SAN JUAN DEL SUR - (NICARAGUA)
05 February - 07 February 2017
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05 February - 07 February 2017
Located in a lush valley with a
river running down to the town’s beach, coupled with a long stretch of fine
dark sand set between two cliffs, visually San Juan del Sur is an appealing place.
Having somewhat of a renaissance these days after once being a transport stop
on the trans-isthmian steamboat line during the Californian Gold Rush of the
mid-1800’s, San Juan these days is a draw-card for those types looking for easy
days, sunsets and surf.
Essentially at its heart that’s what it is now, a small surf town comfortably equipped to handle the current spike in interest from gringo travellers on the Central American travel line.
The ride you need to take
Central American buses be like, 'We friends y'all'
Not difficult remembering the bus you're on, 'Yeah, mine is the one with the rainbow and Hawaiian vista painted on the front, have you seen it?
Essentially at its heart that’s what it is now, a small surf town comfortably equipped to handle the current spike in interest from gringo travellers on the Central American travel line.
Arriving mid-afternoon in San
Juan on a Sunday we found a cool little coastal town that would not have been
out of place anywhere in Australia or on the Californian coastline. Surfing
shops and fashion boutiques, bars and seafood restaurants, it had that easy
breezy vibe about it that automatically dialled our ‘chill factor’ back a
couple of notches.
Henry's Bar - San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
View from the back porch of the Naked Tiger Hostel - San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
Naked Tiger Hostel - San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
We took the option of staying at
a hostel out of town, the Naked Tiger.
Set in the lush hilltops of San
Juan del Sur, the Naked Tiger has access to quite a stunning vista with views
out over the beach and surrounding areas. The Mediterranean style villa with
sweeping porches and a gorgeous pool to match lulls you into a sense of false
luxury from the up-tick. That’s the danger of a place like this – it looks and
feels like a place that once could have been the home of a powerful drug lord but now is overrun by dumb sexually depraved 20 somethings that end up turning the
joint into a frat house dive.
The Hispanic villa, which was a pleasure to stay in on its own, has been ruined by dumb arse wall graffiti for
guests whose half-witted drunk arse comments aren’t worth the cost of the ink.
Additionally, the owner of the place, some dumb American trustafarian leads the
charge for the completely pliant and docile stuff who are either hungover for
the majority of the time or too busy trying to look good for their latest
interest.
San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
The rooms themselves are spacious
but feel like a petri dish of marinating teen bacteria whose filth and sexual
juices have combined to push make these areas bio-hazards. When staff tell you
straight up, Oh hang on, we need to
fumigate yours beds first prior to you being able to use them – well, you
need to reconsider your position.
That’s the Naked Tiger, it offers
the possibility of luxury on a beer budget if you’re prepared to live like a
student on Spring Break.
San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
San Juan Del Sur - Nicaragua
San Juan del Sur is not the Naked
Tiger however. A comfortable, breezy town on the Pacific coastline, we found it
to be quite agreeable. Great whether, cocktails on the beach and the salt in
the air, without the overwhelming development that comes with First World
countries, its understandable why this place is having a spike in interest.
Admittedly it’s not just San Juan that’s the draw card, the more pristine
beaches further north are the real catches. With gorgeous deep blue rolling
waves, rugged cliffs and a semi-arid type of environment, it has its own kind
of Wild West on the beach feel about
it.
We enjoyed our time here, it was
nice enough for the few days that we set aside on our schedule, and admittedly,
had we acquired a different type of accommodation we probably would have gotten
into it a lot more.
