Part 1: 9:59

Part 2: 9:59

Part 3: 1:18

Nicaragua Real Estate Blog

This is where we can post Nicaragua real estate blogs. It is very easy to do. I will get it set up so that you guys can log in and add content and I will also add some design elements.