Pssstttt… I’m going to let you in on a secret. Nicaragua is one of the most upcoming surf destination in the world right now. Its growth in tourism is starting to develop faster than once perfect Costa Rica, and you can have an amazing holiday with less tourists around and more affordable prices.

“After visiting Nicaragua since 2009, I am convinced that it really is one of the best surfing destination.” 

Here are 10 Reasons Why Nicaragua Is One Of The World’s best surf destination

1- Nicaragua has 330 days per year of offshore winds, making perfect, clean tubular waves.

Not many places in the world can claim to have such good surfing conditions all year long. Because of the huge lake of Managua in the middle of the country, the strong and consistent offshore winds (called papagayos) bless the country with offshore wind that makes the pacific coast an epic place to surf glassy barrels all day long.

 2. Nicaragua has very warm water almost all year.

With warm water all year long in  Central and Northern Nicaragua and about 9 months a year  in Southern Nicaragua (January-March gets a bit colder in the south of Nicaragua due to stronger winds pushing the warm layer of water out to sea- a 1mm or 2mm top is advised). Why spend money to fly to North America’s East or West Coast when you can spend the same amount to go surf in board short or bikini in Nicaragua.

 3- Nicaragua has a lot of uncrowded waves if you know where to go.

Nicaragua is still pretty unknown as a surfing destination and you can score perfect waves to yourself if you know where to go (stay away from main tourists spots like San Juan Del Sur area (Maderas, Hermosa and Remanso) and Popoyo area. (if you want to surf far from the crowd)

It’s also a paradise for every everyone who wants to play in the ocean, from beginner surfers to advanced chargers. Nicaragua has some of the most beautiful waves.

 4-The people of Nicaragua are very genuine and friendly.

Unlike other countries with an overdevelopped tourism industry, Nicaraguayans are still very friendly and welcoming and they are happy to meet strangers from other country. Try to practice some spanish with them and you might end up with lifelong friendships.

5- Nicaragua has some of the best and nicest beaches to learn how to surf in a safe environment

While there are many intermediate and advanced reef point breaks (mostly lefts), Nicaragua has some amazing beach breaks that are not too maxed out during most of the year and the dry season (december-june). How good is it to practice surfing with sand bottom mellow waves and, unlike Hawaii, with no one around into you?

6-You can experiment some of the craziest experiences in the world, such as volcano boarding in Nicaragua!

CNN has ranked volcano boarding in Nicaragua in second place in its list of fun but terrifying experiences. One of the best spots to enjoy the thrilling sport is the slopes of the Cerro Negro, a live volcano that last erupted in 1999, where adrenalin-seekers can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometres an hour. 

 7- You can get very cheap meals in Nicaragua

Lobster dinners for under 15$ ? Yes please. Since the economy is still in an early stage, you can find cheap deals, mostly on food, that will cost you half of what you would spend in other Central American countries like Costa Rica or Panama.

8- Nicaragua offers various options for good night life

Wether you want to let your groove on at Sunday Funday in San Juan Del Sur, pubcrawling in Unesco authentic town of Leon or some more mellow beach party, there are many great options for you to have the time of your life in Nicaragua.

This one is an exclusive boat party that we do on our last night of our 10 days Nicaragua surf trip

9- Nicaragua has very good vibes

The people might not be the richest, but they are definitely very happy. Add up sunshine, a young traveler scene, excellent waves , cheap beers and sunset dj sets at the beach bars and you can undertand why this is the favourite surf destination of many surfers and travellers right now.

10- Nicaragua’s wild nature and authentic experiences

The country has many volcanos, huge cliffs dropping into the sea, lagunas and beautiful wildlife. You can find local cockfights event in the small towns, travel on a chicken bus, or get stopped behind a group of donkeys or cows passing by in the middle of the road- makes you forget about the daily stress of the modern life most of us are used to.

Solo traveler or planning a trip with friend?

There are many ways to experience Nicaragua.

Either explore it by yourself or if you don’t feel like planning, book an organized surf trip to enjoy the best of Nicaragua while making new friends and traveling stress-free!

To get a better idea of what our surf trips look like you can see:

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Featured image by Jean-Christophe Lemay & André-Laurence Chabot