Discovering the charm of San Juan del Sur
The dilapidated ferry lurches along inky water back to San Jorge Terminal where Linda arranged for a driver to return me to San Juan del Sur. Selina is a global network of interconnected hostels that caters to digital nomads. Standard offerings include yoga, on-site dining, cocktails and activities that expediate socializing. The properties are pricier than local hostels. The premium is the brand’s reputation for closing gaps in travel infrastructure.
A year ago, Selina Quito Ecuador brought forth fast and in-depth alignment to La Mariscal district’s exceptional dining and coffee. Today a year later I look to Selina Maderas for fast placement with San Juan del Sur’s surf community. According to Selina’s website, Maderas beach is a seven-minute walk. Guests share stories of taking spills along the steep, slippery road. The surface is too muddy for hiking boots and I try rubber birkies. I manage to stay upright but seven minutes become 45. Sweat is rolling off me and I’m muddy; but it’s no hardship to wash off in the ocean. Maderas beach is breathtaking. Its sky is azure and the silver ocean spray glistens in the sun. The beach restaurants are open. The food is makeshift. The cold, smooth Tona beer is plentiful.
The road will eventually get paved. The restaurant kitchen will modernize. Food and beverage supply chains will stabilize. I happily accept the bad road and food limitations for seclusion, raw beauty, and authenticity. I’d love to return before the paved roads, high rises, and hotel and restaurant chains beat me back.
Burrowed in the Pacific coastal hills and jungle foliage, amidst Howler monkeys and exotic birds, Selina Maderas maintains the brand’s reputation for in-depth local familiarity. Stepped mountain side bungalows surround a pool purposed for leisure. The bungalows are conscientiously maintained by housekeeping but in need of carpentry repair. The pool is well looked after but the outdoor bar is shuttered. The restaurant is open, but regularly runs out of menu items. Mango trees and banana trees are plentiful but fruit on the menu is sparse. Chickens scurry across pathways but the only chicken on the menu is frozen and fried in over-used oil. The WiFi works. The staff is gracious and accommodating. The Nicaraguan economy is sputtering largely due to continued political and economic mismanagement. I hear no regrets from any guests. Nicaraguans warmly welcome visitors into their lives and we become invested in their prosperity.
Selina Maderas does not run a surf camp but offers lessons. The shuttle is a shirtless teenager on a motorcycle. He adroitly navigates the ravines and steep, vertigo inducing grades and gets me to the beach in one piece. When my instructor and I step out of the ocean, we encounter my instructors from the previous week’s Dreamsea village surf camp. The sun glints off their toned physiques and the ocean breeze tousles their long hair. The new class practices popping up on the hot sand. The guys form a high five line and warmly welcome me back. What Nicaragua lacks in tourism amenities, access and accommodation is made up for by the steadfast kindness and openness of its people.