“Everyone in our group ended up standing up on their surf board on day one, including me.”
Ashley C., Surf Camp guest
Nica Surf Camp is a six-day surf camp for adults at Playa Maderas, on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast. You surf twice a day with local coaches, sleep in a villa on the cliff above the beach and spend the week with a group that mostly came on their own. It’s run by SYB Travel, which has brought groups to Maderas for about ten years.
Real guests, recent weeks at Playa Maderas. Tap any photo to see it big.
Two coached sessions a day with Beach Break Surf School, a local crew right on Playa Maderas led by Nelson. Boards for your level, video analysis and your own surf photos.
Never surfed
You start in the whitewater on a big, stable board. Plenty of people stand up on day one.
Can stand up
You learn to paddle into unbroken waves, angle along the face and read the sets.
Already surfing
More waves in a week than most people get in months at home, with video to clean up your technique.
Deposit20% holds your spot: $390 for a shared room, $530 for a private room. The rest is due six weeks before the trip.
Payment planOr start a plan at checkout with $0 down and a 1% fee. Plans are open until four months before the trip.
If plans changeCancel more than 45 days out and what you paid becomes trip credit for 12 months. Inside 45 days it is non-refundable. Travel insurance is required.
Shared room, $1,950
Share with other guests from your week, girls with girls and guys with guys. Every bedroom has A/C and its own bathroom.
Private room, $2,650
A bedroom to yourself with its own bathroom. Same week, same crew, your own door to close at night.
What the price covers
Included
Beachfront villa, 5 nights
Fast wifi, 100+ Mbps
6am coffee station
Airport shuttles and all transport
5 breakfasts and 4 dinners
Surf sessions every morning and afternoon
Personal surf coaching
Surfboards for every session
Video surf analysis
Personal surf photos
Catamaran boat day
Beach bonfire
Morning beach workouts
Jungle gym sessions
Yoga sessions
30-minute massage
Karaoke night
Open bar at the villa
Theme parties
Welcome package
Daily room cleaning
Photographer and videographer
Trip leaders
Not included
International flights
Lunches
1 dinner in town
Drinks at outside bars
Horseback riding
Travel and medical insurance (required)
Where you sleep
Three private villas on a jungle cliff about 100 feet above Playa Maderas, with Maderas Rock in the middle of the view. Infinity pool, plunge pool, yoga deck and stairs down to the surf.
“I’m not a great surfer, I hate yoga, and circuit training isn’t my thing but pushing my comfort zone with people I genuinely liked made it ridiculously fun.”
Joey V., Nicaragua
“Despite it being a surf camp, I didn’t know how to surf and went in fully prepared to just enjoy the beach instead. But the instructors were patient, adapted to all levels…”
Ashley C., Surf Camp
“Arrived solo. Left with lifelong friends.”
Miles D., Nicaragua
“Honestly didn’t know if all the reviews could be real, but I genuinely made lifelong best friends… I actually learned how to surf!!”
Hannah S., Nicaragua
“The food at the villas was incredible, you’ll wish you could take the cooks home!”
Julian P., Nicaragua
“If you’re on the fence because of the cost or because taking time off work feels impossible… future you is already rolling their eyes. Book the trip.”
Sara M., Nicaragua
“Being in my 30s, I usually feel hesitant to join group trips like this, but I felt our dynamic was perfect with the diverse age range”
Heather W., Nicaragua
“Great surf instructors, equipment and waves! … If you’re on the fence just go for it!”
Luke H., Surf Camp
Watch the week
Short clips from our weeks at Playa Maderas. The ones with a play button have sound.
Boat daySunset yoga on the deck
Getting there
Land by 2pm on day one and ride the group shuttle, included. Fly home after noon on day six.
Managua, Nicaragua (MGA)About 2.5 hours by road, no border crossing.
Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR)About 3 hours plus a land border crossing. Sometimes the cheaper flight.
Flights don’t line up with the shuttle? Message us before you book them. More in the Playa Maderas guide.
Questions
When are the 2027 Nicaragua Surf Camp dates?
Two weeks: Tuesday May 4 to Sunday May 9, 2027, and Sunday May 9 to Friday May 14, 2027. Each camp is 6 days and 5 nights at Playa Maderas, Nicaragua.
How much does surf camp cost?
$1,950 per person in a shared room or $2,650 per person in a private room with its own bathroom. Hold your spot with a 20% deposit, or start a payment plan with $0 down up to four months before the trip.
What is included?
5 nights in the villa, two surf sessions a day with coaching, boards, video analysis and surf photos, 5 breakfasts and 4 dinners, a catamaran boat day, workouts and yoga, a 30-minute massage, the open bar at the villa, airport shuttles and a photographer. Flights, lunches, one dinner in town and travel insurance are not included.
I have never surfed. Is that a problem?
No. The camp is built for beginners and improvers. You start in the whitewater on a big, stable board with a local coach, and Playa Maderas has a mostly sandy bottom, so falling is part of the fun rather than something to fear.
I am coming alone. Will that be weird?
No. Most people book on their own. You surf, train and eat together all week, so it does not take long before it feels like you came with a group.
How fit do I need to be?
Reasonably active is enough. You surf twice a day and can join the workouts and yoga, or skip some and rest by the pool. It is not a sit-by-the-pool week and it is not boot camp either.
I don’t drink. Is that OK?
Yes. Nobody is pushed to drink, there are always non-alcoholic options, and there are usually a few people in the group who don’t drink either.
Where do we stay?
At Villas Playa Maderas, three private villas on a jungle cliff about 100 feet above Playa Maderas, with an infinity pool, a plunge pool, a yoga deck and stairs down to the beach. Every bedroom has A/C and its own bathroom. See the villa.
Which airport should I fly into?
Either works for the group shuttle. Managua, Nicaragua (MGA) is about 2.5 hours by road with no border crossing. Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR) is about 3 hours plus a land border crossing. Land by 2pm on day one for the group shuttle and book your flight home after noon on day six.
Do I need a visa for Nicaragua?
US citizens do not need a visa for a short stay. You pay a tourist card fee of about $10 in cash when you arrive. Rules differ by passport, so check yours before you book flights. We send the details after you book.
Is Nicaragua safe?
SYB has run trips at Playa Maderas for about ten years with the same local team, drivers and surf coaches. You stay in a gated villa community with 24-hour security, and every transfer and activity is organized for you.
What is the weather like in May?
Hot and mostly sunny, with highs around 88 to 90°F and water around 82 to 84°F, so no wetsuit. May is the start of the south swell season and the first rains usually arrive later in the month as short showers. More on surfing Nicaragua in May.
What if I need to cancel?
Payments are non-refundable. Cancel more than 45 days before the trip and everything you paid becomes trip credit you can use within 12 months. Inside 45 days nothing comes back. Travel and medical insurance is required.
Can’t make May?
SYB runs other Nicaragua weeks at the same villas from November to March. See those dates.
