REGION:
CENTRAL AMERICA
LONDON- MANAGUA 15 HRS
or SANSA from COSTA RICA
NOVEMBER-JULY
INTERMEDIATE TO EXPERT
REGION:
CENTRAL AMERICA
LONDON- MANAGUA 15 HRS
or SANSA from COSTA RICA
NOVEMBER-JULY
INTERMEDIATE TO EXPERT
Nicaragua FAMILY SURF TRAVEL GUIDE
WILD BEACHES, STUNNING SURF AND FAMILY ADVENTURES
With its wild coastline boasting waves 300+ days of the year, Nicaragua is an epic destination for family surfing holidays. Once over-shadowed by Costa Rica, the rise of boutique, all-inclusive surf resorts and an eco-friendly lifestyle, makes Nicaragua one of our top destinations for surfing families who want to progress their surfing and take a step off the beaten track.
Nicaragua Holiday Highlights
- Pristine coastline with reef and beach breaks
- Boutique, family-friendly surf resorts
- Offshore winds 300+ days of the year
- Rich Central American culture
- Close encounters with nature
- Eco-friendly lifestyle
- Everything you need for an epic surf holiday
Nicaragua Overview
A little more rugged and less touristy than Costa Rica, Nicaragua delivers for the adventurous surfing family. Flanked by Central America’s largest lake and the South Pacific, Nicaragua’s south-westerly coastline gets offshore winds 300+ days a year. Advanced surfers will love the hollow beach breaks and punchy reefs, while there are few sandy bays with more gentle waves for beginners. If you’re looking for small and medium-sized swells, take a winter break from December to April, which is dry and sunny with temperatures around 25-28C. The bigger, more consistent swells roll in from May to October, which is rainy season, but there’s often a ‘mini summer’ in late July and August, making it an ideal location for the summer holidays.
While Nicaragua is a little more wild than its neighbour, Costa Rica, it’s home to some top-notch surf hotels and family surf camps, where you won’t have to lift a finger to catch the waves of the day from the lap of luxury. Set up for surfers and non-surfers of all ages, many of these boutique lodges lay on all-inclusive packages including surf lessons, surf guiding, surfboard hire, yoga, meals, jungle adventures and other activities.
Featured Nicaragua Surf Trips
QUICK FACTS ABOUT Nicaragua AS A FAMILY SURF DESTINATION
Getting there: It’s around 15 hours flight from London to Managua, Nicaragua via Miami or Houston (Houston is preferable). Or you can fly direct to Liberia in Costa Rica and take an internal flight with Air Sansa.
Getting around: Most accommodation will offer a transfer service to your hotel, and provide transport to surf breaks.
Surf season: November and April is dry season with small and medium swells. Bigger swells roll in from May to October, which is rainy season, but much of the rainfall is during the night and temperatures are pleasantly cool by day.
Surfing level: Best for intermediate to advanced surfers.
Climate: Av temperature 25-28C year-round. Dry season November-April. Rainy season May-October, with a mini summer/ dry period from late July to August. Peak rainy season is September and October, and these are the only months really worth avoiding.
Wetsuit: A shortie is optional for dawn surfs when the wind is up.
Time zone: UTC -6
Currency: Nicaraguan Cordoba (NIO)/ USD $
Family Surf Co’s take:
Hayley Lawrence
We visited Nicaragua in when all the kids were under 10, and were lucky to score surf to suit everyone. It was December so the waves were usually small, clean and perfect for the excitable groms, with a few bigger session at Popoyo and Magnific Rock. Later in the year when the bigger swells roll in, Nicaragua can be much more challenging with plenty of expert breaks to test your skills.
We felt really safe in Nicaragua, and the hosts and locals were very welcoming, especially when travelling with small children. The guides took the time to find waves that the kids would enjoy, and also teed up adventures including horse-riding and cooking with a local family. The kids absolutely loved the wildlife, especially the pelicans in the line-up, and our surf trip to Nicaragua was an incredible experience that we will treasure forever.
Read on to discover the best locations to surf, play, eat and stay on your family surfing holiday in Nicaragua.
SURF: WHERE TO GO FOR YOUR FAMILY SURF HOLIDAY IN Nicaragua
A spit of land flanked between Central America’s largest lake and the South Pacific, Nicaragua’s south-westerly facing coastline gets all the swell rolling in from the roaring forties and fifties, funnelling offshore winds 300+ days a year. There are plenty of firing point breaks for competent surfers, and some fun beaches for beginners and intermediates. What with water temperatures of around 28C you can ditch your wetsuit for a bikini or boardies (or at the most chuck in a shortie if you’re planning to be in the water as the sun comes up).
One of the best times to visit Nicaragua is between November and April – when it’s dry season with small and medium swells. But if you’re serious about your surfing, the swell increases during the wet season (May to October), when most of the rainfall is during the night and temperatures are a bit cooler and pleasant by day. Peak rainy season is September and October, and these are the only months really worth avoiding.
Featured Nicaragua Surf Trips
PLAY: THINGS TO DO ON A FAMILY SURFING HOLIDAY IN Nicaragua
Encounter baby turtles on paradise beaches, take a dip in tidal pools and hot springs, or explore by horseback with an authentic Nicaraguan gaucho. Time out in Nicaragua is all about getting nose-to-nose with nature. And when you’re not out in the wild, party with the locals when the rodeo’s in town, hit the half pipe, the hammock or head off on a deep-sea adventure.
EAT: FOOD & DRINK FOR ALL THE FAMILY IN Nicaragua
From cocktails (Flor de Caña rum and coke) and the local Toña beer at happy hour, to whole lobster hauled in fresh from the ocean, Nicaraguan food and drink is fresh, colourful and delicious. In a place where you can quench your thirst with fresh coconuts and gorge on fresh produce plucked from local quintas (farms), there’s plenty of options the whole family will love.
Our favourite local dishes include deep-fried plantains (tostones), tortillas stuffed with cheese (quesillo) and rice with beans and coconut milk (gallo pinto) – the latter which is the perfect breakfast fuel to set you up for a day of surfing.
STAY: FAMILY-FRIENDLY SURF HOTELS AND ACCOMMODATION IN Nicaragua
Nicaragua boasts plenty of boutique, family-friendly accommodation that caters for the surfers and non-surfers in your family. As well as surf guiding, surf lessons and surfboard hire, you can expect delicious and nutritious cuisine, yoga and fitness activities, and an array of family adventures from horse-riding to jungle tours. Or you can just relax in style with a spa and swimming pool, while the rest of the family go surfing.
THE WRAP: Nicaragua is the Home of Happy Surf Holidays
Our top location for adventurous surfing families who want to ramp up their surfing a level, Nicaragua offers pumping waves, wild landscapes and a heady dose of Central American culture. All wrapped into a safe, stylish experience in boutique surfing accommodation.
For further inspiration, see this video from our last family trip to Nicaragua when the kids were a lot younger.