Nicaragua is an awesome place to visit and to surf. If you’re like us, you’re always looking for options for the whole family. Luckily, Nicaragua has some solid options. There are big and powerful waves in places like Popoyo, while El Remanso offers one of the best longboard waves in Nicaragua.

You can generally surf in Nicaragua year-round. The wet season (March-October) offers the biggest and most powerful swells, but the dry season (North American winter) still sees incredible consistency and slightly smaller waves. It’s one of our favorite places to surf in December, but you might find some holiday crowds around Christmas and the New Year. Because the waves are smaller (but not tiny) during this time of year, it’s a better time for the family in our opinion.

Anyway, on to the surf camps! Here are a few of our favorite family-friendly surf camps in Nicaragua.

From Our Store

Hide and Seek Resort

Located in Popoyo, Hide and Seek is an awesome choice for anyone looking for a surf experience with some health and wellness on the side. We talk about it in our post 7 Amazing Surf Vacations for Families, but let’s get into it here. The waves in the area are super consistent. You’ll find some A-frame waves offering both lefts and rights, as well as some beginner-friendly waves on the inside. The bottom is sandy, making it a great place to learn to surf. The spot known as Beginner’s Bay is a fantastic place to get started surfing (one of the best beginner surf spots in Nicaragua), while the Main Reef offers some of the best waves in the country.

Their family package runs around $3,000 and includes daily surf trips, all meals for everyone, and access to ice baths, saunas, fitness classes, and their beautiful pool. They also include horseback riding, A/C in every room, and pilates and yoga. There’s internet, massages and a spa, room service, and concierge services. It’s a lovely little boutique hotel that made our list of the best all-inclusive surf camps we know of.

Dreamsea

Dreamsea has surf camps all over the world. Their location in Playa Maderas is just outside of the surf hub of San Juan del Sur, one of the most popular surf spots in Nicaragua. The area is chalk full of surfers and surf culture, with tons of breaks in the area. You’ll find solid A-frames in Playa Maderas and legit longboard and beginner-friendly waves down in Remanso. There are waves for every skill level, and you’ll have access to multiple different nearby waves, making it one of the best surf camps in Nicaragua in general.

The surf camp includes breakfast and dinner, surf lessons, on-land surf theory sessions, yoga classes, and other activities like hikes, transport to the town, picnics, and more. They also offer surfskate lessons to practice surfing on land, private surf lessons, and trips to nearby attractions like Granada and Ometepe Island. Dreamsea costs around $600 per week, and they have private suites, twin rooms, and dorm rooms depending on your needs. You can hop into San Juan del Sur to walk around as a family, explore the local surf culture, and meet travelers from all over the world.

The Surf Ranch

The Surf Ranch is the place to stay for the action-oriented family. Located in San Juan del Sur, you’ll have access to all of the breaks in the area. It’s all-inclusive, so meals and beer are included. You’ll also have plenty to do for the whole family here (more on that in a bit). They have air conditioned rooms, free WiFi, and many options for rooms. You can find standard rooms, freestanding condos, and villas. It’s a perfect setup for families.

As far as activities outside of surfing, nobody will be bored. There is a full skatepark to keep everyone entertained (along with skate lessons), a rock climbing wall, full gym, water slide for the whole family, splash pad water park for the kids, and of course a swimming pool. Their onsite restaurant has delicious local food and traditional American dishes, and a casual outdoor spa for your after-surf massage! Their 6 day surf camps start at $650, while a four-person villa costs about $2,200.

Miramar

Finally, we’ll head up north of both Popoyo and San Juan del Sur to Puerto Sandino. About an hour and a half from the airport in Managua, you’ll find uncrowded waves for the whole family to enjoy. You will generally find fewer surfers in the water here than in Popoyo or San Juan del Sur. Winds stay offshore nearly all day long, and you’ll find multiple different point and beach breaks. As such, it is a great spot for a family surf trip with waves for every skill level.

Their six-day surf camps run around $1,000 per person, with upgrades available to bigger rooms and oceanfront rooms. Daily surf lessons are included, as are yoga lessons for everyone, all meals, and transportation from the airport. They also have a spa, and can organize additional activities for the family such as volcano tours and volcano boarding, horseback riding, kayaking, fishing, dance lessons, and more!