San Juan Del Sur’s Southern Communities and Developments
By Joel Stott-Jess
Thanks for checking out this guide to the most popular communities and developments south of San Juan Del Sur. In my previous article and video I went over the communities and developments close to San Juan.
However there’s no one size fits all area when it comes to your dream property. The different areas offer alternatives that might be the right fit for you. This guide will cover the most popular neighborhoods for people looking to invest & / or live south of town.
Communities South of San Juan Del Sur
As mentioned, in the previous article, most expats are investing in gated communities. Gated communities here are more like normal neighborhoods that what one might think of in the U.S. or Canada. They are usually friendly and great for rentals. More planned than municipal areas they share costs and benefits of the community.
A gated community usually just means that it's a planned development with shared amenities between owners of the association. These communities and what they offer vary, which I’ll go over in the article.
Playa Remanso / Remanso Beach Club
Remanso Beach Club is the development located between Playa Remanso and Playa Tamarindo. Remanso is closest surfing beach to San Juan Del Sur, 10 minutes south of town. It’s a beginner to intermediate break most of the year depending on the swell.
Playa Tamarindo is the small bay to the south, generally only accessible to owners and guests. Unlesss you walk around the rocky point at low tide. It usually gets the same surf conditions as Remanso, but is usually uncrowded as the public road access is only to its northern counterpart.
The dirt roads are not consistently maintained, however most of the lots are walkable to the surf breaks at Playa Remanso and Playa Tamarindo.
Amenities: dirt roads, green area maintenance, grid power, private water system, surf access
Home owners association fees: $1500 per year
Big Sky Ranch
Big Sky Ranch is a well designed development 15 minutes south of San Juan Del Sur. The lots are large and geared toward both off grid living and the equestrian community.
The atable for boarding horses is adjacent to the development. If you'd like to own a home in Nicaragua, and board your horse while away, this is the ideal spot. Check out the video on the stables for more.
The community is planned as an off grid development. There is excellent water access and the homes are all built using solar power. Many owners have fruit trees and gardens to produce their own food.
Amenities: dirt roads, security at gate, green area maintenance, no grid power - homes run on solar, private water system
Home owners association fees: $2400 per year
Playa Yankee / Vista Del Mar
Vista Del Mar, formerly known as Cantamar Del Yankee, is the development at Yankee Beach. It’s a 15 to 20 minute drive from San Juan Del Sur depending on road and rain conditions.
Dirt roads in the development mean you would need a 4 x 4. The lots tend to be larger and some of them have a spectacular views including all the way to Costa Rica.
Owners and guests in the community have private vehicle access to parking lot at the break at the south end. That’s where the best surfing is as it can have a great wedge and long lefts with the ideal conditions. So this community is extremely popular with surfers.
Amenities: gravel roads with pavers on steeper hills, security at gate, green area maintenance, grid power, private water system, surf access
Home owners association fees: $1200 per year
Playa Escameca / Costa Dulce
Costa Dulce is an eco-friendly community, 25 minutes south of San Juan Del Sur, with access to Playa Escameca. An excellent and normally and uncrowded surf break. The lots tend to be larger, with mature trees, and have walking access to the beach and the surf.
It's extremely popular with the surf and yoga crowd and has some retreats on site. The roads within the community are all paved.
Amenities: paved roads, security at gate, green area maintenance, grid power, private water system. surf access
Home owners association fees: $1000 per year
Playa Coco
Playa Coco is 25 to 30 minutes south of San Juan Del Sur. It’s as close to Costa Rica as possible where foreigners can buy. Situated at the edge of the 15 km exclusion zone where foreigners need an exemption (constancia) in order to purchase. There is a development just outside the exclusion zone where you can purchase properties without the exemption.
From town the road is paved for the first few miles, and the rest of the public road is generally one of the better dirt roads in the country. Inside the development at Playa Coco the roads can be bumpy.
However there are excellent views and many properties are walkable to the sand at Playa Coco. Including a rare beachfront titled home.
Amenities: paved roads, security at gate, green area maintenance, grid power, private water system
Home owners association fees: $1620 per year
Some of the homes are not in the gated community, contact me for more questions on those
Want to know more about San Juan Del Sur or investing and living in Nicaragua? Contact me!
Joel Stott-Jess
LifeInNica.com
Cell / WhatsApp: +505 8176 8624
US Number: 1 786 753 8743
Skype: joelstottjess
Joel Stott-Jess is a New York Times featured agent / broker in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua.
Originally from Alberta, Canada he has been doing business in Nicaragua since 2014.
An investment consultant, serial entrepreneur, surfer, and outdoor enthusiast he is an expert on the real estate and business markets in Nicaragua. He also operates The Central Investor, a real estate and investment blog focused on the entire Central American region.
Thanks to his lovely Nicaraguan wife, a medical doctor, he is also well informed on health care services in the country.
Oceanfront one third acre lot at Playa Remanso