Puerto Sandino surf is becoming more popular each year. Far from the more famous breaks of southern Nicaragua, this one has an epic rivermouth and loads of high-quality beach breaks on black-sand shores.
An introduction to Puerto Sandino surf
Puerto Sandino is Nica’s less-trodden surf territory. Far away from the famous waves of the Rivas Province – San Juan del Sur, Playa Maderas, and others – the town sits at the mouth of a river that churns out a seriously epic sandbank wave that can hold similarly serious size (like 15-foot+) to give perhaps the longest wave in the country. Flanking that are runs of black sand beaches that have multiple peaks for all levels. Really, the potential of this one is still waiting to be discovered.
There’s now a growing focus on Puerto Sandino as intermediates and up look further and further afield for unbusy Central American scores. Right now, at the time of writing (2023), we’d say that the town just about nails it. It’s quiet but not too quiet. There’s a touch of surf infrastructure, and even some pretty sleek surf camps. Breaks are rarely packed. Overall, the town is best suited to surfers with some experience on hollower reef waves.
The downsides are that gritty industrial feel (the town was born as a rough petrochemical port) and a lack of traveler vibe.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Nicaragua
Puerto Sandino surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Puerto Sandino surf?
Where is Puerto Sandino?
Instead of heading south out of Managua, as you would to get to the iconic surf reaches of the Rivas in southern Nica, head north. Puerto Sandino is about 1.5 hours’ transfer to the northwest, on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean there. Don’t worry – the location is still fine for picking up those legendary Nica lake winds that blow offshore almost every single day. The town itself is actually tucked a little up the river, but most surfers choose to stay on either Miramar Beach or on the main city beach just north of the harbor (the best for getting to the star wave).
Puerto Sandino surf spots
Let’s dig a little deeper into the surf spots that await in Puerto Sandino. As you’ll see, there’s one that really stands out from the crowd, but it’s mainly a barrel machine for advanced surfers. There are other spots on the menu too. We recommend booking a surf camp or dedicated surf hotel, because almost all of the best locations here require boat access.
Puerto Sandino
Some say that the break they call, simply, Puerto Sandino is the best overall wave in the whole of Nicaragua. It’s certainly one of the longest lefts in the region, capable of spitting out 300-meter walls that peel northwards away from the mouth of the Tamarindo River (appropriate name, eh?).
On a mid-tide with a dead-on SSW swell, the wave will link up over about five or six individual sections, starting with a big drop into a clean almond barrel before opening onto a tapered shoulder and then a pitching bowl over the reef.
A few things: You don’t – repeat, DON’T – want to get caught on the inside here. The peak can hold 12-15 feet but it’s usually surfable in the 5-8 range and that’s when it’s at its finest. Either way, it’s not a to be trifled with when there are shallow coral beds less than 2 foot below and the wave lip is a pounding wall of water with slab elements to it. Second: If you do get caught then you’ll be fed through a current that drifts onshore. The only way to get out is to paddle parallel to the wave towards the channel.
The ride itself isn’t actually all that hard. Our team rate it as one of the best places to score barrels if you’re intermediate and not all that used to getting hollow pits. The reason for that is that the initial section is largely sand underfoot and barrels aren’t technical or sucky for the most part.
The wave here is boat-access only. You can negotiate at the port if you want. The better option is to choose a surf camp and they’ll sort all the logistics for you.
Miramar Point
Because of the plaudits received by the main Puerto Sandino sandbank, Miramar Point hardly gets any headlines. If it was anywhere else that would be a different story. This is a seriously great reef break that works on a pushing tide to high with S-SW swells. When it’s big, there’s an outer and inner peak but the inner is actually the better wave, working on 4-7 foot. Consistently barreling with some of the deepest pits we’ve seen in Central America.
Shacks
A bit like a mellow version of Margaret River’s The Box, Shacks is a slabby performance wave that needs a bit of height in the swell and only gets kicking on high tide. Works on anything over 4 foot but really loves it towards the upper end of its scale – around 8-9 foot. Then, it’s a lipping almond barrel that quickly filters into a tapered shoulder that allows for high airs and nice rips back and forth. Draw squiggles, folks.
The best surf camps in Puerto Sandino
There’s one stand-out surf camp in Puerto Sandino right now: The Miramar Surfcamp. We’ve got it high on our list of the very best surf camps in Nicaragua for 2023. It occupies a prime location on Miramar Beach, with a frothing left-right A-frame peak literally steps from the rooms. It’s also cool as hell, with a skate ramp and a great vibe. They currently offer two packages:
- 6 Day Tranquil Surf Camp in Puerto Sandino – Aimed at beginners and improvers, this package takes you to the less-difficult breaks around the camp itself. The tuition is excellent and the package includes roundtrip transfers to Managua Airport.
- 6 Day Advanced Surf Camp Puerto Sandino – Basically the same thing only the surf sessions are calibrated towards advanced surfers. That means a daily boat ride out to the barrel machine that is the Puerto Sandino sandbank. There’s no easier way to surf this beast!
Step-by-step guide to planning your Puerto Sandino surf trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the Puerto Sandino surf…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Puerto Sandino?
Nicaragua is famous for working almost all year round. The winds here are offshore something like 360 days of the year, all thanks to a unique phenomenon known as Lake Winds.
Swell wise, the prime time for the Puerto Sandino surf is the period from April-August, when regular SSW-SW pulses push up from the lower latitudes, right into the river mouth. Barrels come thick and fast then.
Lower intermediate surfers will surely prefer the dry season months of December through to March, which see smaller, easier swells but still plenty of surfable days.
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!
