Your experience with the surf, accommidations, people, culture, opportunities etc.
Thanks in advance!
Roger
As I’m headed there in September myself, I’m kinda interested in the answers too. If you can wait until I get back, then I’ll have the straight skinny.
doc…
My brother was in the Peace Corps, stationed in Rivas, a med. sized town about 30 minutes drive from San Juan Del Sur, on the south pacifc side. I took a trip last summer, there and El Sal. It was very backpacky, and we used all local transportation, did some hiking to breaks, and stayed in basic cheap lodging, as he was dialed in. Shorter trip, I reccomend renting a 4x4.
While in Nica, I only saw San Juan del sur. Apparently Popoyo (a surf camp 2 hours north of SJDS) has good waves when there’s swell, but not much to do when it’s flat.
There is no surf in San Juan del sur (big horseshoe bay) but several breaks to the north and south. SJDS is one of nica’s only beach resort towns. Most of the coast is desolate or private land, increasingly so as you move north. There is huge exploration potential for the hardcore, but better have a lot of time, or a boat.
Lake Nicaragua, the huge body of water in the southern interior, induces offshore winds year round for the south pacific beaches. December to march is hot, dry, dusty and windy, and has the least amount of swell (south and southwest are best) try to avoid this period.
Most of the breaks around SJDS are high tide only. almost universally, low tide on the mostly sand and rock reef beaches produces a smaller, sectiony, sucked out appearance, and are usually unrideable. So that’s the caveat to the constant offshores. get a tide chart for the entire trip for handy reference.
Refer to “the surf report” for breaks and directions, and get a good travel book on the place.
Nica is fairly safe for a central american third world country, but it’s not as easygoing and convenient as Costa Rica by a long shot. For starters, Nica is a lot poorer, with associated problems such as petty theft, poorer hygiene, drug and alcohol problems, and lower standard of living. Nica has one of the largest dist. of wealth gaps in central am, with a small, extremely rich upper class and a vast lower class. Dress should be modest but neat (don’t look like a dirtbag or a tricked out surf dude, you’ll get more respect with a neat, modest appearence. Even the poorest dirt farmers there will attempt to look decent while in town, so should you. Leave the silver oakley bug-shades and surf-logo tank tops at home) I wouldn’t travel at night, or go out in an unfamiliar area at night, unless you know where you are going. Also, leaving articles on the beach or in your car, especially at more remote spots, can get dicey, don’t bring it unless you don’t mind if it gets taken.
All that being said, Nicaragua actually has Central America’s lowest crime rate. The people are usually very friendly, and most carry themselves with that typical incorrigable and cheerful latino/central american pride, and respond well to friendly conversation. Knowing and attempting to use basic spanish is well recieved, as fewer people there speak english.
As for opportunities, let me put it this way, If you can’t have an extremely and consistently sucessful small business in the states, you don’t have a shot in hell in a place like Nicaragua, or anywhere in central america. I have seen so many disillusioned expats in central america who thought that they could kill it in paradise with a restaurant or B&B, only to find that it’s way more difficult down there, with inconsistant suppliers, crime, and corruption from local authorities, among many other difficulties. Compounded by the fact that they are foreigners. Too many end up blaming their debacles on the locals, and become grouchy and racist. Just my experience…
Anyway, that’s just some misc. data, hope it helps. What type of trip are you looking for? what do you expect? what are you willing to endure, and what’s your budget and time frame?
Wells
Nicaragua is a excellent place to visit. The surf is great - very similar to Costa Rica but maybe just a little heavier. And no crowds, which having just returned from CR for the first time in a few years, is a big difference. Access to beaches is definitely an issue there as the roads generally suck or do not exist and there is not alot of great information as to how to find the breaks that have been discovered. The times that I have been there I have gone via Dale Dagger (see the nicasurf link) - and have had no complaints. Quite the opposite, actually. He has his act together and will put you in waves with just you and your mates. Accomodations, at least in San Juan del Sur, are fairly simple but clean and the food and beer are just fine. The people are friendly and the only time I felt unsafe was when I blew the takeoff at a rocky left pointbreak on an overhead day.
Jeff