We are spending most of our time at our house these days. Even though we are limiting our exploration due to COVID, we are still able to get out some because the area is so sparsely populated. Hiking is one of our favorite activities.
We have formed a kids club in our community. We have weighed the risk of this. All of the parents have stated that their kids primarily stay in the community and everyone is social distancing. Every week a parent hosts an activity for the kids. The most recent activity was a hike to the old lighthouse. A few parents, including us, went along with the group.
The Hike
The hike to the lighthouse took about 1 hour to hike from the center of San Juan Del Sur. The hike is moderately hard. There are steep hills and the path is rocky and can be slippery at times. The youngest kids in our group were 6 and 7 and they had no problem completing the hike.
The hike is on private property, but many people do the hike and we did not have any problems. We were told not to go alone because there have been muggings on the trail. We were in a large group. We saw a few other groups hiking. We did not have any problems.
To get to the hike, head towards the fish market. There is a small dirt trail on the left as you approach the fish market. As you walk up the hill there is a small fisherman’s village. The village is made up of small shacks constructed with sheet metal. In contrast, just a few streets away you will see giant homes with pools. The disparity of wealth in San Juan Del Sur is striking. We waved and said hello to the people we passed.
We saw a pig, chicken, and a lot of butterflies on the hike. The kids were busy talking to each other, so we did not hear complaints about the hills or the heat.
The Views
The views along the hike are spectacular. You can see up and down the coast of Nicaragua for miles. Once you get to the top you can see all the way to Costa Rica. Staring out into the ocean from the top of the cliff makes you realize how big the world is and how small we are living in it.
We feel lucky to get to spend time in this beautiful place.
