Surfing in San Juan del Sur (Nicaragua) Full Beach Breakdown

Where to surf in San Juan del Sur: Beach Guide

So you’re heading to San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua – fantastic! You’re thinking about surfing – even better! 🏄‍♂️

Given the amount of beaches in the area, you’re probably now wondering where to surf in San Juan del Sur.

Nicaragua has a long stretch of Pacific coastline reaching from the Gulf of Fonseca in the north, all the way past San Juan del Sur in the south and down to Costa Rica. What this means is that Nicaragua has no shortage of incredible surfing spots. San Juan del Sur and its surrounding beaches are arguably the gem of the bunch, with a wide selection of beaches and something for everyone.

I’m here to help you decide where to surf in San Juan del Sur by guiding you through each of San Juan del Sur’s beaches; explaining which are best for what; and providing recommendations and honest reviews.

About San Juan del Sur

San Juan del Sur is a small surfer town and popular digital nomad spot located on the south coast of Nicaragua, not far from the border with Costa Rica. Once celebrated for its simplicity and natural charm, San Juan del Sur has grown and developed into Nicaragua’s most popular surfing hotspot and gained a notorious reputation for partying. It’s now the place to go for surf and party in Nica! 🤙

Whilst SJDS has certainly transformed in recent years, it has held onto the core aspects of its character that initially drew in the crowds. Its warm, laid-back atmosphere is clear to see; as you wander its narrow streets and explore its colourful town center. Most mornings are sleepy after the night before, and the atmosphere resumes again after dark (once the surfing day is over) with reggae bars and tattoo shops galore.

Not forgetting San Juan del Sur’s incredible coastline which attracts both beginners and seasoned wave riders. It’s worth mentioning that San Juan del Sur is a blanket term often used to group all the beaches surrounding SJDS together.

Why surf in San Juan Del Sur?

There are plenty of reasons to surf in San Juan del Sur. Here are just a few:

• Variety of beaches: Big or small; quiet or busy; A-frame, rights or lefts. There are loads of beaches to choose from along this stretch of coastline.
• Suitable for all surfing standards: The variety of beaches in San Juan del Sur means there’s something for everyone as it caters to all surfing standards.
• Cheap surfing: Compared to Central America’s other popular surf spots such as Costa Rica and Panama, SJDS offers cheap surf lessons, board rental and living costs! And it’s even cheaper compared to other parts of the world!
• Great waves: Lying on the south coast of Nicaragua against the Pacific, its location is set up perfectly for favourable wind, meaning consistent surfing and awesome waves.
• Party town or quiet surfer spots: Whether you want to party, work, surf, or relax; San Juan del Sur isn’t all about surfing (just mostly). Sunday Funday is another popular reason to visit San Juan.
• Choice of surf camps and surf schools: With beaches stretching along the coast you’re spoilt for choice with the number of live-in surf camps and schools with accommodation on the beachfront.
• Surfing all year: The beaches around SJDS are surfable all year round.

When to surf in San Juan del Sur?

The best time of year to surf in San Juan del Sur depends on your ability and tolerance to cold waters. That being said, I wouldn’t say there’s a bad time to surf here as there are always waves!

The peak season in Central America (Jan-Feb) is great for beginners due to the smaller swells. The weather at this time of year is normally dry making it ideal for relaxing on the beach between waves.

If you’re chasing the bigger waves, then April through August is the best time to go. The swells are generally bigger and more consistent.

Crowds remain relatively consistent throughout the year, though perhaps a few more in January and February. Sundays are the quietest day for surfing whilst everyone is partying at Sunday Funday.

	Nov-Feb	March-April	May-August	Sept-Oct
Level	Easiest	Easy-Medium	Hardest	Medium-Hard
Suitable for:	All levels	All levels	Intermediate-Advanced	All levels
Swell	3-4ft	4ft	5ft	5ft
Temperature	27°C	28°C	29°C	28°C
Weather	Dry	Mostly dry	Wetter	Mostly dry

In terms of the best time to go surfing in San Juan del Sur each day, this will depend on your ability and the tides (which you can look at here). While an outgoing tide is generally better for beginners as it’s easier to paddle out, incoming tides generally break better making for better surf.

Medium-high tide is generally accepted as the best time to surf in San Juan del Sur. This usually means around 2 hours before or 2 hours after high tide. However, I’m of the opinion that every day is different and it depends on conditions (swell, wind, busyness). Another good rule of thumb is that early mornings and evenings are good for surfing as it’s often quieter and lighter offshore winds create better waves.

NOTE: This is another reason why staying at beachside accommodation is beneficial as you can easily spot the waves and make the most of any good conditions.

San Juan del Sur Beach Breakdown

Below I’ve ranked all the beaches in San Juan del Sur area for surfing, swimming, restaurants, and accommodation.

Beach	Surf	Swim	Restaurants	Hostel	Camp
Maderas	3	3	3	3	2
Yankee	3	3	–	–	–
Escameca	3	3	–	–	–
Hermosa	2	3	3	2	1
Remanso	2	3	1	–	–
Ostional	2	3	1	1	–
San Juan	1	3	3	3	–
El Coco	–	3	2	2	–
Majagual	–	3	1	1	–
Marsella	–	3	1	1	–
Matilda	–	2	1	3	3
La Flor	–	–	–	–	3

Where to surf in San Juan del Sur

Ironically, San Juan del Sur beach is one of the worst beaches for surfing in the area. So if you’re looking to surf, I generally recommend exploring one of the (many) others.

The three most popular surfing beaches in San Juan del Sur are Maderas, Remanso and Hermosa, all of which are sandy and suitable for all standards. Here’s the full analysis of each of the surfing beaches in the area, including drive time from San Juan del Sur town, wave difficulty, wave type and approximate shuttle cost.

Playa Maderas

20 Minutes | Beginner-Intermediate | A-Frame | $7 USD

Playa Maderas (aka Maderas Beach) was my favourite beach in San Juan Del Sur.

Surfing here is arguably one of the best days out from San Juan del Sur. This picturesque beach offers some of the best and most consistent waves in the area.

Whilst beginners can surf here (and regularly do), the swells are larger than some of the other beaches in the area. This makes for a beach attracting all standards of surfer.

There are board rentals and surf lessons available on the beach. Plus the quality and variety of boards at Maderas seemed better than other beaches.

Whilst Maderas was originally a remote beach only reached via a winding jungle road, its popularity has resulted in a number of recent developments providing more options to stay in the area. These accommodation options have attracted surfers and digital nomads alike, but have made it busier than it once was.

If you’re not a surfer, there are a couple of beach bars and restaurants where you can sip drinks, watch people surf and admire the beautiful sunset. Alternatively, you can bring your own, rent a parasol and enjoy the sun.

Playa Remanso

10 Minutes | Beginner | A-frame | $7 USD

The lovely Playa Remanso is conveniently located just south of San Juan del Sur. As the closest beach to the town and with good transport links, it’s popular among locals and travellers alike, and perfect for both full-day or half-day outings.

The gentle rolling waves and consistent surf at Remanso make it ideal for beginners and intermediates. Since the waves here are smaller than at Playa Maderas and Hermosa, it’s a popular pick for surf schools and newbies looking to find their feet.

The only downside of this beach is that, because of its comparatively small size and popularity, it can get busy. You will notice this most on Saturdays!

There are surfboard rentals and lessons available here, as well as restaurants and bars dotting the shoreline.

Playa Hermosa

25 Minutes | Beginner-Intermediate | A-frame | $12 USD (including entrance fee)

Playa Hermosa, just further along the coastline than Remanso, has a sandy stretch of coastline over a mile long!

This spacious beach is less forgiving than its neighbough, Remanso. With large swells during the rainy season, the waves at Playa Hermosa occasionally provide the opportunity for barrels, hollowing out in the middle! During smaller swells, the beach is still great for beginners, especially with the amount of space the beach allows.

Technically Playa Hermosa lies on private land, meaning that there’s an entry fee of $3 USD, though this is often included in the shuttle price. You will need to pay if you arrive independently.

The fee is worth it though as there are plenty of facilities available. There are restaurants, bars, loungers, parasols, hammocks, and also toilet/shower facilities. As you’d expect, there are also board rentals and surf lessons.

Playa Yanke

30 Minutes | Intermediate | A-frame | $10pp (approx)

Playa Yanke, also known as Playa Yankee or El Yanke, is another great beach located south of San Juan del Sur. This one feels a lot more remote and mainly attracts the surfers who want some peace.

Yanke Beach is more technical than the likes of Hermosa, Remanso and Maderas. Its more exposed beach yields bigger waves, the better of which are generally lefts.

The beach itself feels pretty empty, with no restaurants, bars or even surf stops! The lack of board rental makes trips to Yanke trickier to organise, though all the more rewarding. Most of the folk who visit Yanke are the sorts who go down with a pickup, boards in the back and their food and drink for the day in the front. But it’s worth the trip!

Playa Escameca

35 Minutes | Intermediate | A-frame | $10pp (approx)

Escameca Beach is probably the least-visited surfing beach in San Juan del Sur. Located further south than Playa Yanke, this secluded beach is tucked away in a little cove with a more authentic feel. Locals fish from the rocks, while birds fly from near the estuary, and the only other people are a few guests from nearby eco-hotels.

To reach this little haven, you will need to pay a $5 entry fee to drive to the beach as you pass through the gated neighbourhood of Costa Dulce. Or you can get a shuttle from Casa Oro Hostel if you can pull together a group to make it worthwhile. Once you’ve left your vehicle, you will need to walk down the rest of the way.

The waves at Escameca have a nice break suitable for all standards, plus you have the space as barely any other surfers are in the water.

There are limited facilities at the beach (only the eco-hotels a short distance away). You can rent boards from one of the hotels, and they also offer surf lessons. I recommend packing as much of your own stuff for the day (food and drinks) to make the most of the quiet.

Playa San Juan del Sur

The beach at San Juan del Sur is very different from the rest. Whilst it’s not as exotic, beautiful or remote as others in this article, it doesn’t try to be! Instead, San Juan del Sur beach it’s home to a small harbour, it’s walking distance from numerous restaurants and bars, and there is plenty of space to relax.

If you’re staying in the town centre, it’s worth wandering down to check it out.

You’ll very rarely see anyone surfing here due to the number of boats and the small waves. However, there are a couple of sections at the north end of the bay where it is possible. I don’t recommend surfing here; leave this beach for sunbathing, drinks and a cheeky dip when you don’t feel like travelling too far from town.

Tips for Surfing in San Juan del Sur

Renting Boards

There are surfboard rentals available at every beach mentioned above. Prices vary between X to X for a day.

Alternatively, you can rent a board which is usually around $10 USD for the day.

Some beaches also offer an hour’s rental for X.

If you’ve never surfed before, I recommend getting a lesson before renting a board. They will recommend you a board to use. Bigger boards are better for beginners and you can level up to a smaller board when you improve.

If you want to rent a board for more than a day, try to negotiate a cheaper rate than the price per day.

When you get your board, make sure to check it out for damage before you leave as you would with any other vehicle. Take pictures before you leave the shop. There ar stories of rental companies trying to charge surfers for damage to boards.

Surf Lessons

Surf lessons in San Juan del Sur are available for all standards, from those who have never surfed before to those looking to top up their technique.

You should expect to pay $25 to $30 for an hour or 1.5-hour surf lesson. This usually includes board rental for the rest of the day to practice. If it’s your first time, I don’t recommend any lessons that last longer than 2 hours as it’s exhausting!

You can book in the main town of San Juan del Sur, where there are plenty of surf schools to choose from. It’s usually cheaper, plus they occasionally include transport. They also offer more options in terms of multi-lesson bookings. If you don’t fancy browsing the surf schools, most hostels will either have an instructor or a contact to arrange lessons.

Alternatively, you can be more spontaneous and wait until you are at the beach to check out what lessons and instructors are available. This is a helpful option for those who are uncertain about getting a lesson.

If you are on the fence about getting a surf lesson in San Juan del Sur, I can only recommend it. Chances are if you’re considering getting a surf lesson, next time you surf you’ll still be considering a lesson. And since Nicaragua is one of the cheapest places to get a lesson, it’s worth doing it so you can enjoy the waves sooner! Plus group lessons are a great way to meet people.

Transportation

Rather than listing specifically how to get to each beach in and around San Juan del Sur, I have created a map marking the locations of each of the beaches.

The quickest way to each of these beaches would be to either drive or rent a moped. It’s worth mentioning that a couple require entry fees for vehicles (Hermosa and Escameca), and some roads are a bit rough (Escameca, El Coco, Yanke). If you have a surfboard, hiring a pickup is the easiest. Whereas mopeds are cheaper, easier to park, and give you more of a scare along sketchy roads!

The easiest way to the beach is to get a shuttle. From the centre of San Juan del Sur, Casa Oro is one of the most popular spots to pick up a shuttle to any of the beaches in the area.

They run at ‘set times’ to each of the most popular beaches (Maderas, Hermosa and Remanso). For the less visited beaches, you may need to gather a group together (usually 4 people minimum) so it’s worthwhile for the shuttle to run.

NOTE: Avoid planning your day to any given timings. Whilst shuttles say they will leave at a particular time, often only leave when they are full.

Alternatively, many people choose to select accommodation near a beach you want to check out. If you do your research in advance and know where in San Juan del Sur to surf, you can book accommodation nearby and avoid any transport hassle altogether!

Where to stay in San Juan del Sur

Picking your accommodation in and around San Juan del Sur often relies on which beaches you want to check out. Here are my top choices:

Best for Surfing: Casa Oro

Casa Oro offers daily shuttles to each of the beaches around San Juan del Sur. So if your focus is just on surfing and visiting a mix of different beaches, Casa Oro is one of your best bets. They also have their own surf instructor.

Best for partying: Pachamama Hostel
As the home of Sunday Funday, staying here will mean you’ll be in the centre of the action! Plus staying at Pachamama means you get discounted tickets to the pool crawl. Besides this obvious benefit, it’s a great place to party, meet people before the pool crawl and hopefully win free tickets!

Best overall: Hola Ola Hostel:
The highest-rated hostel in San Juan del Sur town, Hola Ola is a lovely hostel with a social atmosphere. It’s within walking distance of shuttle points as well as the start of Sunday Funday.

Interesting Alternative: The Space
This option is a strong alternative if you aren’t bothered by location. The Space is a modern, boutique-style hostel with good facilities. The only pitfall is that it’s located in no-man’s land near the jungle on the outskirts of San Juan del Sur. If you are getting shuttles to the beaches anyway,

Best near beach: Hush Maderas
This accommodation is located within walking distance of Playa Maderas and offers amazing sunset views over the sea. While visitors often come in the evening for sunset, being able to stay in this location for the rest of the day is a blessing!

What to do in San Juan del Sur besides surfing

I’ll be honest, other than surfing, there’s not much else to do in San Juan del Sur. The culture predominantly revolves around the beach and the bars!

However, if you are keen for a day away from the waves and need things to do in San Juan del Sur besides surfing, here are your best options:

• Chill out at the beach: You can still go to the beach without surfing! This stretch of coastline along the Pacific Ocean is glorious and there are loads of beaches that don’t have surfing waves that are still worth a visit. El Coco and Matilda are up there for me.
• Party: There are a plethora of beach bars and hang-out spots in the city. Rock up for some cheap drinks and have a laugh with some friends (or strangers!). If you’re down to party, make sure you are in San Juan del Sur for Sunday Funday, Nicaragua’s most notorious pool crawl!
• Watch the sunset from Hush Maderas: Just a 10-minute (mostly uphill) walk from Maderas Beach is a lovely boutique hostel with sea views, cheap cocktails, and an infinity pool.
• Hike to the Christ of Mercy: Overlooking San Juan del Sur is a 25m Jesus Statue atop a large hill. One of the best views over San Juan del Sur, this walk should take less than 45 minutes from the town. It’s between 2 and 3km depending on where you start. If you don’t fancy the hike, ATV tours often ride past.
• Day Trip to Ometepe: Take a bus to Rivas and jump on a ferry to Ometepe (approx 45 mins). You could even rent mopeds beforehand, take them on the ferry and ride around the island with them.
• Day Trip to Costa Rica: With the border less than an hour away from San Juan del Sur, you can easily hop over the border for a short trip.

Surfing Terms Glossary

If you’re not a regular surfer (or even if you are), here are some common words and phrases that you might have seen in this post or might hear when surfing in San Juan del Sur.

• Swell: Swells are like low-frequency waves. Further away from the shore, they are affected by weather (such as wind), tides and other meteorological factors. Swells directly impact the waves, and thus the quality of surfing.
• A-Frame: A type of wave that breaks both from left to right and from right to left. These are great as you can practice on both on the same beach.
• Barrel/Tube: The inside section of the wave, the hollow or curl.
• Ankle-busters/Ankle-burners/Snappers: Small Waves.
• Stoked: How you feel after successfully riding an awesome wave (i.e. happy).

Before you go

Thank you for reading my guide on where to surf in San Juan del Sur. If guides, itineraries and travel content like this interest you, head over to my blog page to find out more.

If you are new to Matt’s Next Steps, check out the About Me page to find out a bit more about who I am, my travel adventures, and why I wanted to become a travel writer.

Please comment below and let me know your thoughts and experiences, or if there is anything else you want information on.

Happy surfing! 🤙