The 7 best surf camps in Nicaragua for 2023

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Ah, Nica, we love ya’. No seriously, we really do. Still largely overlooked when compared to other surf jewels of Central America, this swell-sucking surf mecca is pretty darn brilliant if you ask us. Breaks range from super-beginner-friendly to ride-of-your-life sorta’ stuff. There’s a variety of beach breaks and points. Prices are low. The vibe is proper tropical paradise. Plus, Nicaragua is now more accessible than ever thanks to expansions to Managua Airport. If you’re keen to dodge the crowds, surf in warm water, and really improve in a range of surf environments, you can hardly do better.

Thing is, there are now oodles of surf stays vying for your hard-earned dollar in these parts and some simply aren’t worth their Pacific salt if you catch our drift. That’s why we wanted to put together this guide to the best surf camps in Nicaragua for 2023, which focuses in on a small shortlist of the places where we think you can rest assured you’ll get the good vibes, the best tuition, and the quality accommodation. 

You’ll notice that the vast majority of them are located in the southwestern Rivas Province. That’s to be expected, since it’s the home of the major surf town of San Juan del Sur. As a general rule, we’d say that places like Playa Maderas are best for intermediates and chilled surfers, while surf camps in Popoyo are better-suited to advanced surfers. Anyway, let’s begin…

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!

• Location: San Juan del Sur
• Best all-round surf camp in Nicaragua for 2023
• Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $712 (£597) per person and $1,017 (£853) per couple

You’ll see the Dreamsea name a lot around here. We think they’re one of the top brands working in the industry right now. Yes, they have outlets all over, from Sri Lanka to Portugal, but they haven’t fallen into the commercial trap of churning out run-of-the-mill surf experiences like some factory. Nope – packages at Dreamsea are invariably exceptionally well planned, packed with features, and just a touch luxury.

Their Nicaragua camp offers a fantastic 8-day option that’s just about spot on for all levels of surfer. It’s tucked just back from the coast of Rivas Province, north of San Juan del Sur. That means you’ll be doing your daily surfs on a whole host of the very best beginner-intermediate beaches in the country, from nearby Maderas to Playa Hermosa further south.

Throughout the stay, you’ll get five surf lessons and free 4X4 transport to the best spots in the region. The week also has a trio of yoga classes with in-house instructors. The biggest plus for us, though? The sheer quality of the accommodation. Anyone who’s stayed at Dreamsea will tell you they don’t skimp here. Get ready for tropical cabanas nestled in the jungle, complete with unique, palm-thatched cabanas and a glorious rainforest pool.

• Location: Puerto Sandino
• Best for: Advanced surfers
• Price: 6 days/5 nights starting at $740 (£620) per person

The Miramar SurfCamp does a tailor-made package for advanced surfers that promises to whisk you away from the busy waves of Rivas and up to the remoter and more challenging breaks of northern Nicaragua. The playground? Puerto Sandino, home to arguably the longest break in the country; a true intermediate+ peeler that rips across sandbars and reef for over 300 meters on its best days.

The focus of this six-day package is squarely on improvement. A daily boat ride out to the take-off zone is included in the price (that’s important because Puerto Sandino can’t really be paddled to), as are daily surf lessons from the in-house instructors. Prepare to be put through your paces – advanced manoeuvres, bottom turns, paddle technique and the like are the overarching focus.

Back in the Miramar SurfCamp, you’ll find loads of chillout spots to enjoy between surfs. The pad is set on a small piece of rock washed by the Pacific Ocean. It’s got a big infinity pool and lovely jungle-style rooms with air-conditioning. If you don’t want to go for the full package, you can also book just accommodation here and organize surf outings when you arrive.

• Location: San Juan del Sur
• Best for: Total beginners
• Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $1,285 (£1,077) per person

If you really have no idea what you’re doing on the water then the southern town of San Juan del Sur is the best place to learn to surf in Nicaragua. That also happens to be where what we think is the absolute best beginner-level camp operates, out of the downright lovely Costa Dulce Retreat Center.

They do an 8-day package that includes a Surf Clinic, which pairs small groups with personal surf instructors for a whole week. That means no chopping and changing teachers so you can really progress from whitewash to green wave. There’s also loads of practice time on offer and theory sessions that teach the basics of surf etiquette and pop-up technique. It basically covers everything.

On top of that, they do LOADS to get the group gelling. You’ll guided jungle hikes, trips to turtle conservation centers, and bonfire nights together, which means you don’t have to worry about making pals in the line up.

• Location: Popoyo
• Best for: Barrel hunters
• Price: Deals start at $908 (£761) per person for six nights

Barrels and off-the-lip action are the focus of this 7-day package from Popoyo Surfcamp. A relatively new but well-rated tour provider, they are staffed by expert surf guides who really know when each point break on this stretch of shoreline is pumping. They also know the secret spots, which is – to be honest – why it’s worth forking out for a stay here. Past customers have noted how it’s basically like buying a ticket to empty line ups on barrelling waves. That’s priceless, no?

Because it’s aimed mainly at advanced surfers who know what they’re doing, this package swaps out planned lessons for guided surfs. There’s a 4X4 to help you reach remoter breaks, and good contacts with the local boats for getting to outer breaks, which you’ll do twice in the week. If you don’t bring your own board, you get access to the in-house selection for unlimited use.

• Location: Playa Maderas
• Best for: Fitness freaks
• Price: 6 days/ 5 nights starting at $1,985 (£1,666) per person

The folk over at Villas Playa Maderas have put together one of the most muscle-burning and brutal fitness camps that we’ve seen anywhere in the Americas. In a good way, though. It’s precisely the sort of thing you need if you’re heading into the new year thinking “man, I ate too much turkey”.

The whole package is based on a daily boot camp regime. It begins with team-building beach games before breakfast followed by yoga sessions in the evenings. As far as the surfing goes, there are at least two fully guided surf lessons backed up by unlimited board and gear rentals for you to use. And the breaks of Maderas (a lovely A-frame for intermediates) is literally three minutes’ walking from the hotel.

Villas Playa Maderas are pretty darn lux too. The accommodation is perched on a ledge between the coastal forests above the waves and the shimmering beach. It’s got an infinity pool, its own yoga shala, and arguably one of the best views in the whole of Rivas, but those are big words!

• Location: Punta Aposentillo
• Best for: Off-the-beaten-track surf travel (and longboarders)
• Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $1,323 (£1,111) per person

The location of Amaru is something special. One of the very few surf camps in Nicaragua that whisk you away to the hidden northern breaks of the country, to beaches that are closer to El Salvador than to Cost Rica, it can offer emptier breaks that just about anywhere. Plus, the local breaks here are cruisy, mellow, longboard-friendly peelers like you don’t get on the southern reefs, so it’s a logger’s paradise.

Guests are usually wowed by the lodge itself, too. Amaru has been designed to fit almost organically with the surrounding coast jungles and black-sand shores. It’s ringed by gardens that have palm trees sprouting through the yoga shalas, and the whole place is decorated in line with local traditions. On top of that, there are only 13 rooms, so it’s never too busy.

The package is really well-balanced and weighted towards surf. There are 2x surf lessons included each day, plus a videography and photo session for technique analysis. Perhaps most of all, you get off-road transport to all the surrounding breaks, which is essential in northern Nica, where things aren’t as accessible as down south.

• Location: San Juan del Sur
• Best for: Digital nomads
• Price: 8 days/7 nights starting at $1,063 (£892) per person

One of the few packages designed with remote workers in mind, the 8-day cowork experience at the Verdad Nicaragua retreat ticks all the boxes for the laptop warriors out there. Most importantly, the place you stay is well-equipped with super zippy internet and loads of places for undisturbed sessions on the zoom meetings, sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean free of charge, of course.

What’s more, the week’s schedule isn’t too packed, leaving plenty of times to clear your Trello in tray. You get three surf lessons, which more advanced surfers can swap out for a guided session to more challenging breaks. That’s backed up by unlimited use of the in-house equipment, so you can trot down to Playa Escameca (the local spot) and have a surf pre- or post-work if you like.

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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!