Surfing in Nicaragua: Complete Guide for Best Breaks for All Levels
Plenty of surf to be had
Nicaragua is a surfer’s paradise. With a mix of private and public beaches along two coasts, the Pacific Coast and the Caribbean Coast, there’s plenty of surf to be had. The Pacific Coast is famous for its world class pointbreaks and beach breaks, making it a popular and well sought out surfer destination. Nicaragua’s remote Caribbean coast is secluded, lined with thick jungle, and a few attractive beaches, such as the Corn Islands.
The most popular surf spots in this part of Central America are located near San Juan del Sur, including Playa Maderas, but there are plenty of other spots for beginners and pros alike. If you travel north, spots like Playa Gigante and Popoyo offer decent breaks without much of a crowd.
Best time of the year to surf in Nicaragua
The best time of the year to surf in Nicaragua is during the summer. Swells tend to peak in July and August bringing in the moderate Southwest to West offshore winds from the Caribbean that Nicaragua is known for. All-day offshore winds are a thing here that bless the southern shores of Nicaragua surf breaks pretty much all year long. The water is also warm during this time too at 27-28°C (or 80-82 degrees F).
Autumn has respectful swell as well with consistent offshore winds, although it can be rainy at times. If you’re lucky, this will keep the crowds away and you can snag a solid surf session in between those rainy days.
Best places to surf in Nicaragua
With tropical climates, warm water, and epic beach breaks, it’s easy to see why surfers head to the south-western coast of Nicaragua. Many consider this area to be the precious gem in Central America’s surfing crown, boasting untapped beaches and some of the most consistent offshore winds on the planet. Here are some of the best breaks in Nicaragua.
Playa Hermosa
Playa Hermosa is one of Nicaragua’s best kept surfing secrets (shh) located south of the town of San Juan del Sur. Over one mile long, the waves here are beginner-friendly while also varied enough to keep the intermediate surfer content and feature numerous peaks, walls, and the occasional barrel. It’s a fun surf break for all levels and does need more of a swell than other spots to break.
Pros
- Empty
- Fun waves
- Lots of peaks to explore
Cons
- Requires a small day use fee
Skill level:
All levels; beginner-friendly
Playa Colorado
Say hello to world class surfing at Playa Colorados. As this is a private beach, it’s only accessible via boat or to the guests and owners at the Hacienda Iguana Development, so it has remained untouched. There are many surf spots, including reef and sandbars up and down this section of coastline, that offer some of the most consistent left and right breaks in the area.
Playa Colorados benefits from clean offshore wind almost every day and offers consistent barreling conditions with the best surf typically located just on the north side to right in front of the river mouth.
Pros
- Almost always perfect surfing conditions
- Smooth barrel riding
- Smaller crowds
Cons
- Private beach; harder to access
- Peak low tides can get drained out with nasty rip currents
Skill level: All levels
Playa Maderas
This surf break is close to San Juan Del and hosts a fine A-frame wave with peeling rights and frothy lefts. It’s easy to get to and takes no more than 20 minutes to reach by motorbike. Maderas is primarily a sand bottom break, however there’s a little rock ledge at the southern end of the beach that produces hollow lefthanders when the waves are shoulder high or bigger and the tide is running out. Just remember that the more swell there is, the higher the tide needs to for Maderas to work, since dead low will render it borderline unrideable due to the rip currents.
It's a great wave to learn on and ride on bigger days when the Southeast swells go off, which aligns with Nicaragua’s wet season (May to October).
Pros
- Fantastic A-frame wave for learners
- Variety of surf camps and hotels
- Good range of breaks to the south
Cons
- Sometimes small
- Can be a trickier wave to learn
Skill level: All levels; intermediate to advanced when the Southeast swells go off
Playa Amarillo
Playa Amarillo has something to give everyone. It’s often uncrowded beach break that offers fun lefts and rights and is a fun wave to surf. It neighbors Playa Gigante and is a short walk from Room to Roam! You can choose from the south end of Playa Amarillo which has a few sand bottom peaks with lefts and rights and a shallow reef break at the far south end or the punchier north Amarillo.
Playa Amarillo is a great beach break with little to no crowd that’s enjoyable for all skill levels.
Pros
- Beautiful, untouched beach break
- Waves for all abilities
- Easy to access
Cons
- Reef break only functions on occasion with the right swell size
Skill level: All levels
Popoyo
Popoyo is arguably Nicaragua’s most consistent reef break, if not break in general. It’s a point break that easily handles large surf (think 8-20 feet) and breaks on all tides and swells. Its main break is an A-frame with rippable left and right walls breaking over a rock shelf, making it Nicaragua’s best slab. This surf spot breaks on all tides and sizes, which is why it’s known as one of the best consistent breaks in the country. It also has over 300 days a year of offshore winds, making it a surfer’s dream.
Outer reef popoyo is a 5-minute paddle from the main break and pumps heavy. It’s suitable for experts only as it’s a pipeline-style offshore slab that’s sure to thrill professional surfers.
Beginner Bay is also nearby and is a rolling slopey wave that’s fun for beginners located on the south end of the beach.
Pros:
- Ideal surfing conditions
- Solid surf at all stages of the ride
Cons:
- Rip currents/undertow
- Rocks
- Crowds
Skill level:
All levels; outer reef is a pipeline-style slab suitable for experts only.
Playgrounds
Often compared to a warm-water Trestles in California, Playgrounds boasts nice lefts and rights, with the left being the longer wave. The name of this one gives it all away, it’s a really fun, rippable wave. This wave goes from around chest-high and holds up to double-overhead!
Pros:
- Suitable for all skill levels
- Long rides
- Super fun
Cons:
- Only accessible via boat
Watch out for rocks
Manzanillo
This is a left point break situated in front of a luxury resort community, so it’s best accessed by boat. On its best days it may have three-barrel sections with a long rippable face to follow. You don’t need the best swell here to surf, just the right swell. Be aware that you should be in solid shape to surf here as this break will make you work for it.
Pros:
- Barrels!
- Super fun
- Long rides
Cons:
- Requires a lot of stamina
- Exposed rocks at lower tides
- Reef and sea urchins
Lance’s Left
Lance’s left is a friend, long left-hand point break suited for all skill levels. Named after the famous boat Captain who manages to keep this spot secret, it’s a really fun wave offering a 500-meter ride on its best days.
You can access this gem by parking in El Astillero and walking over.
Pros:
- Fun, friendly lefts
- Long ride
- Good for all skill levels
Cons:
- Hot rocks
- Sea urchins in the rocky shore break
Panga Drops
What a solid wave you are panga drops. Located at the North end of Playa Colorado, this wave produces shifty lefts and rights and can hold swell size and be surfed at every day of the year. As it breaks pretty far out, you should know this is a deep-water break, which can shift pretty quickly.
Pros:
- Holds every size swell
- Good for all levels
- Fun wave with little crowds
Cons:
- Strong currents on the inside
- Stingrays
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