Overnight Trips from San Juan del Sur

Advisory note, October 2026: The US State Department currently places Nicaragua at Level 3, “Reconsider travel”. It cites a serious risk of wrongful detention by the government, arbitrary enforcement of laws, searches of electronic devices and little consular help, and says US citizens have been denied entry or expelled. The UK FCDO does not advise against travel, but it states that foreigners cannot take any part in political activity and that drones are banned. Longer trips mean more border posts and more road time, so read the US State Department page and the FCDO page before you book, and carry travel insurance.

Trips of more than a day all start with a road, and most roads run through Rivas. They are poor and unlit, so travel in daylight. This page groups the options by nights away: two to three on Ometepe, two to four around Granada, a surf stay on the Emerald Coast, and a Costa Rica add-on. Prices are in US dollars, and the córdoba (C$) is officially about 36.6 to US$1.

Two to Three Nights: Ometepe

Ferries to the island leave from Puerto de San Jorge on Lake Nicaragua, not from San Juan del Sur. San Jorge is about 40 minutes from town by taxi, and the crossing to Moyogalpa takes about 60 minutes. The last boat back from Moyogalpa leaves at 17:30, which makes an overnight stay far easier than a rushed day. The times are on the Ometepe ferry schedule .

Costs on the island vary with the source:

  • Ojo de Agua spring pools: US$5 or US$10, depending on whether a US$5 food voucher is included.
  • San Ramón waterfall: C$100 a person plus C$50 per vehicle, or about US$2 to 3.
  • Charco Verde loop: C$165, about US$5.
  • Volcán Maderas: a guide is required, at about US$35 to 55.

Volcán Concepción is active. The UK government says not to hike it without an experienced guide, and INETER or MARENA alerts are worth checking first. Both volcanoes are on Ometepe and neither is near San Juan del Sur. The island also holds pre-Columbian statues and petroglyphs from the Chorotega and Nahua peoples.

Two to Four Nights: Granada, Masaya and Mombacho

Granada is about 95 to 100 km north of San Juan del Sur, and the drive takes 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. It works well as a base for the area. Masaya Volcano takes night visitors for about US$10 for foreigners, and visitors should expect a glow in the crater and not a lava lake. Mombacho reserve charges roughly US$25 to 30, so check the current fee. Both lie two hours or more from the coast.

A Surf Stay on the Emerald Coast

The surf area around Popoyo lies northwest of San Juan del Sur via Rivas and Tola, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours by road. It suits surfers who want a change from the bay beaches. Private resort areas such as Rancho Santana and Mukul sit along this coast, so check the access rules before you plan a beach day.

Adding Costa Rica

The border crossing is Peñas Blancas. The usual route runs by bus from San Juan del Sur to Rivas (or La Virgen) and then on to the border. By shuttle it takes 1 to 1.5 hours, and a shared shuttle is listed from about US$28. By chicken bus it takes 2 hours or more plus time at the border, and Rivas to Peñas Blancas alone is 50 to 60 minutes for C$50 to US$2.5.

Round-trip border fees add up to about US$25 to 27 in total, reported as a Costa Rica exit fee of US$8 to 10, a Nicaragua entry fee of about US$12 plus US$1 municipal tax, and a Nicaragua exit fee of about US$3 plus US$1. Pay in US dollars cash, since officials often have no change. Queues can be long, with more than 5,000 crossings recorded in a single December day, and Costa Rican rental cars cannot cross.

Entry Rules to Plan Around

UK citizens get 90 days without a visa. Those days are shared across Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador and do not restart at borders, and expulsion from one of the three bars you from the other two. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after arrival. An onward ticket may be demanded, and e-cigarettes are banned. There is a US$10 arrival tax in cash, and the US$35 departure tax is normally included in the air ticket. Check Nicaragua’s migration site before any land crossing.

Read more: the day trips page shows the same places as single days, and the romantic getaways page lists places to stay near town. A fuller route is mapped in the Nicaragua 7 day itinerary .

Rooms on the lake can be compared through Booking.com results for Isla de Ometepe .