natural wonder
Ometepe Island
A figure-eight island formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua, with petroglyphs, wildlife, and a lost-world atmosphere.
42 km · about 50 min drive
Rivas Department, Nicaragua · North America
San Juan del Sur sits on the route: 25 minutes from Rivas, 42km from Ometepe Island.
San Juan del Sur is a town located in Rivas Department, Nicaragua. With a population of 7,790, it is an important destination in North America.
On a road trip, San Juan del Sur sits in Nicaragua. It's in the America/Managua time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add San Juan del Sur to your route.
San Juan del Sur is a municipality and coastal town on the Pacific Ocean, in the Rivas department in southwest Nicaragua. It is located 140 kilometres (87 mi) south of Managua. San Juan del Sur is popular among surfers and is a vacation spot for many Nicaraguan families and foreign tourists.
Its population isRead more
approximately 15,553, consisting largely of families engaged in fishing, tourism or food and beverage industry and foreigners from the United States, Canada and Europe. While the local economy was, for many years, based on fishing and shipping, it has shifted towards tourism in the last 20 years. In October 2002, to mark the city's 150th anniversary, it was formally designated the "Port of San Juan del Sur" and a "Tourism City of Nicaragua."
San Juan del Sur, set beside a crescent-shaped bay, was a popular resting place for gold prospectors headed to California in the 1850s. Correspondingly, San Juan del Sur served as a hub for Cornelius Vanderbilt Lines.
A statue of the Christ of the Mercy sits above town on the northern end of the bay. The Mirador del Cristo de la Misericordia sits on one of the highest points on the bay and is one of the tallest Jesus statues in the world.
The town is near the site where Survivor: Nicaragua and Survivor: Redemption Island were filmed. Those seasons aired in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The 29th U.S. Survivor season, Survivor: San Juan del Sur (2014), was also filmed there, as was Season 30, Survivor: Worlds Apart, which aired in 2015. San Juan del Sur has become a hot spot for international surfing competition.
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San Juan del Sur offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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San Juan del Sur is located in Rivas Department, Nicaragua, North America. The coordinates are 11.2529 latitude, -85.8705 longitude.
San Juan del Sur has a population of approximately 7,790 people, making it a town in Nicaragua.
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1 notable place within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
A figure-eight island formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua, with petroglyphs, wildlife, and a lost-world atmosphere.
42 km · about 50 min drive
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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