explore southern nicaragua
Local pueblos. Quiet beaches. Jungle, coastline and the places most visitors drive right past.
BEACHES & PLAYAS
Go on your own or with a Santosha guide.
PLAYA EL YANKEE
A ten minute walk from Santosha. One cove over and one of the area's uncrowded surf breaks. Yankee is the kind of beach that still feels like you've stumbled onto something rather than arrived at an attraction.
Good for: Surfing, beach walks, swimming when conditions allow, sunsets, fishing, and doing absolutely nothing. There are no services, go prepared with water & sunscreen.
PLAYA ESCAMECA GRANDE
A ten minute walk from Santosha. A long, beautiful stretch of Pacific sand backed by dry tropical forest and rolling hills. Enjoy socializing with neighbors and guests from Airbnb’s or the other two hotels.
Good for: Enjoying lunch at a local spot, beach walks, swimming when conditions are suitable, surfing, sunsets, fishing, carefully exploring an estuary with wild animals like crocodiles & bird species.
PLAYA ESCAMEQUITA
A ten minute drive North from Santosha. This is where the coastline starts feeling properly wild, there are no homes or hotels on this rugged beach, more spacious and very different from the busy beach scene in San Juan del Sur.
Good for: Beach walks, swimming when conditions are suitable, surfing, sunsets, fishing, hiking to northern beaches at low tide and carefully exploring an estuary with wild animals like crocodiles & bird species. There are no services, go prepared with water & sunscreen.
PLAYA HERMOSA
A 12 minute drive north of Santosha you’ll find a long beach south of San Juan del Sur with surf and relatively open space. A wonderful surf spot with multiple peaks. There are no services on this beach so go prepared and do not leave valuables in the vehicle.
Good for: Surfing, super long beach walk, swimming when conditions allow, sunsets, fishing, and doing absolutely nothing. There are no services, go prepared with water & sunscreen.
PLAYA EL COCO
A ten minute drive south of Santosha. A long pristine light colored sandy beach, peaceful stretch of Pacific where the agenda is essentially: walk, swim, surf, read, nap, repeat.
Good for: Beach walks, swimming when conditions are suitable, surfing, sunsets, fishing, hiking to hidden beaches coves just south at low tide. There are limited services, go prepared with sunscreen. Enjoy a local restaurant right on the beach for small meals, water and a bar.
PLAYA LA FLOR
Where the jungle meets the Pacific and the sea turtles come ashore.
La Flor is A fifteen minute drive south of Santosha. A protected wildlife refuge south of San Juan del Sur and one of the region's great natural treasures. During turtle season May though November, the beach becomes part of one of nature's most remarkable rituals as sea turtles return to nest.
Good for: Learning about the sea turtles, possible releasing baby turtles, possible witnessing large turtles nesting at sunset or dawn. Long beach walks, swimming when conditions are suitable, sunsets, fishing, carefully exploring an estuary with wild animals like crocodiles & bird species. At the north end it is a Nicaraguan tale that dwarfs live on the mountainside guarding a cave full of gold. There are no services, go prepared with water & sunscreen.
PLAYA EL OSTIONAL
A striking long sandy and pebble stones beach and a community-based rural tourism experience just 20-30 minutes south of Santosha. Great surfing when our nearby beaches are large and closing out. Head to Ostional for fun surf!
Good for: Mingling with locals. Enjoying lunch, dinner or early night life some dancing and music. Purchasing vegetables, tropical fruists, water, beer and fresh seafood from the fish market. Limited supplies. Long beach walks, swimming when conditions are suitable, sunsets, fishing, carefully exploring an estuary with wild animals like crocodiles & bird species. Police station, Firestation and Medical Clinic.
Just a little north and south of Ostional if you look on google maps there are some great hidden coves and beaches worth hiking to. Playa Clover just before the police station is one of them. Park at the rock quarry and cross over the Coastal Highway and look for a footpath. This is truly a hidden gem.
NATURE & FREE THINGS TO DO
Go on your own or with a Santosha guide.
WALK THE BEACHES
Your coastline itself becomes the activity, explore the beaches along the newly paved Coastal Highway. From Santosha you can walk south and start exploring the rugged coastline by foot at low tide. Many of our guests have walked all the way to Playa Remans weaving between mountain trails and beaches but you must be an outdoorsy experienced person to make this trek alone.
Cycling, running or walking on the costal highway pedestrian lane
Along the southern coast you may explore by foot or bicycle. Take water and sunscreen.
HIKE THROUGH DRY FOREST
This is a legitimate ecological feature of the region, not just “jungle” marketing. The Escameca & La Flor Reserves protects regenerating tropical dry forest and provides habitat for wildlife.
BIRDWATCHING
The tourism authority specifically identifies birdwatching as an attraction in the Escameca, Escameca Grande & La Flor Reserves and hiking areas.
LOOK FOR WILDLIFE
Howler monkeys, capuchins, parrots, iguanas and other species are documented in the whole area.
RIVER & WATERFALL WALKS
El Collado waterfall. We can arrange a guide but also be prepared to pay and entry as the waterfall is located on private property. Go prepared with good hiking shoes that can get wet, mosquito repellent and sunscreen.
TURTLE SEASON - PLAYA LA FLOR
Where the jungle meets the Pacific and the sea turtles come ashore.
La Flor is A fifteen minute drive south of Santosha. A protected wildlife refuge south of San Juan del Sur and one of the region's great natural treasures. During turtle season May though November, the beach becomes part of one of nature's most remarkable rituals as sea turtles return to nest.
Good for: Learning about the sea turtles, possible releasing baby turtles, possible witnessing large turtles nesting at sunset or dawn. Long beach walks, swimming when conditions are suitable, sunsets, fishing, carefully exploring an estuary with wild animals like crocodiles & bird species. At the north end it is a Nicaraguan tale that dwarfs live on the mountainside guarding a cave full of gold. There are no services, go prepared with water & sunscreen.
SUNSET
Free. Reliable. Very Nicaraguan and can be enjoyed from every beach in the south.
STARGAZING
A wonderful experience from Santosha or at our little beach cove a few minutes walk from Santosha.
Horseback riding
Big sky stables offers horseback tours. Highly recommended with very well cared for horses and gear that you can truly dress up like a cowboy or cowgirl!
Southern towns
ESCAMEQUITA
SMALL, LOCAL & UNPOLISHED IN THE BEST WAY.
Just a few minutes drive south of Santosha on a graded dirt road inland from the Pacific, Escamequita is a small rural community where you’ll find a handful of good local restaurants, little pulperías, farms, neighborhood services and the everyday rhythm of life in southern Nicaragua. Grab breakfast or lunch at Rancho Tere, stop for something cold at a local shop, pick up fresh basics, or wander over for a game of pickleball at the local courts. There’s even a small medical clinic for the practical stuff you hope you won’t need. Escamequita is not a tourist attraction and that’s exactly why we like it. It’s a glimpse of the real community behind the beaches, where locals live, work, eat and play.
EL OSTIONAL
A LITTLE FISHING VILLAGE. A LOT OF REAL NICARAGUA.
About 20 minutes south of Santosha, El Ostional is a small coastal fishing village where life still revolves around the sea, the land and the people who call this place home.
It is smaller, quieter and decidedly more local than San Juan del Sur. There’s no big resort scene, no parade of tourists and much less of the expat bubble. This is a working Nicaraguan community and that’s exactly why it’s worth visiting.
Walk through the village and you’ll see fishermen bringing in the day’s catch, small boats pulled up along the shore, farms and pastureland stretching inland, and locals going about everyday life. Artisanal fishing and agriculture have long been central to the community, and they still are today.
WORTH THE DRIVE
Come for a few hours and experience a different side of the Pacific coast.
Watch the fishermen work from a beach side bar sipping on a refreshing juice or local beer and eating a ceviche. Watch the small fishing boats head out to sea. Look for the day’s catch and, when available, buy fresh seafood directly from local fishermen. Pick up seasonal tropical fruit and other local produce. Explore the surrounding countryside, where farms and coastal hills meet the Pacific.
You can also arrange local boat trips for fishing, marine wildlife and whale or dolphin watching, or explore the mangrove and river environment around Ostional. The area is known for its marine life, birdlife and rocky coastal ecosystems.
And if you want to eat like a local, stop for a simple seafood lunch rather than looking for a polished tourist restaurant. Ostional has several small local comedores and food businesses right in the community.
THIS IS THE POINT
El Ostional isn't somewhere you visit to tick another attraction off a list.
You come to slow down, wander around, meet people, eat something fresh from the sea and see a little of the Nicaragua that exists beyond the tourist circuit.
Go for the fishing or surfing. Stay for lunch. Walk the beach. Buy some fruit. Watch the boats come in.
It’s simple. It’s local. And it’s worth seeing.
TORTUGA
A TINY PUEBLO WITH A LOT OF LOCAL LIFE.
Just before you reach El Ostional, you’ll pass through the very small community of Tortuga, where several members of our Santosha team live. There’s a little school, a church, a baseball field, a few local bars and the everyday rhythm of a community where people know one another. Venture a little farther and you’ll find secret swimming holes, small waterfalls, jungle paths and an abundance of birdlife. The area also has a fascinating connection to Nicaragua’s past, with ancient pottery and archaeological remains found along the nearby riverbanks. This is not a tourist attraction and that’s precisely why we love it. Come with curiosity, slow down, and experience a little corner of southern Nicaragua that most visitors drive right past.