Things to know.

Safety & Security

San Juan is a safe community! Nevertheless, we do recommend that you exercise common sense when it comes to personal safety. Please remember to lock doors when you leave your rental home and keep items such as passports locked away. Do not bring valuables with you when going to the beach.

Electricity

Occasionally, the power goes out. Some homes have back up generators which will come on automatically. Others, do not. It can be frustrating, but the only thing you can do is grab a flashlight and live by romantic candlelight until it turns back on :)

Critters

It is important to keep the kitchen clean in order to keep the bugs from getting too excited. Nicaragua is home to geckos, which are your best friend when it comes to keeping the bug population down. They are completely harmless, so not to worry. In the dry season, scorpions are more prevalent. If you see one, give it a good whack with a book or shoe and make sure that it is dead, since they do “play dead” as a defense mechanism. Scorpions are not a deadly but give a good sting. Check beds, shoes and keep clothes off the ground in piles. If, you do happen to get stung, donʼt panic. The sting is similar to a Wasp sting and you might feel a little tingling or numbness on your tongue.

Water

We do not recommend drinking water from the faucet. If you find that youʼve run out of bottled water, it can easily be purchased from any of the Pulperias in town.

Health

San Juan del Sur is equipped with a Health Clinic (Centro de Salud) that can address minor medical problems. The closest major hospital is in Rivas, but we highly recommend going to Managua if you are in need of serious medical attention. The most modern and reputable hospital in Managua is Hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas, providing excellent medical care in a state of the art facility.

Visas and Passports

When entering customs, or “aduana” at the Managua International Airport, visitors are required to pay a US $5.00 entry fee which is payable ONLY in cash with U.S. Dollars or Nicaraguan Cordobas. Upon payment, you will receive a tourist card and passport stamp. A valid passport is required to enter Nicaragua.  Passports must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of entry. Tourist cards are typically issued for 30 to 90 days. Visitors remaining more than the authorized time must obtain an extension from Nicaraguan Immigration. There is a $32 departure tax, the payment of which may or may not be included in your ticket.  If not, payment can be made at the ticket counter.

Tipping and Taxes

A 10% tip is usually included in your bill at a sit-down restaurant. Leaving an extra 5%-10% is customary if you
received good service. Sales tax in Nicaragua is 15% and will be noted as IVA on your bills.