HOLDING A TORCH FOR NICARAGUA
You don’t need to be a survival expert to visit Nicaragua, says Survivor New Zealand host Matt Chisholm.
Former fishing village San Juan del Sur sits on a spectacular coastline, with a string of world-class surfing beaches close at hand. It is crammed with colourful locals, beautiful, bronzed surfy-type travellers, ripper clothes stores and great food.
I must admit, during my time there filming Survivor New
Zealand, I didn’t get to do as much exploring as I would have liked — my downtime was mostly spent sleeping, learning lines, or talking to my pregnant wife back home. The occasions I did get out and about were fantastic and I quickly fell in love with the sleepy little surf town. Although I may not have got to do it all, I heard countless tales from the crew, which made it feel as though I experienced more than I did.
The Survivor crew and I filmed in San Juan del Sur’s surrounding jungle — riddled with creepy crawlies (scorpions, tarantulas) — and although it’s definitely worth getting off the beaten track to gasp in awe at the volcanoes or take snaps of the sloths taking it easy in the trees, we appreciated slipping away from location and back to this easy-going town. It has everything you need and enough variety to go somewhere new every night.
SIGHTS
The Christ of Mercy statue is a mustsee as it offers breath-taking views of the town and neighbouring jungle and waterfalls. Survivor tip: The crew told me you’d probably want to attempt it in the morning or early evening as it’s really hot and the hike to get up there is insane. A few of the crew hired quad bikes (and claimed they enjoyed the views more because they weren’t so puffed).
The quad bikes are also useful for cruising to neighbouring beaches — such as Maderas to catch the waves (I am told that it has a beach break that is a cracker spot for beginners). Or you could opt for the tranquil white sands of Playa Marsella for a picnic and a relaxing dip.
A day trip to picturesque Granada is well worth it. It’s a two-hour drive from San Juan del Sur but a lot of the hotels have shuttle runs to there. You can admire the architecture as you wander around historic cathedrals, forts and castles. Just out of town, you can take a boat ride among all the tiny islands and visit an active volcano, Masaya. There are loads of walking trails up the volcano, a butterfly sanctuary and a few heavenly hot springs.
FOOD
The traditional dish in Nicaragua is Gallo Pinto, a basic but delicious rice and beans dish usually eaten with meat and fried plantains. The crew generally washed this down with $1 beers. Yes, you read that right. When we craved something more exciting, San Juan Del Sur had a tonne of options, from gourmet restaurants to a craft brewery. Some highlights:
Head to Rancho Chilamante for the best barbecue you’ve ever eaten, with the added
bonus of a horse trek. Plus, you can sit under the stars serenaded by a chorus of howler monkeys.
Dia De Los Donuts may just be the greatest doughnuts in the world. There is every flavour imaginable from vanilla to Oreo (my personal favourite).
Nacho Libre Burgers was a hit with the crew — because, well if you haven’t tried a beef burger with peanut butter, frankly you haven’t lived.
Superfrutto Gelato can be credited with keeping many of us sane in the heat. There are a few gelato places but don’t be fooled. This is THE ONE. Try the bright purple pitaya flavour. You won’t regret it.
SHOPPING
The town is peppered with markets selling local handicrafts, fruit, vegetables, shrimp, fresh fish — and if you’re after surfing attire, you’re in the right place. There’s not a huge shopping scene in San Juan as most people are there for the parties and beaches but the clothes shops are great. We stumbled across one standout: Auric Clothing Store. And I’m not going to lie — Death By Taco T-shirts became the unofficial crew uniform.
What you can buy is an epic tattoo for about half of what it would cost you in New Zealand. Nine of the cast and crew got ink from Juan
Superfrutto Gelato can be credited with keeping many of us sane in the heat.
Patino, a Colombian tattoo artist living on the waterfront. We got word about him from write-ups online, and his designs are as interesting as his conversation. I don’t think anyone spent less than three hours there chatting to him (even if their tattoos only took five minutes).