Covered in black sand lies Las Peñitas, a beach located about twenty minutes outside of León, Nicaragua.
Things to Do on Las Peñitas
- Go Surfing
- Do a day trip or night tour of the Juan Venado Nature Reserve
- Take photographs of the sunset

Surfing on Las Peñitas beach
Sunset on Las Penitas beach
Where to Stay on Las Peñitas
The hostel I was staying in Leon (Bigfoot Hostel), also happened to have a beach house called the ‘Bigfoot Beach House’ (rated 4.5/4 on TripAdvisor). Private rooms averaged about $10-$20 per night. Reservations are needed in advance and there is a small food menu including breakfast, lunch, and dinner items. Cash only. There are also a number of other options for places to stay including:
- The Lazy Turtle
- Hostal Barca de Oro
- Hotel Olazul Las Penitas
- Sol y Mar
- Hotelito Oasis
- Quetzal Playa
- Mark and Daves Place
- Rigo’s Guest House
- Playa Roca Beach Hotel
Bigfoot Beach House
Getting to Las Peñitas
– By Car: Take the Poneloya Road from León and turn left towards Las Peñitas
– By Bus: Take the bus heading to Poneloya /Las Peñitas from the El Mercadito bus station. The ride takes approximately 30 minutes and costs 12 cordobas (at the time of this post)
– By Taxi: A taxi will cost about $10 and it will take about 15 minutes from León
Chicken Bus
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