The most beautiful view of San Juan del Sur – Cristo de la Misericordia

Cristo de la Misericordia is a huge Jesus Christ statue in the bay of San Juan del Sur. When you are on holiday in Nicaragua and stay in the lovely coastal town of San Juan del Sur, you will definitely want to visit this statue. You have to climb a bit for it, but then you will get to the best view of San Juan del Sur.

Cristo de la Misericordia

The huge statue was designed and created by a Costa Rican architect on behalf of a Nicaraguan businessman, who is a staunch supporter of Jesus. The statue stands on a 110 meter high mountain in the northern part of the bay of San Juan del Sur. It is 15 meters high and also stands on a pedestal of 9 meters. All together, the statue is about 24 meters high and rises 134 meters above sea level. As a result, you can admire this statue from land, sea and air.

The statue has been open to the public since 2009, and as of 2017 there is a €2 entry fee. You can visit it from 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM. There is also a prayer chapel at the statue that you can use.

The most beautiful view of San Juan del Sur

Although the statue is impressive, you secretly come mainly for the view. From here you have the best view over the entire bay of San Juan del Sur. On the other side you can also see the vast sea, where the sun sets. We therefore recommend that you go around sunset. This is the best place to admire it and it gives a beautiful glow over the statue and the bay. 

Don't want to go at sunset? Then go as early as possible in the morning, so you can avoid the heat a bit. Especially if you are going to walk it can be quite hot during the climb. 

How do you get to the best view of San Juan del Sur?

On foot

From the city you can walk to the statue in about 40 to 60 minutes. You can walk both through the road and through the beach. When you walk on the beach you also have to cross a river. In the dry season you have a chance that this river is completely dry and you can just walk through here. If the river is full, you can take a boat to the other side for 10 cordoba. The last part towards the statue is quite steep. Fortunately, the steep slope is only the last tens of meters. Once at the top you can enjoy the best view of San Juan del Sur.

TIPTake enough water with you when you walk. It is really very hot in Nicaragua.

By motorbike

You can also drive to the statue by motorbike. In principle, you will always have to cross the main road and you cannot continue along the boulevard, because of the river in between. When this river is dry, you can drive across the sand to the other side, where you can continue on the road. You will also see all the locals doing this to get to the other side faster. Please note that the last part to the statue is so steep that you will not make it up with two people on most scooters and motorcycles.

Want to know more about the costs, safety or other fun destinations? Learn more about it here more on this!

Are you travelling to Nicaragua soon? Book your stay in San Juan del Sur!