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San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

Stay in San Juan del Sur: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of San Juan del Sur

Watch this spot We email you when San Juan Del Sur is worth the trip.

About San Juan Del Sur

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces W (251°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (71°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 56). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 25°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually March, April, May and August, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is San Juan del Sur, 0.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 11 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to LIR, direct.

    See flights ORD → LIR · Skyscanner from about £250 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 30 from the airport to San Juan Del Sur.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in San Juan del SurAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in San Juan del Sur · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in San Juan del Sur · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

San Juan Del Sur on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for beginners, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct05 ft12 ssoft798kJ30°C
Mon 19Oct05 ft11 ssoft505kJ29°C
Tue 20Oct04 ft11 ssoft342kJ29°C
Wed 21Oct04 ft11 ssoft362kJ29°C
Thu 22Oct143 ft10 ssoft190kJ28°C
Fri 23Oct313 ft11 scrumbling247kJ29°C
Sat 24Oct693 ft11 scrumbling160kJ29°C
Sun 25Oct492 ft10 scrumbling90kJ29°C
Mon 26Oct462 ft9 ssoft62kJ30°C
Tue 27Oct462 ft8 ssoft57kJ30°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for beginner surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to LIR, then 2h 30 by road. About 11h 25 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf San Juan Del Sur

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf San Juan Del Sur

    Best 12:00 to 15:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf San Juan Del Sur

    Best 06:00 to 09:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to LIR, then 2h 30 by road. About 11h 25 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near San Juan del Sur each day: playa dos remedios, Playa Maderas, Playa Remanso, San Juan Del Sur.

The trip from San Juan del Sur, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £565–£1,065 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to LIR, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£250–£520
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£45–£70
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£100–£165
Food7 days eating out£95–£175
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£40–£70
Total£565–£1,065

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near San Juan del Sur

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.