San Juan del Sur

San Juan del Sur is Nicaragua's premier Pacific beach and surf market and the country's most internationalised coastal real-estate destination, anchoring the wider Rivas growth belt that extends north to Tola and Popoyo. In 2026 prices average around USD 2,200 per square metre, the highest in Nicaragua, yet remain a fraction of comparable Costa Rica or Panama coastline. The investor sweet spot runs USD 300,000 to 450,000 for a three- to four-bedroom ocean-view home with pool and modern finishes, while beachfront condos and smaller homes start at USD 150,000 to 250,000. Short-term rental nightly rates run USD 160 to 180 (top homes USD 379-plus), but tourist-hub STR occupancy sits at a realistic 30 to 33 percent, so gross yields land in the 6 to 7.5 percent national range and the asset is mostly a long-term capital-gains play, with Nicaragua's cumulative five-year price growth projected near 28 percent. Foreigners can own titled inland and hillside property outright with no residency requirement, and a purchase of USD 50,000-plus qualifies for investor residency, but buyers must respect Ley 690 coastal public-domain zones, where beach-frontage strips cannot be privately titled, and confirm the chain of title carefully on coastal parcels.