6 Alluring Nicaragua Surf Towns for 2026
Nicaragua doesn’t really have surf towns like Portugal or Bali does.
Despite its rep for consistent – like super, super consistent – offshores, and a peppering of some really world-class spots (hey, Popoyo), Nica remains kinda on the frontier. A bit.
Surf towns are now popping up here and there, and the likes of San Juan del Sur and Popoyo are now pretty well established, so you do have lots of options.
The takeaway really is that most places remain chilled, undeveloped, pretty calm, and – crucially – unbusy. To put it another way: Very nice.
You might have to work a little to get to some of the surf towns selected here, but chances are it’ll be worth it.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
Popoyo
Look, there’s no doubt about it: Popoyo is the one in Nicaragua.
It’s been ground zero here for surfing since, well, since surfing came this way really. If you’re looking for the best-known surf town in the country, you’ve found it.
Today, Popoyo is probably the closest thing you get to a Bali-style international surf town. Lodges and surf camps now line the whole beachfront of Popoyo. Sorry – that should say beachFRONTS, since this town now encompasses about five of em’, starting with Santana Beach and running all the way to Guasacate further north.
There are like 5-7 spots wedged in the middle, but let’s focus on the two that keep this place consistently popular.
The first is Popoyo Main Point (also known as Popoyo Reef). It’s a world-class A-frame that’s ultra consistent, works on loads of swell levels, ranging from a fun hotdogging wave when it’s small to big barreling thing when it’s large.
Then there’s Beginner Bay. This is a sort of peeling right hand off a rock shelf that’s helped to give Popoyo a dimension it didn’t traditionally have: waves for novices.
>>Read our ultimate guide to surfing in Popoyo
Where to stay? Hide and Seek Resort. South of the main breaks but closer to beginner bay, this boutique lodging has a pool, spa, and more.
Playa Maderas
I’m stretching the definition of surf town as I include Playa Maderas in this list, but it’s worth a bit of stretching since this is a real sand-in-your-toes, surf-washing-you-feet, kick back and chillax sort of place.
Yes, it’s changed a lot in the last 5 years since it hit the mainstream – or the closest thing Nica has to a mainstream. That means there are now boutique hotels and busier lineups than ever before.
However, Playa Maderas still sits neatly in that ever dwindling gap between the discovered and the not discovered. It’s still really relaxed; still has the feel of a proper beach town.
Surf wise, Maderas is a standout, even for the wave-rich San Juan del Sur area. It’s a beach break at heart, with a few patches of reef on the A-frame on its south side. There are three main peaks but they can split up when storms come through.
Potentially good for all levels – beginner to pro – depending on the size, with the big summer (May-Sept) SW pulses bringing the biggest conditions. As ever, offshores are basically consistent in this part of Nica.
>>Read our full guide to Playa Maderas right now
Where to stay? Buena Vista Surf Club has a jungle deck where folk gather for yoga and sunset hangs, walkable to the breaks, tucked into the rainforest. Very cool.
San Juan del Sur
For a while there it looked like the world had gone mad on San Juan del Sur – a town that I’d say hardly even qualifies as a surf town because it doesn’t have any waves of its own.
Then people started realizing that you can just stay in nearby Playa Maderas (see above), walk to the surf, and chill.
Thing is, though the big, gold-sanded beach that lines SJDS (as they call it) doesn’t have waves, it’s still lovely. And the town here does fulfil a good purpose: It’s got modern amenities, hotels to suit every budget, good stays for digital nomads, and – one of the main kickers for some people – nightlife.
It’s generally a great option if you’re keen to surf the southern Rivas area but don’t want to stay in palm-thatch beach cabanas, want bars, want shops, want surf schools. Talking of surf schools, this one’s become a bit of a hub for lots of beginner-leaning surf schools in Nica, and it remains a great pick for that.
I’ll reiterate though: You can’t surf in SJDS. You travel out, either south or north, to places like Playa Hermosa (south 20-25 mins) or Maderas (north 10-20 mins).
>>Read more about surfing and staying in San Juan del Sur
Where to stay? Dreamsea Surf Camp have a really cool iteration in San Juan del Sur. It’s also one of the top-rated packages in Nicaragua on Booksurfcamps.
El Transito
The upcoming option in Nica right now is this beach come beach town (the town has kinda just popped up in the last 20 years mostly) on the northern coast.
It’s sort of the quintessential Central American surf beach experience here. Palms pepper the coastline, the sand is coffee-tinged-cream, the waves are non fricking stop. Lovely. Not crowded. What’s not to love?
Maybe the ride there? It’s not the easiest to reach, though we’ve been told that direct buses now link it from Managua and Leon. A private taxi might be the best choice if you’ve got boards though. Just easier.
The surf is really great. There are four main areas, including a particularly nice and consistent left on the south end of the beach. The main sandbars break right out front of SOLID Surf Camp, usually forming good lefts and rights that suit a real variety of levels.
Apart from the surf, there’s not much going on here. It’s a place to surf mornings, surf evenings, chill in between, and sink beers with the few other surfers who happen to be in town at the same time.
Where to stay? Alive Beach House sits right by the left at the south end of the beach. Sea-view rooms and sea-view pool. Also check out SOLID Surf Camp for the location – the main breaks are literally steps from their door.
Playa Gigante
Slow the pace by choosing Playa Gigante. A pint-sized little town in Rivas province that’s a breath of fresh air from the buzz of San Juan del Sur, and even more chilled than Maderas, this one is another rising star on the scene.
It’s now fairly well known, mainly because of the fact that it’s main beach splits the swell in two. There’s Amarillo to the north, which works great for beginners, and the main playa to the south that gets punchier wrap-around SW swells in dry season, which can barrel when big. AKA – there’s a wave here for everyone.
The small town – and it’s really small – sits on a headland between the two beaches, so you’re always within walking distance.
Sunsets are amazing.
>>Read our full guide to surfing in Playa Gigante
Where to stay? Monkey House Hostel is kinda the hub of the surf crowd in Playa Gigante. It’s on that headland, surf on both sides.
Puerto Sandino
Puerto Sandino is worth a shout because it’s got a truly world-class left hander. It’s not a reef but a sandbar that works quite far out on the side of the main river estuary here. It’s an advanced break to be honest, because its shifty and there are rips, plus it’s always at its best with a little size.
AKA – we’d pick somewhere more user friendly if you want casual Nica surfing, like Gigantes or Transito.
The other downside to Puerto Sandino is that the water can be murky – there’s a river flowing right into the break.
All that aside, if you want something challenging, want small line ups, and want long lefts that recall the lines of Bali, and big barrel sections when its large, this is where to come.
A good surf infrastructure has set up just south of the harbor area, in an area called Miramar. By good, I mean a speckling of surf camps. Mhmm – it’s v. chill.
>>Read all about Puerto Sandino right now
Where to stay? Sirena Surf Lodge Miramar Nicaragua – close to the main breaks, these guys offer boat trips out to that epic left.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
