Digital Nomad in San Juan del Sur: A Complete Guide

This is definitely the type of place people get ‘stuck in’ – where they plan to only stay a short time, but end up staying much longer. Or we met many people who had left and come back.

Read on for my ultimate guide to working remote in San Juan del Sur.

Check out my guide for the easiest way to get to San Juan del Sur.

The Ultimate Digital Nomad Guide to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Things to Do In San Juan del Sur

Catch a Sunset

I added this to the top of the list because honestly Nicaraguan sunsets are on another level. Every day. Unbelievably orange sunsets. And they look great from everywhere, whether you hike up to Jesus (keep reading) or look out of your window.

Hike to Cristo de La Misericordia

Aka the Jesus statue. This is the best view in the house. The hike is about 15 minutes straight up hill, but the view from the top is well worth it. It costs $2 at the top to enter.

Beach Day

This is pretty much the main thing to do during the day in San Juan (besides working, or course). The beach in SJDS is pretty lame and no one goes to it, so staying in a hostel comes in handy as most of them run shuttles to the better beaches. You can even surf!

The good beaches are around a 15+ minute drive out of town, so its not really walkable. There are also many taxis that wait around (go to the corner by the building with the big map painted on the side) if you can’t get on the shuttles.

And if you get hungry out there, don’t worry. There are little beach bars so you can grab food, a Victoria, or juice. Read the next section for more details about the beaches.

Learn to Surf

There are several beaches (Remanso, Maderas, and Hermosa) that are great for surfers! And if you want to learn, the hostels can provide lessons, or there are people at the beaches ready to teach.

But be warned: in late January, February, and March, the water is super cold. We learned this the hard way when we were here in February. I tried to surf a couple times but couldn’t last more than 30 minutes because I was shivering and my hands and feet were numb.

Remanso

Remanso is the best beach for beginners. The waves here are smaller and more gentle. There is a nice beach bar here as well to grab a juice or beer. It is located about 30-40 minutes south of San Juan, depending on traffic.

Maderas

Maderas beach has the most consistent waves, and they can get pretty big. If you are a beginner, it might be best to practice in the white water. There are two big beach bars, serving food and drinks all day, as well as access to beach chairs and umbrellas.

If you don’t know how to surf, fear not, there are several surf shops offering lessons once you get there.

This beach is about 15 minutes north of San Juan, and is the closest to Selina.

Hermosa

Hermosa is a private beach, but if you stay in a hostel, you can get access to the beach with their shuttle service. You may recognize it from Survivor, and as the name suggests, is quite beautiful. It is great for all levels of surfers.

Open Mic Night

Every Wednesday at the Cervezeria is open mic night and everyone is there. Most of the acts are actually pretty good. If you’re a singer, make sure to get there early enough to sign up!

Sunset Fest

On Saturdays, the hostels set up tents, games, food and drinks, at one of the beaches starting around 3pm and goes until after sunset. It’s a great way to meet people and you can even win prizes (like tickets to Sunday Funday).

Sunday Funday

Full disclosure – we never actually went to Sunday Funday… I think I’m past the rage-all-day stage of my life, but from what I hear, it gets wild. At its core, it’s a pool hop. It costs $25, which includes a shuttle between the 3-4 different bars hosting. Ladies even drink free for part of it!

Weekend Trip to Ometepe

Ometepe is… an adventure. It’s an island in the expansive Lake Nicaragua, known for its twin volcanos.

You can easily get to it from San Juan del Sur by taxing a 45 minute taxi to the ferry terminal in Rivas (around $30), and then taking the hour ferry to Moyogalpa. Once on the island, there are plenty of taxis waiting to take you to your final destination.

On Ometepe, you can go on hikes (to San Ramón Waterfall or up the volcano), swim in the natural pools of Ojo de Agua, rent motorbikes and explore the island, kayak through mangroves, eat delicious vegan chocolate at El Pital, and more!

Read more: A Weekend On Ometepe: What to See and Do

What to Eat in San Juan del Sur

Traditional dishes like vigorón (bottom left), a chicharron, yucca, and cabbage salad, served in banana leaves; and nacatalmal (bottom right), corn flour filled with pork, mashed potatoes, and veggies, tied in a banana leaf then boiled, seem to only be sold by vendors on the street, not in restaurants.

I highly recommend you try! Both are usually made with meat, but you can get vigorón sin carne (without meat) if you ask!

In San Juan del Sur there are a lot of restaurants, but most of them serve the same, overpriced items. The spots along the beach serve seafood, and are $15-20 per entree. Staying here for the long-term means you’ll probably get sick of the restaurant selection after a while.

For cooking at home, convenience stores sell basics like eggs, there is one larger supermarket on the south side of town, and there’s a farmers market in the center of town where you can get fruits and veggies.

Here are a few of our favorite restaurants:

La Lancha

The only beach spot that is decently priced. They mostly serve seafood, along with everyone else along the beach, but their camarones a la plancha (grilled shrimp) are the best!

Simon Says

If you want really good breakfast or lunch, and a lot of it, Simon Says can’t be beat. Plus they have Vegetarian and Vegan options! Sadly they aren’t open for dinner. (Top picture)

Social

Social is one of the few places that doesn’t serve the exact same thing as everyone else, so it’s pretty busy. Our food took forever to arrive, but the vibes were cool, and everyone from our hostel seemed to show up there. They have pool tables and a swimming pool.

Where to Stay in San Juan del Sur

San Juan del Sur has one of the best backpacker communities I’ve ever experienced. We normally always stay in Airbnb’s so we can have a better working environment and more space, but we took a chance and stayed in a hostel.

The people we met were amazing – the internet was a nightmare. Check out my detailed account of the WiFi and coworking situation.

There are many hostels to choose from, as well as a surprising amount of Airbnb’s considering it is such a small town, and of course there are hotels. During our 3 weeks in San Juan, we stayed at two different hostels and an apartment.

Discover the Best Places to Stay in San Juan del Sur.

Where to Work in San Juan del Sur

WiFi

It seems in general, it’s pretty hit or miss across town. Some places have amazing internet, while some have barely usable internet.

The first two weeks we were here, our internet was amazing and had no problems working at home. The week after, we decided to stay in a hostel to make some friends… which is where our WiFi luck ran out.

The hostel had a dismal internet connection, unless you were in the common area (which wasn’t really geared towards working). We then realized that the rest of the town had pretty unreliable internet as well.

Even cafes with ‘coworking spaces’ were unusable at times. So keep that in mind as you continue reading this list; your best bet for a reliable work set up might be staying in a hotel. Or read my detailed account of the best coworking spaces in San Juan del Sur.

Best Places to Work

The Art Warehouse

La Tostaderia

Ding Repair

Simon Says

Henry’s Iguana Bar

Selina Maderas

Read more: 6 Places to Work From in San Juan del Sur (2022)

Best Time to Visit San Juan del Sur

Nicaragua is in the Tropical Climate, meaning there is very little variation between the seasons. The temperature stays between 70˚F-90˚F for the most part. The most distinctive change in the seasons is ‘wet’ and ‘dry’.

Rainy Season

The rainy season begins in late May, and lasts through October. The rain not only brings the best surf, but the country really comes to life as plants flourish during this time, giving it more of a jungle-feel like in Costa Rica.

Dry Season

November through April mark the dry season. The surf is good for beginner to intermediate athletes who prefer tamer waves. Despite the dry landscape, its almost guaranteed to be a clear skies everyday. Although watch out for high winds.

Hot Spring

March, April and May are the hottest months of the year, after the sun makes its way north across the equator for the Spring Equinox. During these months it will get up to 90˚F. Luckily you have the ocean breeze providing some relief.

Ocean Winter

I don’t really know what to call this season so if you have a better name, let me know. Between mid January and mid March, the warm water gets ‘sucked’ out of the bays, and you’re left with freezing ocean water. Of course this was when we were visiting.

It was so cold that I had to cut my surf lessons short each day because my hands and feet were numb. Normally the water is super warm like a bath, but during this short period of time, its almost unbearable. And of course no one has wet suits.

Costs to Digital Nomad in San Juan del Sur

The short answer to this question: more than you would think.

Although Nicaragua is a ‘third world country’ it’s not exactly cheap. Getting to Nicaragua is quite a feat and can really add up between flights, shuttles, taxis across borders, etc.

Lodging varies depending on if you are looking for an apartment, or would rather stay in a hostel. But either way you can expect to spend $1000-1500 a month. Hostels would be slightly cheaper.

Restaurants are weirdly expensive in San Juan del Sur, some may even charge you $20 for an entre.

The local currency is called “córdoba,” named after a Spanish conquerer. The exchange is roughly $1 USD = 35 córdoba. Although Nicaragua has its own currency, USD is widely accepted as well. Even street merchants will take USD (and they’ll take coins which is surprising).

But make sure you only have crisp dollar bills. If there is a rip or mark on the bill, the Nicaraguan people have a hard time exchanging it and therefore wont take it.

One key thing to note about money in Nicaragua: the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned Nicaragua (something to do with sham elections and their dictator).

This basically means your debit card wont work and you cant use ATM’s. Credit cards still work, and you can still pick up money from the bank.

It’s not the end of the world by any means, but it is a hassle, and something we didn’t realize until we were actually in Nicaragua with no cash, wondering why none of the ATM’s seemed to work.

Don’t make our same mistake; get your money from an ATM before you enter Nicaragua!

Is it Safe in San Juan del Sur?

San Juan del Sur felt super safe to me. It’s a very popular backpacking destination, and very popular with solo-female travelers. I would get catcalled occasionally if I walked around alone, but nothing too forward and nothing that made me feel unsafe. It was mostly annoying.

As with everywhere in the world, be mindful of your bags and pockets so you don’t make yourself a target for theft. The only ‘bad’ story I ever heard was from someone who was drunk on Sunday Funday and had their phone and wallet stolen.

At night, its smart to walk in well-lit areas, and avoid walking alone.

What to Pack for San Juan del Sur

San Juan del Sur is a laidback surfer town, so no one really cares what you wear. Girls wear bikinis around, and shoes are optional. If Nicaragua is the only place on your itinerary, plan for hot days (shorts, tank tops, swimming suits), but chilly-ish nights (light sweater, sweatshirt, or pants).

I may be a little dramatic about the ‘cool nights,’ but after living in the tropics for over a year, I’m not used to anything below 80F!

If you plan to do any volcano stuff, you’ll definitely want tennis shoes or hiking boots as well.

Ladies: if you plan to spend an extended amount of time in Nicaragua, bring your own tampons or other personal care products. They are hard to come by, and if you can find them, you’ll be paying a premium.

Also, the farmacia’s don’t sell regular bandaids, so make sure to bring your own. You might think you don’t need them, but thats what I thought too.

For some reason we kept getting injured in Nicaragua and the few Band-Aids I had brought really came in handy. The only problem was we needed more, and couldn’t find any. Not on Ometepe where Jack fell off a scooter, and not in San Juan where I tripped and fell in the street.

What NOT to Pack

Drones are generally prohibited in Nicaragua, so it’s best to leave that little guy at home. We did meet someone who didn’t realize they were banned and ended up paying off the people working at customs, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that.

Fitness in San Juan del Sur

If you’re here more than a few days, you may want to get into a routine of working out to stay healthy and strong. Surfing is a great way to stay fit. However, there are a few gyms as well.

Fight Club

Gymsito

Zen Yoga

Any more questions about being a Digital Nomad in San Juan del Sur? Drop your Q’s in the comments below!

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