Last June I made my
first trip to Nicaragua and I have to say that it was an amazing
adventure. The people, culture,
scenic beauty, water and waves were beyond my expectations. We arrived in San Juan del Sur for the
first leg of our journey with our two expert guides Jorge and Kuto who met us
at the airport.
For those of you who
don’t know San Juan del Sur it is a quintessential Nicaraguan fishing town:
low-key and unhurried, yet sparkling with life. Thatch-roofed or “palapa roof” bars and restaurants line the long,
sandy beach and serve cold drinks, fresh seafood, and traditional Nicaraguan
cuisine. At sunset, both locals and visitors gather at the water’s edge to
relax and watch children play soccer on the beach.
We arrived at Casa
Del Sur which is situated on a beautiful bay right outside of town, just far
enough away so it feels like we were living in the jungle and close enough so
in 10 minutes you could be right in the thick of it. We were greeted by Randy
and his lovely wife who had a big meal of
Camarones y arroz(shrimp and rice). A delicious meal washed down by the
beautiful sunset and a few Tona’s(great Nicaraguan beer). Then a quick dip in the pool before
retiring for the evening.
Day
2 was a boat trip to Playa Colorado and a cranking 3-4 foot wave that we rode
all day. On the way back from
Playa Colorado we checked in on Manzanillo, which is a really beautiful place
with a killer wave, but it wasn’t the right swell direction. The nice thing about Nicaragua is that
there are so many good breaks if one isn’t going off your sure to find one that
will. That night we went into town
to enjoy a little night life and had a few Nica Libre’s before a great fish
dinner at a restaurant right on the water.
Day
three proved even more exciting than the first . Another boat trip and this time we headed down to Rancho
Santana and got our first look at Popoyo and Outer Popoyo Reef. The outer reef was going off 12 foot
faces with the wind blowing hard offshore as it often does down in Nicaragua,
due to the weather condition created by Lake Nicaragua. Here we got into some of the intense
surf of the trip, huge stand-up barrels breaking on a shallow reef about a
quarter mile off the beach. Some
incredible rides were had here and everyone was stoked and exhausted at the end
of our session. That night we went
into town for some pizza and Tonas, yes it might seem hard to believe but they
had some pretty good pizza down there and I am from Brooklyn and know a thing
or two about good pizza.
Day
four was a mixed bag of zip lining and travel. Our guides Cuto and Cokie took us to an amazing zip line
tour of the jungle canopy just 10 minutes outside of town. Howler monkeys, butterflies, spiders
and birds were the stars of this show backed by some of the most amazing
scenery I have ever seen. This was
my first zip line adventure and it was something I will remember for the rest
of my life.
Zip
lining done and we headed for Puerto Sandino and our house in La Barra. Right on the beach with 3 great breaks
right out front, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. This is a killer house that came with a
maid and cook that took care of everything. We surfed out brains out the next day at Launch Ramps,
Chicken Bowls and Cuatro Baca’s to come home to great Nicaraguan meals prepared
by the staff. Exceptional food and surfing and it was all right there in front
of you. I could have stayed there
forever!
The
next day when the tide was right we loaded everyone into the trucks and
headed 15 minutes away to get in
the super Pongas and take a quick ride out to La Barra. The wave here is insane, breaking for
200 yards in perfectly formed barrels.
If you can’t get a tube ride here your never going to get one. It was 7-9 feet that day and it had my
adrenaline kicking in with the size but the shape was perfect and we killed
it! After surfing here for about 3
hours we headed north about 5 minutes to surf a spot called Jax’s. Jax is not
for beginners, it’s a throwing macking barrel that breaks a feet yards off a
man made jetty. This wave is fast, critical and can supply you the ride of a
lifetime if you have the skill and los huevos to handle it.
Well,
as we headed into another day at La Barra, waves were again on the menu. We surfed all day in front of the house
and had a blast. We also did a beach clean up that day for about an hour just
to tidy up our domain a bit. More great food, Nica libre’s and a great nights
sleep in the air conditioned comfort of our beach front casa.
Day
7 started off with another boat trip and some exploring for new breaks. We headed up the coast for about 2
hours seeing one break after another.
We would have stopped at some but the boys were excited to get to Grand Pacifica and surf the legendary break,
“Hemorrhoids “ right off the shore of the Hotel. We got this place pretty good before heading home and
catching two big Sierra by trolling.
Maria made the best ceviche I have ever had. Washed down with a few Tonas and I was ready for the
wrack.
The
next day we headed to Chinandega and stayed in another incredible house right
on the water with a break right out front and a few more 5 minutes from the
house. This house was staffed with
a gourmet chef, Zack and his wife Kimmie, who is a yoga instructor and
masseuse. Ok this isn’t your standard surf adventure, gourmet meals, yoga
lessons and messages after a long surf session but I figured I could suffer
through this for the next 2 days if I had too.
So
I have been surfing in Baja, Fiji, No. Cal, So.Cal, Hawaii, the east coast for
most of my life and where am I going next? Nicaragua, the people, the surf, the food , the fishing, the
adventure, it’s where its at!
I highly recommend AST for your trip to Nicaragua
Graham Scott
Palos Verdes, California
