San Juan del Sur is a laid-back beach town on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast, known for its stunning coastline and world-class waves. Once a small fishing village, it gained prominence during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s when Cornelius Vanderbilt’s company used it as part of a transit route for prospectors traveling between the U.S. East Coast and California. For years, it remained a quiet town until tourism started booming in the late 20th century, drawing surfers, backpackers, and expatriates.
Today, San Juan del Sur is a hotspot for surfers of all levels. The surrounding beaches, like Playa Maderas and Playa Hermosa, offer consistent, year-round waves, making it a prime destination. The town has a vibrant, youthful energy, filled with hostels, surf camps, beach bars, and cafés. Despite its growth, it still maintains that rustic Nicaraguan charm. We spent an afternoon wandering through the shops in search of a new surfboard for the kids.
jarred the kiwi
On iOverlander, we found a campsite 15 minutes outside of town owned by Kiwi. A beautiful drive into the hills we entered horse country. Beautiful barns, green grass paddocks with happy, healthy cared for horses are grazing. A little beyond on flat land lies Las Alas. Jarred, originally from Te Puke, moved here six years ago with his ex-wife and their two school-age daughters. Jarred was the former owner of a very successful craft brewery in Auckland, NZ, that sadly after 15 years in business, ended in liquidation. Having to restart at 45, he opted for a less stressful, more affordable life at a much slower pace. They each bought their own piece of land nearby, remaining great friends and happy co-parents. Jared has been working hard to develop the property—he’s built a pickleball court, a café, a kids’ treehouse with a climbing wall and zip line. He also runs outdoor camps for kids, creating a social hub for the growing expat community.
Somehow, we ended up staying three nights, catching up on schoolwork, laundry, admin and of course our first game of Pickle Ball! The guys spent the evenings venturing into the jungle to hunt for night crawlers—not my idea of fun, so I stayed safely inside with my feet off the ground. The tarantula hole that Jaxon had found earlier in the day had spun a web over the entrance, not wanting to be disturbed either.
Three days was enough, time to roll on & the beaches of Costa Rica were calling, (though many people warned us about unfriendly locals, an overwhelming number of expats, and steep prices. Best we go see for ourselves..)
leaving nicaragua
The border was just an hour away. We arrived around 11 a.m. and joined the long line of people waiting to exit Nicaragua. With zero shade, we took refuge under our umbrella. As foreigners, we had to pay $1 per person just to enter the ‘departure hall’ and another $12 departure tax. The process was simple but time-consuming—about 1.5 hours.Next, we had to cancel Bruce’s TIP (Temporary Import Permit), but this could only be done after we officially exited—on the Nicaraguan side, of course. Nothing about Central American border crossings is logical. After searching for an official to verify our vehicle’s departure, we finally found her—the same person operating the x-ray machine for conveyor belt luggage. Because, why wouldn’t she be? Haha.
Back around the building, back into Nicaragua for the final stamps—another hour gone. Then, into the truck and down the road to repeat the entire process for Costa Rica.
First, fumigation—this time, Bruce got sprayed with another chemical. Then, we parked and lined up for our Costa Rican visitor visas. The border guards here were cheerful, welcoming, and spoke English—such a contrast! The TIP process took place at a tiny street-side kiosk that looked like an old Western movie jail cell. A quick VIN inspection, more stamps, more papers, and we were off to find the insurance office. For $52 USD, we were legally on the road.
The jungle
Our first stop was a recommended campground just 30 minutes from the border, set along a river many crocodiles call home, in the thick jungle, perfect! It was well set up for travellers with impeccably clean toilets, luxurious cold water showers. An outdoor kitchen and washing machine. We explored one of the walking trails before dinner. Following a marked path, we set off accompanied by the farms two beautiful German Shepard dogs who had taken a liking to the kids, offering to be our guides. Leading the way, through the jungle they must have walked a thousand times. My head is on a swivel at all the incredible plants. Even a cut tree used as a fence post is starting to grow. The bugs are buzzing in the trees, and we have to watch our step as we navigate our way by the Leaf Cutter Ants super highway. It’s not a big climb, but I can feel my legs are tired from lack of use, cresting the hill our view opens to the stunning landscape. It reminded me of growing up in New Zealand—the rolling hills, birdsong, and grazing animals. But not the sloth Jaxon spotted lazily perched in a tree or the few long-horned goats we cautiously kept our distance from. We watched birds return to their trees as the sun set, and moments later, darkness crept in fast, making the hike back to camp tricky. A steep & slippery creek crossing left Charley with one soaked foot and me hoping I wouldn’t slide all the way back down—the rocks were slick. A barbed wire fence divided the trail, adding another obstacle, the trail was thick with mud. By the time we reached the truck, we were drenched from the humidity and happy with our adventure. I took a long, cool shower & slept soundly. What an introduction to Costa Rica!
