Does Nicaragua also have beaches? YES! Nicaragua has actually very beautiful beaches. San Juan del Sur is known for its fine sandy beaches on the Pacific. And because it is the Pacific coast, there are lots of surfers here waiting for the perfect wave. Many of the bays and beaches vary in terms of the height of the waves and the general conditions on site. For us, the decisive factor is where there is a suitable parking lot where we can stay for two nights, preferably right on the beach.
Surfing is not really a thing for either of us, but the cozy beach life is all the more fun and watching the surfers is also exciting.

So, we come across Playa Madera. This beach is about 8 km outside the city, has enough visitors, but not too many, and nobody seems to mind if we occupy a parking space for a while. As is often the case at surf spots, the atmosphere is very relaxed and we simply enjoy doing nothing on the beach for a while. There are three restaurants on this beach, just enough to provide enough variety if we need a change from the beach or Camper Ben.

In our opinion, Playa Madera is perfect for beginners. The conditions were ideal as the smaller waves don’t break too far out, but not too close to the beach either. With that the paddling distances for beginners are not far, as more time is spent paddling than surfing in the early stages of surfing. We can passively participate in at least five surf lessons from the beach. The surf schools next door are so active that there is no way around the courses during the day. Never mind – it’s always a bit of entertainment for non-surfers like us.

That’s how quickly a stay in a country can come to an end. After these quiet days on the beach, we somehow naturally feel the urge to travel to Costa Rica. We quickly cook our fresh vegetables, as we don’t know how strictly they check for them at the border and set off the same afternoon after cooking to enter Costa Rica. We are really looking forward to this next country in Central America, we have already heard a lot of good things about it!