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Rivas

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Fertile lands sandwiched between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean.

Population: approx. 167,000 people
Location: southern Pacific side, bordering Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean
Attractions: beaches, surfing, fishing, swimming, sea turtles, nature

The department of Rivas offers many different types of attractions. One of the most popular beach towns of Nicaragua, San Juan del Sur, is located in this department. Furthermore, there are plenty of beautiful, pristine beaches and bays along the Pacific coast. The La Flor Wildlife Reserve can also be found in Rivas, which is the single most important breeding site for Olive Ridley turtles in Nicaragua. In addition to the Pacific Ocean, Lake Nicaragua also offers a multitude of water sport possibilities. Ometepe Island is also located in Rivas, but this destination is covered at a separate section.

San Juan del Sur: beach, beach & more beach

Not long ago San Juan del Sur was a small, quiet fishermen village. The perfectly shaped bay and beautiful neighboring beaches have made San Juan del Sur one of the most popular beach towns in Nicaragua. During Holy Week, or Semana Santa in Spanish, the beach of San Juan del Sur is completely filled with Nicaraguans who gather here to party during the single most important vacation week of the year. During every other week, however, the town is less crowded but still often full of activity. Tourist activity was also increased when cruise ships started to dock at the small harbor of San Juan del Sur.

Many people, especially younger tourists, love to spend some time in this town while hanging out, relaxing, and enjoying the beach. For these types of activities, San Juan del Sur is a great place. There are many hotels, restaurants, and bars in town. Swimming and sunbathing can also be done at the beach. Most of the other activities, however, are located in the surroundings of San Juan del Sur.

About five minutes from the city center you can find a canopy tour (Da Flying Frog). This is the longest canopy tour in Nicaragua, and in addition to the adventure of gliding down the ziplines you can also enjoy some superb views of the bay of San Juan del Sur and the surrounding area. Another possibility of enjoying a great view of the region can be found at the viewpoint. On a high cliff at the northern side of the bay there is a cross that marks this viewpoint. You can easily get there in car or by walking there (5 minutes in car, 30 minutes walking). It is advisable to park the car just below the viewpoint, as the last part of the road is extremely steep.

Both to the north and to the south of San Juan del Sur you can find pristine beaches that are enclosed by tree-covered hills that give each beach a unique and private setting. One of the most impressive ways of watching this magnificent coastline is by taking a sailboat ride along the coast. Not only can you see the beautiful, hidden bays pass by along the ride, you can also see some magnificent animals in and around the water. In addition to birds like pelicans and frigate birds, you can see the world’s largest mammals during the ride. Whales are regularly seen during the dry season, migrating along the coast! Furthermore, you can see dolphins and turtles (turtles mostly in the raining season) from the boat. Sailboat rides like the Pelican Eyes Sailboat Ride often take a whole day, and start and end in San Juan del Sur.

Another activity that can be undertaken from San Juan del Sur is fishing. Areas with big game fish can be easily reached by boat. Marlin, tuna, and sailfish are among the fish that can be caught. There are several tour operators in town that offer fishing trips.

The beaches that can be found around San Juan del Sur also offer many possibilities. Some have hotels or restaurants, while others are virtually empty. Below follows a more detailed description of these different beaches.

To the north: Marsella, Maderas, and Majagual

The most popular activity in this area is surfing. Surfers from all over the world start to discover the great possibilities offered by these beaches. An area close to the Maderas beach, called Los Playones, is supposed to have the best swell for surfing.

In addition to surfing, all of these beaches offer great possibilities for swimming and other beach activities. Enclosed by hills, the beaches have a rather private setting. The sunsets are spectacular as well. It is also possible to do some fishing, right from the coast.

Access to these beaches is possible by car, although the road can get in bad shape during the raining season. You can also take a boat to get to one of these beaches. There is a boat that leaves every day to the Majagual beach. The Maderas beach is located a couple minutes from the Majagual beach. Marsella is a couple kilometers away.

To the south: El Coco, La Flor, and many turtles

The most famous beach south of San Juan del Sur is the La Flor beach. This beach is a protected wildlife reserve because of the vast arrival of Olive Ridely turtles during massive arribadas that take place every year between July and January.

Thousands of turtles arrive during certain nights to lay eggs at this one specific beach. About 50 days later, hundreds of thousands of eggs hatch and the baby turtles try to make their way to the ocean. Both truly unique events, the egg-laying and the hatching, can be seen at the La Flor beach.

Just north of La Flor lies the El Coco beach. This pristine beach is very secluded and is a great getaway place to enjoy tranquility and a superb natural setting. There are also some other beaches to be found south of San Juan del Sur, but there is not a lot of tourism infrastructure. All of the beaches in this area can be accessed by a gravel road, but a 4WD vehicle is necessary during the raining season.

Further south: El Ostional

El Ostional, south of La Flor, features an interesting, rural community where surprisingly many tourism options are set up. In this little town (approx. 700 inhabitants) the options for accommodation, food, and tours are being developed by Nicaraguan people from this same community. In other places, like San Juan del Sur or Granada for example, foreign investment dominates and the Nicaragua identity is strongly affected. In El Ostional, on the other side, visitors can not only enjoy a great variety of activities but also observe the town’s tranquil, typical village life. It is certainly an ambiance that should be treasured and hopefully El Ostional achieves maintaining its identity over the years.

When it comes to activities the first major attraction is the stunning, wide beach in front of the town. Similar to El Coco or La Flor, a cliff-surrounded, forested setting makes for a rather private stretch of beautiful oval-shaped coastline. Regular beach activities like swimming and sun-bathing can perfectly be undertaken here, and being located next to La Flor, turtles also occasionally come ashore. Virgin beaches are found in the vicinity, and visiting some is another great activity. Snorkeling the clear waters at one of the neighboring beaches is also possible, and going out fishing with one of the local fishermen is another option. During the turtle season a trip to La Flor can be undertaken from here.

The surroundings also provide several options. There are hiking possibilities, with one of the trails leading to a spectacular viewpoint and another to a beautiful river. Local farmers can be visited while learning more about their way of life, and there is a village tour as well, which is concluded with a night on the beach, listening to local legends and stories of the elderly of the town. All of these activities are organized by Community Tours, which is the local community-based tour operator set up by people from this village. Community Tours handles the communication and helps with the logistical affairs, while assuring that all providers in the village can benefit from tourist visits. The organization has an office in San Juan del Sur, and although El Ostional lacks internet or landline telephone connections, through means of this office reservations can be made by e-mail or phone. More information about this admirable initiative can be found in this more detailed profile of Community Tours.

El Ostional, located 24 kilometers south of San Juan del Sur, can be reached in a little under an hour in private transportation (4WD necessary during the rainy season) from this beach town, or in about 1½ hour by bus. Visitors should not visit the town for luxurious lodging or top-quality dining, but instead for the cozy, family-run hostels and simple canteens where delicious fresh fish and other seafood can be enjoyed.

Tola and its beaches

Tola is another municipality in the department of Rivas. The area is less intensively visited than San Juan del Sur, but there are some beaches that are equally beautiful. Because these beaches are less well-known, it requires a little more effort and money to get to Tola, but in return you will find more secluded beaches that you will share with only few people. There are comfortable hotels at several of the beaches of Tola, as well as houses that are for rent.

Water sports like swimming, surfing, and fishing can all be practiced at these beaches. Actually, for surfing Tola is one of the newly discovered regions with a great swell. In addition, the area is great for hiking and horseback riding. There are more than ten beautiful beaches lined up one right next to the other. The beaches include El Astillero, Punta Teonosta, Popoyo, Dorada, Iguana, and Gigante. To get to the beaches of Tola, you need to follow a gravel road that leads west from the town of Tola, which is accessible via the city of Rivas or the Pan American highway.

Rivas: the central city of the department

The capital city of the department carries the same name as the department itself: Rivas. Although tourism infrastructure development has been focused mainly on other areas, this town also has some interesting attractions to offer. Rivas is an old, colonial city, although this is not as clear as other colonial cities like Granada or León.

The location of the city is excellent. Rivas is situated right next to the Pan American highway, which ensures a good connection with cities like Managua and Granada, as well as the Costa Rican border at Peñas Blancas. San Jorge, the village that is the connection point to the island of Ometepe, is located a couple kilometers from Rivas. Due to its strategic location, Rivas is a good place to stay if you are interested in visiting several sites in the area.

Within the city limits, there are several interesting sites to visit. There is a museum with a nice collection of pre-Columbian objects as well as more recent items and paintings of Nicaraguan legends and myths.

Another interesting visit is the cemetery. This old cemetery is located at the outskirts of the city, and it includes some interesting graves of people famous in Nicaraguan history. Within the cemetery, there is also a hilltop called the Hill of Carazo, that offers nice views of the region and a spectacular view of the sunset.

The central park of Rivas is located next to the colonial church, and it is a tranquil place with several restaurants nearby.

San Jorge

San Jorge is a small village located at the border of Lake Nicaragua. It is a tranquil place where you can most of all relax and enjoy the unhurried pace of life in a small village. There is one main source of activity, and that is the port that connects San Jorge to Ometepe Island. This port provides the best connection with Ometepe from the mainland, and the vast majority of the people that visit Ometepe, take the boat from San Jorge.

You can find several hotels and restaurants at San Jorge. There is also a nice beach at the lake. From here, you can have a great view at Ometepe, and you can see the two large volcanoes rise out of Lake Nicaragua. All in all, San Jorge is an interesting stop if you are on your way to Ometepe, and you can also consider a visit to this friendly town if you are in the neighborhood.

Getting there and getting around

In general the department of Rivas is well-accessible. The Pan American highway cuts through the department, making it easy to reach the city of Rivas within two hours from Managua. There is a good bus connection from Managua and Granada with Rivas as well. The city of Rivas is the hub of the department. From here, you can reach San Jorge, Tola, San Juan del Sur, and the border.

San Jorge is within a couple kilometers from Rivas, which takes about five minutes in cab or car. The beaches of Tola are about 35 kilometers from Rivas. To get there, you can just head turn westward just before Rivas (coming from Managua). There are signs along the road. You can reach the first beaches after about fifty minutes, but it can take another half an hour to reach the other beaches that are located more southward. The last part of the road is unpaved, but in fair condition during the dry season. A high clearance vehicle is recommended, and during the raining season a 4WD is necessary. There is no public transportation to the beaches, so you will need your own car.

There is a better connection to San Juan del Sur. In about half an hour you can get from Rivas to San Juan del Sur, either in car, cab, or bus. Buses leave frequently to and from San Juan del Sur. To access the beaches northward of San Juan del Sur (Majagual, Maderas and Marsella), a high clearance vehicle is preferred. Within half an hour you can be at Majagual. Maderas and Marsella are a little closer to San Juan del Sur. Another option is to get to Majagual by boat. Every day, at 11AM a boat leaves from San Juan del Sur, and it returns at 4PM from Majagual. This ride takes 40 minutes and is spectacular by itself because of the views. Tickets are sold at a counter in front of the La Estrella hotel, right at the beach. During the raining season the road can deteriorate so much that it becomes inaccessible. In that case, the boat will be your only option.

To get to the beaches south of San Juan del Sur (El Coco, La Flor), you will have to cross a couple small rivers. The road is also a gravel road. During dry season, you can get here in a low-clearance vehicle, but during the raining season you will need a 4WD. It will take about 40 minutes to get to La Flor from San Juan del Sur.

The border town Peñas Blancas can be reached in about 35 minutes from Rivas, continuing down the Pan American highway. Buses also leave frequently to the border.

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