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Nicaragua
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Rivas Department
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Municipal de San Juan del Sur
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San Juan del Sur
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Tours & Activities
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Half-Day Sightseeing Tour of San Juan del Sur
4 h
Half Day
About this activity
Your half-day tour starts in the morning just yards from the San Juan del Sur port, where you will meet your guide and learn a little about the history of this colorful beach town.
See a hotel that used to be the beach house of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle, and then travel a short distance by air-conditioned minivan to a local church, where you'll hear about the revolution that overthrew Somoza in 1979. Enter the church for a look around before heading up to the statue of Cristo de la Misericordia, overlooking the bay, and listen to a story about a local man who made a deal with God. This part of the tour requires a reasonable level of fitness, as you'll climb nearly 100 stairs. The tour will spend 45-minutes here, so there's no rush, and bottled water is provided.
Next, move out of town to Las Nubes Adventure Park, where you will take a 15-minute, 1.5-mile (2.5-km) ATV (all-terrain vehicle) ride up through the forest, stopping on the way to look for sloths and birds of prey. Once you reach the top of the hill, you have a choice of views and activities: on one side, you can admire a beautiful view of the Pacific, and on the other, take in an even more spectacular view of Lake Nicaragua and the island of Ometepe with its twin volcanoes. Spend about an hour here, during which you can relax with a cold drink, maybe try some Nicaraguan rum or beer (at own expense) and use the high-speed Wi-Fi to share your photos, if you wish.
If you're feeling adventurous, perhaps try some of the park's other activities, such as the canopy tour or the Tarzan swing (at own expense). When time is up, go back down the hill by ATV, and head to Restaurante Vivian, San Juan's best beach-side restaurant, for a free cocktail or Nicaraguan rum. You can then choose to stay and enjoy their all-day Happy Hour or head back to the port, either on foot (a 10 minute stroll along the beach) or in the free shuttle provided.
Canopy upgrade:
If you select the canopy option when booking, your experience at the adventure park is enhanced with a canopy tour that includes 10 platforms, seven ziplines, and one inclined rappel.
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See a hotel that used to be the beach house of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle, and then travel a short distance by air-conditioned minivan to a local church, where you'll hear about the revolution that overthrew Somoza in 1979. Enter the church for a look around before heading up to the statue of Cristo de la Misericordia, overlooking the bay, and listen to a story about a local man who made a deal with God. This part of the tour requires a reasonable level of fitness, as you'll climb nearly 100 stairs. The tour will spend 45-minutes here, so there's no rush, and bottled water is provided.
Next, move out of town to Las Nubes Adventure Park, where you will take a 15-minute, 1.5-mile (2.5-km) ATV (all-terrain vehicle) ride up through the forest, stopping on the way to look for sloths and birds of prey. Once you reach the top of the hill, you have a choice of views and activities: on one side, you can admire a beautiful view of the Pacific, and on the other, take in an even more spectacular view of Lake Nicaragua and the island of Ometepe with its twin volcanoes. Spend about an hour here, during which you can relax with a cold drink, maybe try some Nicaraguan rum or beer (at own expense) and use the high-speed Wi-Fi to share your photos, if you wish.
If you're feeling adventurous, perhaps try some of the park's other activities, such as the canopy tour or the Tarzan swing (at own expense). When time is up, go back down the hill by ATV, and head to Restaurante Vivian, San Juan's best beach-side restaurant, for a free cocktail or Nicaraguan rum. You can then choose to stay and enjoy their all-day Happy Hour or head back to the port, either on foot (a 10 minute stroll along the beach) or in the free shuttle provided.
Canopy upgrade:
If you select the canopy option when booking, your experience at the adventure park is enhanced with a canopy tour that includes 10 platforms, seven ziplines, and one inclined rappel.
Included
- Bottled water
- Local guide
- Port pickup
- One free drink at Restaurante Vivian
- Use of WiFi
- ATV ride at the adventure park
Not included
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Additional activities at the adventure park
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 7 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Refunds will not be issued if tour/activity is missed due to late or non-arrival of cruise ship
- Climbing nearly 100 stairs is involved
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum age is 5 years
- A maximum of 12 people per booking
- This tour only operates if there is a minimum of 5 guests in total
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Features
Tourism
95%
Cultural
90%
Reviews
The group was small enough to offer flexibility to everyone. The city and country tour provided a very nice experience of this area. We really enjoyed the four wheel drive up to the peak to view the volcano's and relax while others enjoyed zip-lining. Great shopping at this port especially when you leave the ship port area. This trip offers a lot of different experiences in a half day at half the cost the Cruise line would have charged. Our tour guide Walter was very knowledgeable of the area.
Highly recommend this tour if visiting San Juan del Sur via cruise ship. This was a very pleasant alternative to the longer excursions offered by the cruise lines. Nicholas, our guide, was very easy to find outside the port gates. He gave us a brief history as we toured the city. We then visited Cristo de la Misericordia. There are 100 steep steps to the top which are very doable. We were given plenty of time to climb the steps and visit the statue at our own pace. We also had an ATV ride through an adventure park. There was free WI-FI at the top which was enjoyed by our group. Our last stop was at a local restaurant on the beach where we enjoyed pina coladas. Our transportation between stops was comfortable and air-conditioned. Very glad we took this tour!
Very enjoyable. We hit all the hit spots and enjoyed them all. The walk to the statue is steep and longer than expect but we had plenty of time to get there and back and the view was well worth the trip.
WE HAD A LOT OF FUN ON THIS TOUR. THE GUIDES WERE AWESOME AND THE ADVENTURE PARK WAS AMAZING!