Jiquilillo

Jiquilillo is a fishing village strung along a spit in the far northwest, with the Pacific on one side and the Padre Ramos mangrove estuary on the other, and the beach runs for kilometres with almost nothing on it. A handful of small lodges and a well-known community-focused hostel provide accommodation and run surf lessons, kayak trips into the estuary and volunteering with local projects. The village was largely destroyed by a tidal wave in 1992 and rebuilt. Sunsets over the water with Cosigüina on the horizon are the evening event. It is quiet to the point of empty, which is the appeal for people who find San Juan del Sur too developed, and there is very little to do beyond the beach and the mangroves.

What you actually see

• The empty beach - kilometres of sand with almost no development.
• The fishing village - pangas and nets along the shore.
• Estuary access - kayak trips into the Padre Ramos mangroves.
• Cosigüina on the horizon - the volcano across the water at sunset.

When to go

December to April for dry weather and the best road conditions. Surf is bigger from March to October. Hurricane-season storms affect this coast from August to November.

Honest expectations

The road in is rough and public transport is slow and infrequent. Facilities are minimal, with limited power, no ATM and few places to eat. Currents on the open beach are strong. There is genuinely nothing to do, which suits some people and not others.

Nearby

Padre Ramos estuary is behind the spit; Chinandega lies southeast.