Nicaragua
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Bay and green coastline seen from a height with stone walls in the foreground.

Nicaragua · San Juan del Sur

Beaches and lookout

Playa Maderas, Playa Hermosa and the Christ of Mercy Lookout, with travel-guide data and unconfirmed status.

3 places3 unconfirmed, flagged

  1. 1

    BeachStatus unconfirmed

    Playa Maderas

    North of San Juan del Sur. The pin is the beach in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.5.2 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A surf beach with waves almost every day of the year, long known in surfing circles, according to a travel guide (updated March 2024).

    Status not confirmed: there is only a travel guide (updated March 2024) and no official source on the beach or on swimming was read. Check before you go.

    Source: Along Dusty Roads – Beaches near San Juan del Sur (act. mar. 2024) · 2024 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    The guides read mention no entry fee; that does not confirm it is free.

    Tip: You get there on the Casa Oro shuttle or by taxi; on a 2022 visit the shuttle cost US$3 one way and took 35 to 45 minutes. Leave before dark: most of the road has no lighting.

    Nearby: Christ of Mercy Lookout (4.6 km) · Playa Hermosa (13.1 km)

    Sources: Along Dusty Roads – Beaches near San Juan del Sur (act. mar. 2024) · Along Dusty Roads – Playa Maderas (visita de 2022)

  2. 2

    BeachStatus unconfirmed

    Playa Hermosa

    About 11 km from San Juan del Sur, according to that guide. The pin is the beach in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.13.8 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

    Entry
    Last known: Mar 2024
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A long white-sand beach; according to a travel guide (updated March 2024), it is technically private, owned by Playa Hermosa Ecolodge, which charges for entry.

    Status not confirmed: the charge and facilities come from a March 2024 travel guide; no source from the lodge was read. Check before you go.

    Source: Along Dusty Roads – Beaches near San Juan del Sur (act. mar. 2024) · 2024

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    US$3 per person, with use of the lodge facilities (bar-restaurant, showers, loungers and palapas), according to a March 2024 guide.

    Nearby: Christ of Mercy Lookout (8.5 km) · Playa Maderas (13.1 km)

    Sources: Along Dusty Roads – Beaches near San Juan del Sur (act. mar. 2024)

  3. 3

    CultureStatus unconfirmed

    Christ of Mercy Lookout

    Headland north of San Juan del Sur bay. The pin is the monument in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.6.7 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

    Entry
    Sources disagree
    Hours
    Last known: Aug 28, 2023
    Booking
    Not stated

    A statue and lookout on the headland that closes San Juan del Sur bay to the north; you walk up from the beach along a trail and a stone staircase, according to two travel guides.

    Status not confirmed: there are only travel guides, which disagree on the fee, and who runs the lookout was not identified. Check before you go.

    Source: Take Your Backpack – Mirador del Cristo de la Misericordia (act. 23 sep. 2026) · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    You pay an attendant halfway up the staircase. A 2023 guide gives US$2 for foreign visitors and US$1 for Nicaraguans; another, updated in September 2026, US$2 to US$3 for foreign visitors and about C$20 for residents.
    Hours
    Every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., according to an August 2023 guide.

    Tip: The guides disagree on how long it takes (from 15–20 to about 45 minutes from the centre); the climb is steep and exposed to the sun, and in the rainy season the trail can get slippery.

    Nearby: Playa Maderas (4.6 km) · Playa Hermosa (8.5 km)

    Sources: Take Your Backpack – Mirador del Cristo de la Misericordia (act. 23 sep. 2026) · Hidden Nicaragua – Christ of Mercy statue (28 ago. 2023)

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