We know that for everyone looking at planning a beach holiday, it’s so hard to know where to go….especially for surfers of varying standards not wanting to go somewhere that’s not right for them!

That’s part of the reason we launched SanJuanSurf – To help you get all the information you could possibly need before you come, and also while you’re here, we’ve got plenty more to entertain you and get you involved!!

Here’s some information on a few fo the beaches around San Juan del Sur…There’s something for everyone close by, so whether you’re thinking about picking up a board for the first time or if you’re a  seasoned traveling surfer…check out one of any of these beaches!

Playa Madera

This consistent, sand bottom, beach break is located approximately 15 minutes by car (slightly longer in the rainy season) from San Juan Del Sur.  Most days, it’s a playful wave, fast and racy with occasional barrel sections. It’s safe for learners although it can get up to double-overhead.  The best tide is usually, mid-incoming, but high tide down to mid-outgoing also breaks well at times.  It is rarely good at dead low.  Whether your a surfer or not, there’s a really good vibe with all the locals and tourists hanging out together on the beach.  There’s a few rustic bars playing music, selling drinks and BBQ food which always tempts you in from the lineup and lots of places to stay for all budgets tucked away in the jungle that encroaches the beach. Plus you’ll see all the local kids like Rex Calderon who call this place their home!

Playa RemansoThis is the closest break, just 10 minutes south of town.  It is a beautiful white sand bay with a small bar on the beach with shaded area open to everyone.  This beach provides long gentle rollers, making it an easy paddle out and fun for all standards of surfing.  Ideal for learners!

Playa YankeeThis huge beach located 25 minutes south of town is very quiet, and feels like you’ve stepped into Jurassic Park.  It’s a stunning, deserted beach fringed with jungle and absolutely nothing else there but sand and sea. There’s a wedge which comes off a slab at the Southern edge of the bay and creates a fast hollow beachbreak.

If you’re lucky there is an awesome wave at the North end of the beach working.

Playa CocoThis is a beautiful beach located 45 minutes south of town.  There’s a restaurant and a few places to rent, so it’s pretty quiet and makes a great getaway.  The place is good only for absolute beginner surfers and you’d have to bring your own board or rent in town.  However, a postcard perfect beach you should visit.  You’re also very close to the Turtle Reserve at La Flor for those night time expeditions to see the Turtle eggs hatch.

La FlorOnly a 15 minute drive south from Playa Coco, La Flor is a very special beach, something that you can only experience in a few lucky places on earth. The Olive-Ridley Turtles have chosen the beach down at La Flor, just south of San Juan del Sur as one of their only beaches in the world to lay their eggs.
A couple of the Hostels and Hotels organise excursions down to La Flor at night to go and watch this spectacle, see our natural wonders page for details…Definitely a once in a lifetime sight worth seeing!

Others…..

There’s a load of other beaches really close by, accessible only by boat which any of the local boat tours or fishermen will be more than happy to take you to…but when you find out about them…keep them secret so others can discover them like you will and surf them alone!

Beaches to the North….

Playa Colorado: Consistently throwing perfect barrels, Colorado’s is an amazing river mouth beach break just north of Manzanillo. Works from 2 – 10 ft.   Intermediate – Expert

Playa Panga Drops: Bigger board, slow roller, but can handle a large swell as It has a mixed beach/rock reef bottom. Works from 4 – 15+ ft.   Intermediate – Expert

Playa Ranch Santana: Bowly hollow beach break with a river-mouth section. Always a barrel to be had here! Works from 2 – 8 ft.   Intermediate – Expert

Popoyo Inner Reef: Excellent reef break, with left/right capabilities. Works from 4 – 8 ft.   Intermediate – Expert

Popoyo Outer Reef: For those Big Wave enthusiasts, this is Nicaragua’s ultimate left off of a serious reef slab 1/4 mile out from the Popoyo shores. Works from 8+ ft.   Expert

Hope all this helps!  Get in contact or leave a comment if you need any more info and we’ll get back to you!

SanJuanSurf.com

Another busy day down here in San Juan del Sur!  Our friends over with the Charity aimed at getting San Juan del Sur on to recycling popped in this morning for a chat,  They’ve managed to raise enough money to put plastic recycling bins in lots of the restaurants, bars and offices around to get all of us into helping to keep our town clean!  There’s also a few stations on a number of the beaches around the area, so help keep our beaches clean as well!

We went with them for a Photoshoot on the beach in San Juan with the Nicaraguan National Surf Team.  It was really good to see them all together to support this and try to get all the tourists and people who call this place home to help us all!

Here’s a photo we took of them at the shoot!

Nicaraguan Surf Team at the Recycling Photoshoot

Check out this video they did and took round all the schools in the area to get them into it from an early age…..

So good to get a developing country interested in preserving it’s natural gift and wanting to protect it’s wild life!

He had tonnes of support from all of us watching him compete live on the internet, and a few lucky guys got to go down and support him on the beach!

Well Done bud!

If you wanna find out more about Rex and his rise in the surfing world, and San Juan del Sur, then come check out our site! San Juan del Sur Surfing

Rex Calderon

Rex Calderon, One of the local junior pros

This is our first blog as the new definitive tourism directory to San Juan del Sur!

We’re gonna be updating this pretty regularly to let you know what’s going on down here, but this one’s just a little introduction to the place and to get to know us!

San Juan is this beautiful little fishing village which is fast becoming a bustling tourist town.  We have everything you might need for that perfect beach holiday!  All the surrounding beaches are a short drive away, with some incredible world class surfing as well as relaxing swimming beaches or places to snorkel and go diving.

Surfing is huge over here, and with waves that match Costa Rica, but without the crowds, the expenses, and the winds here stay offshore all day almost all year, there is so much to offer.  Some of our breaks, including Playa Madera, Remanso and Yankee are well discovered, but even they are not busy compared to anything you will be used to at home.  There are so many places out in Nicaragua, all the way up the Pacific Coast which are yet to be discovered, and waiting for you to put a name to!

Anything you need before you get here, whilst you’re here, and after you’ve left will be on the new site.  We are creating an all round site to help the tourists find what they’re looking for and for all the business to make sure people know about them!

There are some great places to stay here, from hostels to hotels, from surf camps to eco lodges, and SanJuanSurf.com is going to become the number 1 online guide for information for visitors and locals.  Have a look before you come here, and decide where you’d like to while away the days while you’re here in Nicaragua!

The site is split into various sections to help with user-abilty listed below:

SURF – Beaches Lessons Boat Trips Camps Shops

OTHER FUN – Yoga & Fitness Boats Land Fun Natural Wonders

Cultural Tours Shopping & Cafes Learn Spanish

NIGHT LIFE – Restaurants Bars & Clubs

HAPPENINGS

SLEEP -   Backpacker Mid-range Luxury

CLASSIFIEDS -  Real Estate For rent Used Boards Cars, Bikes etc Miscellaneous

VOLUNTEER

FORUM

TRANSPORT

GALLERY

There’s always lots going on down here, we even had a video made about Nicaraguan surfers recently by Tyler Bliss called Centro…definitely worth checking out as a souvenier when your down here.  Here’s a little trailer..

Anyway,  We’ve got to get back to working on this site so we can get a quick surf in before it gets dark (6ft and 18 second period…..gonna be fun!) and so we can get it launched and start putting San Juan del Sur on the Map!

Till next time,