San Juan del Sur

San Juan del Sur needs 3 days: surfing at nearby beaches like Maderas or Hermosa on one, climbing to the Christ of Mercy statue with panoramic views of the bay on another, and exploring the malecón's nightlife on the third. November-April is the dry season, with better surf swell from May to October. It's inexpensive by Central American standards. Its horseshoe-shaped bay and proximity to a dozen world-class surf beaches made it the epicenter of backpacker and surf tourism on Nicaragua's Pacific coast, with a much more international and festive atmosphere than the rest of the country.