What are the best and worst things about living and retiring in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
David Smith - Nicaragua Sotheby's International Realty
The best things about living and retiring in San Juan del Sur
Everything! Learning about the Nicaraguan history. 
Seeing happiness everywhere enough to remind you that the North American drive for material possessions really ISN'T what makes you happy. Opportunities to make a big difference with just a few dollars here and there. The climate. The climate. The climate. THE CLIMATE!
Seeing happiness everywhere enough to remind you that the North American drive for material possessions really ISN'T what makes you happy. Opportunities to make a big difference with just a few dollars here and there. The climate. The climate. The climate. THE CLIMATE! The...
The best things about living and retiring in San Juan del Sur
Everything! Learning about the Nicaraguan history. Seeing happiness everywhere enough to remind you that the North American drive for material possessions really ISN'T what makes you happy. Opportunities to make a big difference with just a few dollars here and there. The climate. The climate. The climate. THE CLIMATE!
Seeing happiness everywhere enough to remind you that the North American drive for material possessions really ISN'T what makes you happy. Opportunities to make a big difference with just a few dollars here and there. The climate. The climate. The climate. THE CLIMATE! The immense variety of things to do: This year I flew out to the Caribbean coast to boat up the Rio San Juan and retrace the old American gold rush route made popular by Cornelius Vanderbilt. Nicaragua played a central role in the creation of that family fortune. Bet you didn't know that!!!
Volcanoes and beaches, mountains, retreats, nature reserves and walks. This weekend I'm heading up into the hills of Matagalpa and am staying at an eco resort for US $25 per night where we are planning on going for long nature walks to see butterflies, birds and orchids!
And then there are the beaches. Did I mention the beaches??? THE BEACHES!!! Some of the most amazing and diverse beaches you'll ever see. Black. White. And every colour in between. Snorkeling, swimming, diving, boating, kayaking, walking and surfing! Ometepe is like the island that time forgot! Soooo lovely!
I could go on!! But first and foremost, SAFETY. You really do feel safe here in San Juan del Sur. I felt it from the first moment I landed in Nicaragua. Friendly, helpful people and an overwhelmingly safe environment. Don’t take my word for it. Check the stats. I did! Nicaragua is the second safest country after Canada in all of the Americas. You'll see!
The worst things about living and retiring in San Juan del Sur
If you are completely reliant on AC to be comfortable.. that will be a challenge in San Juan del Sur. Oh, and everywhere there is amazingly weird bureaucracy. You MUST have patience and a disposition to smile at the haphazardness of it all or it will drive you nuts! Get used to learning and don't attempt to understand. Find yourself saying "of course I'll go there to do that" even when it makes ABSOLUTELY no sense to you! Breathe and take it in and enjoy. Or... you WILL go nuts! It's getting better, though. And you can always pay someone. But why? And miss out on all that hilarity?!!?!!?
Posted July 7, 2014
Joe Lopes - las escadas condominiums
The best thing about retiring in San Juan Del Sur is the very relaxed lifestyle, how safe it is and how affordable it is. The weather here is great. It is not too hot and it is not cold. You can get by without air-conditioning. All your basic needs are available and most of all, the people of San Juan Del Sur are very friendly.
I could not say what the worst thing is about retiring in San Juan Del Sur, because I have not found...
The best thing about retiring in San Juan Del Sur is the very relaxed lifestyle, how safe it is and how affordable it is. The weather here is great. It is not too hot and it is not cold. You can get by without air-conditioning. All your basic needs are available and most of all, the people of San Juan Del Sur are very friendly.
I could not say what the worst thing is about retiring in San Juan Del Sur, because I have not found anything that I have not liked yet. To me, as a 48 year old, San Juan Del Sur is very nice. A teenager might not like it because there is nothing to do. There are no movie theaters and no shopping malls. My kids love to come here for holidays, but they do not like living here because there is nothing to do.
Posted October 17, 2014
Daniel Snider - Snider's Realty Nicaragua
The best thing about retiring in San Juan Del Sur is that you are truly retiring in a really gorgeous place. San Juan Del Sur is one of the few places in the world where you can still have that pristine feeling of being close to the beauty of nature and the ocean. Another of the advantages of retiring in San Juan Del Sur would be how low your expenses would be.
The cons about living in San Juan Del Sur would be not packing enough sun block...
The best thing about retiring in San Juan Del Sur is that you are truly retiring in a really gorgeous place. San Juan Del Sur is one of the few places in the world where you can still have that pristine feeling of being close to the beauty of nature and the ocean. Another of the advantages of retiring in San Juan Del Sur would be how low your expenses would be.
The cons about living in San Juan Del Sur would be not packing enough sun block and getting homesick every once in a while.
Posted November 26, 2014
Eugenio Cortez - Hacienda & Ecolodge Morgan´s Rock
There are many great things about living in San Juan Del Sur, including: - It's very affordable, with a very low cost of living.
- It has a very laid back and relaxed environment.
- It is safe.
- The people of San Juan Del Sur are very friendly, nice and helpful.
- You can go to different beautiful beaches.
- You can go to the lake that is just an hour away.
- ...
There are many great things about living in San Juan Del Sur, including: - It's very affordable, with a very low cost of living.
- It has a very laid back and relaxed environment.
- It is safe.
- The people of San Juan Del Sur are very friendly, nice and helpful.
- You can go to different beautiful beaches.
- You can go to the lake that is just an hour away.
- There is lots of things to do such as surfing, fishing, boogie boarding, biking, and many other things.
- The weather is awesome. (If you hate the heat, don’t come.)
- The food is really good. New restaurants and new establishments pop up all the time.
- The general ambiance is really laid back. (If you are used to living your life a 100 miles per hour, then you’d go insane here.)
The worst part about living or retiring in San Juan del Sur is the pace is very slow; it's very, very slow. Me, personally, I love it. I am never in a rush in anything so I enjoy it.
Another thing that people may not like is that you will not find everything you may need to buy in San Juan del Sur, or you won’t find it right away. You would have to wait for a couple of days or half a day. Not a lot of things are available here or at least they are not as accessible as they would be in other cities. You definitely need to know how to create an inventory of what other cities have and not have, so that you will know where to go if you need something
Since San Juan del Sur is small, it can get a little routine. You can go to a different restaurant every day and you will be done in 15 days. San Juan del Sur is small, so you will most likely know half of the people there in about 6 months. That can be a plus and that can be a negative.
Since San Juan del Sur is small, it can get a little routine. You can go to a different restaurant every day and you will be done in 15 days. San Juan del Sur is small, so you will most likely know half of the people there in about 6 months. That can be a plus and that can be a negative.
Also, there is still a lot of places in San Juan Del Sur that do not accept credit cards. You will see that a lot of things are a little run down; they could use a lot of maintenance. The heat might also be a problem because it can get really hot in San Juan Del Sur. Another thing is the local food. If you are not used to eating local food, you will have a hard time getting used to it, but once you are used to it, you will be fine. Local Nicaraguans cook with a lot of oil and if you are not used to that, it might give you an upset stomach. (Vigaron pictured, boiled yucca, cabbage salad and pork rinds.)
Posted December 7, 2014
Suyen Vargas - Aurora Vacation Rentals Nicaragua
The best thing about living and retiring in San Juan del Sur is that it is a nice town with beaches all around. It is not only San Juan del Sur that has surrounding beaches. You can choose among ten beaches within only 30 minutes by car. It is very relaxed.One of the worst things about living and retiring in San Juan del Sur is that there’s not much infrastructure. There are no hospitals. I think it will get better. Development is ongoing and continuing.
...
The best thing about living and retiring in San Juan del Sur is that it is a nice town with beaches all around. It is not only San Juan del Sur that has surrounding beaches. You can choose among ten beaches within only 30 minutes by car. It is very relaxed.One of the worst things about living and retiring in San Juan del Sur is that there’s not much infrastructure. There are no hospitals. I think it will get better. Development is ongoing and continuing.
(Kayaking on Nicaragua's Pacific coast, pictured.)
Posted April 28, 2015
Gordon MacKay - InNicaNow.com
Some of the best things about living and retiring in San Juan del Sur include the expat community, the amazing weather, and the slower pace of life which is really important as it gives us more time to spend together as a couple and with friends, doing things we want to do. The worst thing about living in San Juan del Sur is how sometimes getting things done takes a little bit more time. This is because the first time you do something you don’t know...
Some of the best things about living and retiring in San Juan del Sur include the expat community, the amazing weather, and the slower pace of life which is really important as it gives us more time to spend together as a couple and with friends, doing things we want to do. The worst thing about living in San Juan del Sur is how sometimes getting things done takes a little bit more time. This is because the first time you do something you don’t know how to do it, like opening a bank account. It seems more complicated because it’s new and can be a little bit frustrating.
(Bringing friends from Canada to enjoy San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, pictured.)
Posted June 8, 2017