Playa Guasacate – Popoyo’s Bro; A Surfer’s Guide (2026)
Think of Guasacate as the northwest side of Popoyo town. That’s basically what this is – the two are kinda’ interchangeable, and often spoken about as just different neighborhoods of Popoyo proper.
Just a rivermouth separates it from the iconic reef breaks that make the area so fricking awesome. They, along with beginner-friendly Beginner Bay, lay just to the south of where the river enters the ocean.
That’s key. At low tide, you can walk freely between the two. At high it’s a no go, and you will need to venture inland by road for about 10 minutes to move from Guasacate to Popoyo or vice versa. AKA – pay attention to the tides folks!
Character wise, Guasacate is probably the more backpackery part of town. It’s got loads of really cool tropical style beach huts and whatnot lining the shore, all spread along a single road, all spilling out onto utterly gorgeous Guasacate beachfront.
That beachfront does get waves, but they’re probably not what you came to Nica for. Two things: They’re mainly sandbar waves that like a high tide and smaller or mid swells, and don’t have the shape of Popoyo’s main reef spots.
Secondly, they, oddly for Nica, face a little bit south, which can negate the lovely offshore winds you get in these parts, only a touch though, the offshores still usually work well.
Really, you’ll look to Playa Guasacate as a base for surfing all that Popoyo has to offer, but with good surf hostels and good vibes to go along with it.
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>>Read more about surfing in Nicaragua
Where is Playa Guasacate?
Playa Guasacate is sat on the same stretch of coast as the surf town of Popoyo, but it spreads along a beach on the northside of a river from the more-famous area of Popoyo itself.
More widely speaking, you’re still in the southwestern Rivas province here, and you’re still just a touch over 2 hours’ drive (or transfer – most folks get transfers) from Managua, the capital of Nicaragua.
Surfing in Playa Guasacate
Don’t think of Playa Guasacate as a surf spot on its own. Really it’s a neighborhood of the Popoyo area, which is probably – along with Playa Maderas – the most famous surf town in the country.
Playa Guasacate itself does have some spots. They are mellow, easy-going beach breaks when the swell plays ball. Something in the 3-5 foot range with a high tide is best, and then you can get nice-ish shapes throwing themselves out across the whole run of sand.
Just don’t expect huge barrels or landmark spots like you get along other Nicaraguan beaches further north – it’s not The Boom by any stretch.
What really sells this one is the fact that all those main Popoyo breaks are literally walking distance to the south (so long as the tide is low enough to cross the river, and even then you’re like 5-10 minute moto ride away, so no biggie).
We have a full guide to surfing in Popoyo that deals with every spot in town, but here’s a little taster, listing each one in order of proximity to Playa Guasacate:
- Popoyo Main Reef – An all-tide gem of a wave, truly world-class, hoovering up those NE offshores to groom into a lovely A-frame that has barrel offerings on both side, but also is stupidly playful. The highlight of the area, and literally a few 100 meters from the south end of Playa Guasacate.
- Beginner Bay – The newly marketed learner spot in Popoyo. A north-facing inlet that hooks SW swell onto the inside for long, mellow, easy peeling lefts. Great fun. (walkable from Guasacate at low tide, but about 10 mins if not).
- Playa Santana – The southernmost end of Playa Popoyo (just over 15 mins drive from Playa Guasacate now) is this more lux and upscale resort area. It’s got some fantastic breaks, a good left off a rock to the south end but also stunning peaks that love those Nica offshores.
When to surf in Guasacate?
The summer (May to August) sees the bigger swells here, but winter is still great for learners and people who want something more mellow.
Playa Guasacate – and nearby Popoyo – are year-round surf destinations. You can look forward to NE offshore winds virtually all year thanks to that amazing phenomenon of air coming down from Lake Managua further inland.
There’s rarely flat periods for more than a day or two at a time.
Where to stay in Playa Guasacate?
- TwoTen° Surf Home – Perfectly located at the south end of the beach so you can trot right across the rivermouth to hit Popoyo’s main breaks whenever you like, this high-rated selection of self-catering houses has that tropical-away-from-it-all-vibe
- Surf & Yoga Retreat Nicaragua – A packaged surf holiday run by the tried-and-tested folk at Surf & Yoga, this includes 6x surf lessons, video analysis and all your gear. Plus, it’s based out of a surf lodge along Playa Guasacate that has super nice pool and design.
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!
