About Nicaragua Surf Travel
Nicaragua is not — contrary to what many folks are saying — the next Costa Rica. Sure, it’s cheap, beautiful, and uncrowded; and yeah, the Costa Rican border is about 50 miles from Popoyo, as the crow flies. Sure, one year “Tourism and Nicaragua” made the front travel page of the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as being featured in GQ and Travel and Leisure magazines. Not to mention 2002’s “Camp Hobgood” in Surfing magazine. And as all of the above say, it’s getting safer, more tourist amenities pop up all the time, and did we mention beautiful?
Right. But here’s the rub: The surf, while really fun, darned consistent, warm, and offshore all day (we’ll get to that), is not world class. Costa has a half-dozen world-class waves within its borders, as does El Salvador. The southwestern coast of Nicaragua has some epic beachbreaks, a few good reefbreaks, a couple fickle pointbreaks, and one heaving outer-reef slab, but nothing that matches Pavones or La Libertad for sheer perfection.
Which, for most people, especially in the current crush of global surf tourism, is just fine. Leave world class to the magazines and the ferals; most two-weeks-of-vacation-a-year people just want uncrowded good waves…and shifty, overhead beachbreak barrels are just fine. They want to go home exhausted and sunburned with aching shoulders and a kaleidoscope of saltwatery memories. Which is exactly what Nicaragua offers.
This stretch of Nicaragua faces southwest, so any good south to southwest swell marches in here. The reefs and points really like the long-period groundswells (depending on direction), while the beachbreaks do a little better on the shorter-interval swells. Swells are biggest from April to June, but can get solid from March to November.
The saving grace, and what makes this zone so unique, is the 300-day-a-year offshore winds. No shit. Lake Managua, about 50 miles inland, funnels the wind from the Caribbean side and creates steady to gusty offshore winds almost every day of the year. Rainstorms tend to be glassy, and there are a couple weeks where it’ll blow out in the afternoon, but generally it’s offshore rainbows all day.
Surf History
The area around Popoyo was first discovered in the late ’70s by Nicaraguan surfer Ronald Urros, who saw the setup while flying to Costa Rica in a helicopter. Urros and buddy Carlos Deshon camped on the beach through the ’80s, surfing Popoyo and even tackling the Outer Reef a few times.
Other Nicaragua surf travelers in the ’80s included kneeboarder George Greenough and the intrepid Naughton and Peterson. Mostly, though, surf trips were kept pretty short due to the ongoing civil war. Brazilian traveler Adrian Kojin, who rode a motorcycle from California to South America in ’87, found some great beachbreak surf north of Popoyo and wrote that he was made to feel welcome everywhere he went.
Democratic elections were held in 1990 — which ended the civil war — and shortly thereafter the Ministry of Tourism thought it’d be a good idea to promote Nicaragua as a surfing destination. In early 1992 Matt Archbold and Brock Little went up to Montelimar on a SURFER magazine-sponsored trip; they ended up on a boat and scored average point surf at Manzanillo. Unlike neighboring Costa Rica, the masses still did not descend, even after everyone knew there was decent surf here.
In September of 1992, a large tsunami washed away the fishing village fronting the reef at Popoyo and some 300 Nicaraguans were killed, making the area even less appealing.
But you can’t keep a good surf spot down. By the mid-’90s, Managuan surfers Luis Fuentes, Ricky Morales, and Eduardo Yrgoen were visiting regularly, and local surfer Juan Carlos Morales joined them in the late ’90s.
J.J. Yemma, after living in Costa Rica for a few years, ended up buying beachfront land here in ’98, convinced he’d found paradise. Unfortunately, one day the president and some ministers drove by and declared the land he’d purchased was actually theirs, and that he had to get off, post haste. Undaunted, and with the help of Florida surfers Mark Rose and Rich Farmer, J.J. bought some land a couple lots back from the beach and built the Popoyo Surf Camp in ’99.
As of ’05 there are a few other surf camps in the area, as well as a couple hundred local surfers (including weekenders from Managua). J.J. started doing local contests in ’00 and August sees the National Championships near San Juan Del Sur, which now boasts 150 competitors. There are a few surf shops in Managua and one in San Juan Del Sur, but the surf scene in Nicaragua is really just starting.
After so much press in ’04 and ’05, it was only a matter of time before the area started blowing up. And while there are a few expats who will bemoan its popularity and subsequent crowds, it is up to those who visit Nicaragua in the next few years to create a sustainable surf environment, with respect given to the locals and an eye for the future. There are enough surf ghettos in the world, and we have a chance to keep this place beautiful, one surf trip at a time.
Surf Crowds
As this stretch of coast gets more popular, more and more boats will show up. Lack of land-based access at many spots insure either an empty lineup or a crowded lineup, as boats usually have a mini-crowd on ’em. It’s always best NOT to paddle out right away, especially if there are eight of you. Drink some water, check it out, and try to take your turn. You’re on holiday and it’s going to stay offshore all day, remember?
Surf Hazards
Apart from a few fairly sharp reefs, you’re mainly going to be surfing beachbreak. Exhaustion and dehydration are your biggest enemies here; make sure you’re in good shape before you leave home, ’cause you can surf eight hours a day due to the offshores. Drink lots of water. There are scorpions and other assorted critters, but again, because it’s so dry, there are not many mosquitoes.
Best Surf Seasons in Nicaragua
Summer
Generally considered to be the best time for both south swells and moderate offshore winds. Can be pretty crowded.
Fall
Can get south swells that never make it to California. Winds tend to be good — though it can rain a lot — and the crowds are back in school.
Winter
Offshore/sideshore winds can be really strong this time of year — sometimes creating upwelling, which can chill the water down to the high 60s — and south swells can be few and far between. North swells miss this zone. Not the best time to go.
Spring
Early season south swells can make their way into the beachbreaks and reefbreaks in this zone, though it still can be quite windy with semi-chilly water.
How to get to Nicaragua
Pretty much all the surf travel companies listed below pick your pasty white ass up at the Managua airport, so you don’t have to worry about much if you go with one of them. Make sure to bring good straps, as sometimes the taxis attempt to tie boards onto the roof with string, which can be disastrous. It’s a three-hour drive to the Popoyo area, depending on the roads (which are always bumpy as hell), and a little less to San Juan Del Sur, as it’s mainly on paved road. If you rent a car, be sure it’s 4WD, ’cause the roads really suck. Be sure to have a sense of where you’re going, as the tourist infrastructure isn’t as good as nearby Costa Rica’s. (There aren’t any ATMs once you get to the coast, for example.)
Surf Resorts