San Juan del Sur isn’t the sleepy little fishing village that it was just a few years ago. If lack of first world amenities has stopped you from visiting this beautiful beach town, it’s time to check out these recent advancements.
New Hospital
October 2016 saw the beginning of the estimated 13-14 month construction of a new 30 bed Primary care hospital. The hospital, named “Hospital Primario Gaspar Garcia Laviana” will include departments of internal medicine, general surgery, gynaecology, pediatrics, radiology, anaesthesiology as well as provide emergency services, laboratory examinations, and labour/delivery services.
At a cost of approximately just over 4 million USD, the hospital will provide comprehensive care to the public, saving many people from the two-hour trip to nearby Managua.
New Power Sub-Station
At an approximate cost of 5.6 million USD, a power sub-station was approved and constructed by the National Electricity Transmission Company (ENATREL) to meet the growing demand for electricity supply and to promote tourism development in San Juan del Sur and Rivas.
A 16.9 km distance between the communities of Popoyapa and Juan Davila now contains 53 new towers and 21 steel concrete poles providing reliable supply, quality and efficiency of electricity to residents and tourists alike in the San Juan del Sur area. Anyone who has been to San Juan del Sur in the past know we had issues with sporadic power adages. This has resolved those problems and we now enjoy consistent supply of clean energy.
Fiber-Optic Internet Service
After years of less than ideal wireless options, a new fiber-optic internet service covers the areas of San Juan del Sur, including Playa Maderas and Playa Marsella. If you’re a digital nomad who’s been leery of visiting San Juan del Sur because of rumours of bad internet services, it’s time to start planning your next trip here.
With speeds up to 1000mg, our new fiber-optic internet service can handle all of your bandwidth needs. No matter how intensive they are. Time to grab your surf board, and your laptop, and see what you’ve been missing.
Coastal Road Back on Government Short List
Although talks have been in the works since 1928, we’re now seeing the construction of the Carretera Costanera coastal road being put into action. The road will be built between Masachapa in the North, and extend south, past San Juan del Sur, to the Costa Rican border.
Work has already begun on one 34-kilometer stretch of road. Starting at the Costa Rican border in the town of El Naranjo widening and improvements are being made to the road that leads to San Juan del Sur. Once the coastal road is complete surfers will have an easier time than ever accessing Nicaragua’s numerous Pacific coast beaches.
Commuter Airport in Tola
Costa Esmeralda Airport, located in Tola, is now an additional option for commuters coming to the San Juan del Sur area. They provide commercial service with two airlines; La Costeña and Sansa. Currently two arrivals and two departure flights from Managua are operating daily. The airport also offers services for private aircraft owners.
The airport operates its own customs department and duty-free shop. Tourist visas can be obtained and paid for upon arrival. Once through customs you can rent a car on site for the quick 45 minute drive to San Juan del Sur. Getting to San Juan del Sur has never been easier.
New Port in San Juan del Sur
A 3 million USD investment last year also brought the completion of a new port in San Juan del Sur. The new port services everything from the local fishing pangas, up to the largest cruise ships. The port is a beautiful arrival and departure point which features several shops, bars and restaurants, a bank, an artisan market and a tourist information kiosk.
Taxis and bus services run to/from the port for easy navigation to the beaches surrounding San Juan del Sur. In the past most cruise ship visitors tended to hop off the boat, and onto a bus for Granada. With the creation of the new port, as well as the above mentioned infrastructure improvements, we’re hoping to keep these visitors closer to home.