Author: Mel

Living aboard a sailboat, blogging about the places we visit and the adventures we have. Love hiking, cycling, scuba, animals and adventure.

A Day At the Beach Playa Hermosa, San Juan del Sur

The first actividad (activity) offered at school was an afternoon trip to the beach! The town beach is San Juan del Sur is not much, so people take shuttles or private cars to beaches outside of town. We spent a day at the beach Playa Hermosa, which is owned privately by an eco-lodge and allows visitors for a fee of $10 US.

The drive was about 15 minutes from school/home, and it is a beautiful beach! The place is so stunning that is was used as the site of a couple seasons of Survivor, for all you reality TV fans out there.

Survivor Nicaragua signs
Survivor signs at the Playa Hermosa bar

If you want to, you can stay in the lodge at Playa Hermosa. It’s remote and far from town, but they do have a bar and restaurant. For me, it’s a good spot for a day at the beach.

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Why Am I Living in San Juan del Sur?

San Juan del Sur is a surf town on the Pacific coast just two hours drive north of Costa Rica. So, why am I here? I am living in San Juan del Sur mainly to study Spanish, but also to experience a few weeks in a beach town and hopefully get some scuba dive training in in my spare time.

About San Juan del Sur

Located on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, in the south near Costa Rica, San Juan del Sur is 87 miles south of Managua. Known for excellent surfing, stunning mountains, and party hostels, San Juan del Sur is a vacation spot for locals and foreigners alike. While the ocean is good for surfing, I can also scuba here, although Corn Island, Nicaragua’s Caribbean claim, is more known for scuba.

Living Space in San Juan del Sur

I am living with a family two doors down from the school, as arranged by the school, which is great. I get to live cheap in a convenient location, 3 meals a day, and I practice my Spanish with the large family in whose house I rent a room. Here’s more about my homestay in San Juan del Sur.

Daily Schedule

My schedule Monday – Friday (today was Day 2 of 3 weeks):

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Don’t trust the bitch at Hotel Europeo

I put my trust in the wrong person and I got fooled yesterday.  I am angry at myself for falling for her scam but you can learn from me. Don’t stay there if you go to Managua, Nicaragua, and definitely don’t trust the bitch at Hotel Europeo.

Angry at Myself

First, don’t worry about me. I am fine and only out $80 so you don’t need to start crowd funding.  I am merely upset with myself for not being smarter plus angry at the hotel and their unethical receptionist.

Transport options

In advance of my arrival in Nicaragua, I did some research on transport from Managua to San Juan del Sur, where my Spanish school is. I emailed both the school and my hotel in Managua enquiries about options. I ultimately went with the school’s taxi as it was a better price and I figured he knows the destination. And I emailed the hotel that I didn’t need their transport.

The hotel receptionist helped me get taxis for my excursions into Managua on Saturday and was generally very nice so this is probably why I thought I could trust her. She asked if I was good for transport to San Juan del Sur and I assured her I was. When she asked when the taxi was picking me up, I told her 1230p tomorrow and that’s when she put her evil plan into operation. Read on and don’t trust the bitch at Hotel Europeo.

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