Oh, Sunday Funday. How I both love and hate you. I recently experienced my first Sunday Funday in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua and have many thoughts (and tips!) to share on the subject.
If you’re on the backpacker circuit, you will undoubtedly hear of the infamous Sunday Funday the closer you get to Nicaragua. In the US, we also often refer to “Sunday Funday” when we’re having a boozy brunch or day drinking to extend the weekend and forget all about work the next day. I’m sure other countries refer to Sunday Funday commonly as well, but Nicaragua is the first country in Latin America where I’ve seen an official event sooooo close to a day pool party in Vegas that I just had to go. My cousin flew down to visit me and said it’s like everyone is constantly on Spring Break!
I first heard of Sunday Funday at a hostel in Colombia when other backpackers were sharing their epic stories. (We got so drunk! They were basically having sex in the pool next to us! I lost my pants! Etc.) If this sounds like your cup of tea, or if you want to just experience the debauchery for yourself, read on, dear readers. Read on. And if I can handle it / survive the day at the ripe old backpacker age of 33, chances are, so can you.
What exactly is Sunday Funday? It’s a pool and bar crawl in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua mainly comprised of backpackers from all around the world. Canadians dominate the circuit, followed closely by Australians. I met one group from Chicago, but my cousin and I were basically the odd ones out from the United States. At each stop there are cheap drinks (50-60 cordobas / $2 US each) and DJs playing decent music. Some people go in the pool, usually because they are either thrown in or want some makeout time, but most of us just stayed around the edge, swaying to the beat.
If you’ve ever been to a Sunday day party in Vegas, there are some striking similarities. Pool. Cocktails. Hot chicks. DJs. Debauchery. The biggest difference is that everyone is equal here in Nica. There is no bottle service, no attitude, and no flashing your money to get preferred service.
The Essentials:
You can find the official Sunday Funday Pool Crawl Facebook event here.
Tickets are $30 and go on sale at 10am Sundays at Pachamama Hostel. (They are only $15 if you’re staying at Pachamama.) Your purchase includes a Sunday Funday tank top, transportation between the parties, and a DJ at each event. It does not include alcohol. Not even a drop. While that may seem pricey the average backpacker (aka me!) this is a hard event to skip if you find yourself in San Juan del Sur over the weekend. It’s all anyone talks about.
Photo credit: someecards.com
I recommend arriving at Pachamama sometime between 930-11am to buy your ticket before the official pre-party starts at 12pm. That way you can avoid lines and the chaos. Hundreds of people are in attendance, but I’m not sure it ever sells out. The pre-party is essentially stop #1 and everyone was already hitting it HARD by the time we arrived around 2pm. One guy would only speak to me through hand gestures and then started speaking to me in Hebrew. (I do not speak Hebrew.) I just smiled and continued to grip onto my vodka soda for dear life. I’m so glad I had a cocktail beforehand! (Ironically, we became friends with the same guy the next day and went to a Chabad together. Anything can happen here, people!)
The Schedule:
The schedule changes from week to week, but here is what I experienced in Feb 2017.
10am Tickets on sale at Pachamama
12pm Pre-party at Pachamama (Again, an intense “pre-party!”)
3pm Walk to Hotel Anamar (It’s right on the beach!)
5pm Transportation to Naked Tiger (This hostel located just outside of downtown has the perfect view of sunset.)
8pm Transportation to Arribas (Return downtown for the final stop. There’s no pool here!)
Sooooo how does on survive this day of party, party, party? First, bathe yourself in glitter. And then…
My Top 5 Tips:
1. Bring snacks! There is nothing that will ruin day drinking faster than an empty stomach. I had a breakfast bagel pre-event and brought crackers and Larabars for during. I only wish I had more! The 5pm stop will serve burgers for 150 cordobas if you’re into meat. No other stops were serving food as far as I could tell, so plan accordingly. (You can also go hard on an empty stomach but please do not puke on your friends.)
2. Hydrate! Don’t pass out! Drink vodka sodas and sprinkle in bottled waters at each stop. Drinks are less than $2 each so a bottled water is worth the investment. I heard that you can bring in sealed non-alcoholic beverages at each stop, but I also saw people chugging and dumping water before entering a bar. (They do a full bag search at each stop. Tip 2a: Don’t smuggle drugs.)
3. Buy tickets, then do brunch. There’s no need to be the first one in line to buy your ticket and then wait around for 2 hours for the official pre-party to start. Pachamama gets hot with the crowds and you will have all day to drink. After receiving your wristband and tank, go update your outfit or put your shirt back in your hostel, and then grab a sandwich at El Gato Negro down the street. You’ll thank me later.
4. Wear minimal clothing. It’s so hot in San Juan del Sur! You will be outside exposed to the elements all day, constantly sweating, so wear a bikini, swim trunks, etc. I wore a bikini top and jean shorts. I found the Sunday Funday tank top to be too hot for me since it’s made with a heavy cotton. Some girls wore it as a dress. Others completely ignored this advice and dressed in costume, so that’s another way to go.
5. Pace yourself. There is nothing like starting too hard at 9am (pre-partying before the pre-party so to speak) and then passing out face down at the first bar. I saw that guy. Don’t be that guy. The last event starts at 8pm. If you want to hang with your friends, take it easy and then ramp it up as the day goes on. (Don’t forget tip #2: hydration!)
So there you have it my friends. Everything you need to know about Sunday Funday in Nicaragua. Will I try this event again? I think once was enough for me, but I’m still glad I went to see it for myself! It actually wasn’t quite as crazy as I thought it would be. It was mostly just a bunch of 20-somethings looking to let it all go and have a good time. (And some miming.)
Would you try Sunday Funday?
Hahaha! This is amazing. I’d give it a try for sure but one day would definitely be enough for me.
We would have had fun together! I’m glad my cousin went with me because alone I might have bowed out much earlier. ?
That sounds amazing haha I would love to take part of it one day! I like how you said everyone is at the same level, I did went to pool party in Vegas once and I didn’t like how all this good stuff were reserved for all those who pay more! Great post!
If you’ve been to Vegas then you should try this one in Nicaragua too so you can experience it for yourself. No ropes preventing you from all the good stuff!
This sounds like so much fun! It’s true, you don’t hear of many Americans traveling to Nicaragua. They seem to prefer Costa Rica and skip the less touristy places. Looks like you had a fun time!
I hope to encourage more Americans to visit this beautiful country! Maybe this party will do the trick.?
I’ve never heard of Sunday Funday, but it sounds wild! It’s just good drinking advice in general to be sure to eat plenty and to drink lots of water. I think it’s impressive you could keep up with all those party people.
Haha it definitely took dedication and focus!
I never heard about this before! haha
it look fun, but I am not sure if I could handle a day party like this, but when in there I might give it a go, you never know! haha
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Day parties can be really fun as long as you’re prepared! But I 100% know what you mean. ?
So Nicaragua is the new Tijuana, Mexico? Nicaragua is a beautiful country with a sad history. Are you living there for an extended period?
lol it definitely isn’t the new TJ, but this particular spot is a party town and popular backpacker destination. I should be here for approx 2 months! I just moved into my homestay for 1 month and I’m already learning so much about the history, the culture, and the people. It’s a beautiful place❤
It looks like a crazy party! Will assume there were a few hangovers the next day haha.
Haha I’m sure!!
Hahaha, that sounds like quite the experience! 😀 It kind of reminds me of the Full Moon Party we attended on Koh Phangan, but this seems more “decent”. We just attended to see what the fuss was about and we might just do that with Sunday Funday when we ever make it to Nicaragua as well. Pinning it for sure! 😉
Oh good. I’m glad you will see it for yourself! I’ve heard plenty of stories about the full moon party in Thailand & I def think this is more tame/organized so you’ll be fine! ?
I’ll be honest: This sounds like hell to me! But looks like you had a brilliant time – to each their own travel/life style 🙂
Party on & happy continued travels!
C
Haha I appreciate your honesty! I almost didn’t go bc I wasn’t sure I could handle it.
I think I’m a bit past Sunday Funday now but I would have loved this in my 20’s (and probably 30’s if I’m honest lol). I would still love to go to Nicaragua though.
That’s fair! I felt “old” at 33 because it’s mostly younger 20-somethings. However, that should never stop us if we really want to do something!
I went to this two years ago and am still not sure what I think haha. It was fun, but I was also pretty cautious. I definitely agree with your tips, especially buy tickets then brunch and minimal clothing! It was annoying to have a lot of clothes and stuff if you wanted to swim at all, which I would definitely recommend doing early at each stop.
I didn’t even think to swim! I guess I was just concerned about what I’d find in there…lol but if you go in early, I guess most of those worries can be avoided!
This seems so wild. Don’t know if it is my cup of water let alone cup of tea. I guess I would go there just to see what it is like. I feel like I have grown old at the ripe age of 28!
Lol well you could always go to see for yourself & then leave after the first or second bar! ? It definitely caters to a very specific backpacker party audience.
Uggggh, this sounds like hell to me but also something (as you say) that you can’t miss out on in Nicaragua! I’m still super tempted to visit and so will keep this post in mind if I do 🙂
Hahaha. It’s one of those things that would have forever haunted me if I didn’t see it for myself!
This looks exactly like the type of Sunday Funday I enjoy! Some great tips, especially staying hydrated and eat early! Learned through many a sunday funday fail!
Haha yes! We become a bit wiser through experience and over time, don’t we?
I would so be there if I could go back a few decades! Looks fun, but jam packed.
You’d definitely love it back in the day! Who knows. Maybe you’d still enjoy it now? xo
When you get to San Juan there’s no escaping it: Sunday Funday. When we started of at hostel Pachamama it was all good fun and the boozing and party were amazing. Then we went by foot to hotel Anamar. The party there was pretty good as well. But after a few hours of partying we wanted to grab some food and go with a taxi to the Naked Tiger hostel. The entrance was crowded with people waiting for the shuttle, but we wanted out and grab something to eat before we went to the naked tiger. Then we felt like sheep. Literally nobody was willing to let us out the hotel, we were forced to wait in line for the shuttle we were forced to to take. Talked to several people but no luck. They even wouldnt let us get on the beach without ripping our sunday funday bracelet of our wrists ($30). I got angry… why the hell would you force me to be here if I just want something to eat and take a taxi later?? The more I thought about it, the more crazy I got in my head. I paid freaking $30 for a bracelet and you wont even let me leave the perimeter to eat and take a cab??? Just put my 30 bucks to waste like that? Absolutely insane… It was like the maffia telling you to take the shuttle or quit your night. If that isnt a tourist trap, I dont know anymore. Please, please make sunday funday a funday once again and dont be so stupid about people wanting to enjoy their basic human rights such as freedom. It cost me $30 but I hope the people reading this will know what they are about to get in to… if you want to be a sheep, go ahead.. if you want to decide for yourself when and where you are going after paying $30, please leave a comment as well. It made my sunday a deception, but I’d rather be honest and straight about it instead of let people having the same bad experience.
Woah Aron! Sounds like you had a different experience than I did! I’m sorry that happened to you. Definitely words of warning. I don’t remember feeling trapped, but I didn’t get food until later that evening. It’s definitely an ordeal and $30 is definitely an investment. Thanks for sharing your opinion.