Nicaragua surf camps compared
We run Nica Surf Camp at Playa Maderas. This page lays out how other surf camps in Nicaragua work and what they charge, using each camp’s own website. Checked November 7, 2026.
The short version: a week at a surf camp in Nicaragua costs anywhere from about $520 (a bed and two meals, lessons extra) to $3,150 (a women-only retreat), going by the prices camps publish. Most camps let you arrive any day; only a few run set weeks where a whole group arrives together. The real choices are the beach, whether lessons, meals and airport transfers are in the price, and whether you want a group week or your own dates.
What to compare
- The beach
- San Juan del Sur and its beaches, like Playa Maderas, sit about 2.5 hours from Managua with a town nearby. Popoyo and Playa Gigante are further up the coast. Los Clavos and Miramar are in the north, near Chinandega and León.
- The format
- A set week with a group, or your own dates. Set weeks are rarer.
- The price
- Check what it covers: lessons, meals and airport transfers change the real cost a lot.
- Who it’s for
- Some camps are women only, some adults only, some built for families.
Side by side
Prices are as published on each camp’s site on November 7, 2026, per person unless noted. They change, so check before you book.
| Camp | Where | Format | Length | Published price | Surf coaching | Meals | Airport transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nica Surf Camp (that’s us) | Playa Maderas, north of San Juan del Sur | Set group weeks for adults | 6 days, 5 nights | $1,950 shared room, $2,650 private room | Two coached sessions a day, boards, video analysis | 5 breakfasts, 4 dinners | Included from MGA or LIR (land by 2pm) |
| Chica Brava | San Juan del Sur area | Women only, set Saturday to Saturday weeks, up to 9 guests | 7 nights | 2026: $2,750 to $2,950 per person. 2027: $2,950 to $3,150 (shared room) | Two 60-minute coached sessions plus a supervised hour each day, max 3 surfers per coach, video after every session | Breakfasts and dinners | Managua (MGA) at scheduled times |
| Dreamsea Nicaragua | Marsella area, north of San Juan del Sur | Arrive any day | Weekly package or by the night | $520 to $609 a week in a 6-bed shared room. Private rooms from $765 | Not in the weekly package; lessons sold separately | Breakfast and dinner | Extra: $90 each way from Managua, up to 4 people |
| Popoyo Surf Camp | Popoyo | Not stated | From 5 nights | Beginner: 7 nights from $670 per surfer | One or two sessions a day, with video analysis and yoga listed | Breakfast and lunch | Offered from Managua or Liberia; price not stated |
| Giant’s Foot Surf | Playa Gigante, Tola | Not stated | 7 nights | $1,595 (double room) or $1,845 (single) per surfer | Twice-daily lessons, beginner to intermediate | All meals and all drinks | Free for stays of 7 nights or more |
| Lapoint Nicaragua | Los Clavos, north coast near Chinandega | Weekly program, Monday arrivals | 1 to 4 weeks | From EUR 1,190 per person | Five 2-hour lessons a week, video analysis | 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners | Managua pickup on Mondays |
| evo trip at Miramar Surf Camp | Playa Miramar, near León | Your own dates | 6 nights | Beginner: $1,200 to $1,410 per person (double room) | One lesson a day in the beginner package | All meals | Round-trip airport transfers |
| Buena Vista Surf Club | Playa Maderas, a 5-minute walk | Hotel with lesson packs | Lesson packs of 1, 3 or 5 days | 5-day lesson pack $400 per person. Rooms extra | Five 90-minute lessons, max 3 students per instructor, two video sessions | Not on the surf page | Not on the surf page |
| Maderas Village | Playa Maderas, a 5-minute walk | Boutique hotel, adults 18+, no surf package | 2 to 10 nights (3-night minimum February to April) | Room rates not published. Local lessons about $15 | Arranged with local instructors | Not included (restaurant on site) | Extra: $100 for one person |
| Magnific Rock | Playa Popoyo, at Beginners Bay | Your own dates, families welcome | 5 nights, or a custom package | 5 nights from $1,199 per person (3 sharing an apartment). $1,399 for 2 sharing a studio, $1,999 in a private room | At least 2 sessions a day, conditions permitting | 3 meals a day and soft drinks | Included from Managua in the 5-night package. Liberia pickup $150 |
| Surf Ranch | Inland, about 4 minutes’ drive from San Juan del Sur | Resort with an optional all-inclusive plan, arrive any day | By the night, or 3, 5 or 7-night surf packages | Not published; packages are priced by date and room | 3 lessons in the 5-night package, otherwise $60 a lesson plus tax, at Playa Remanso | Breakfast with a room. Packages add one lunch or dinner a night; the all-inclusive plan covers all meals and an open bar | Extra |
Camp by camp
Nica Surf Camp (that’s us)
Two weeks in May 2027 at Villas Playa Maderas, on the cliff above the middle of the beach. The price also covers a catamaran boat day, yoga, workouts, a massage and a photographer.
Chica Brava
Women-only retreats for beginners through intermediates, with separate 40+ weeks and an Intermediate+ retreat.
Source: chicabrava.com, checked November 7, 2026
Dreamsea Nicaragua
Glamping-style rooms, a pool and a tiki bar. The lowest published week price we found, with lessons, yoga and airport transfers sold separately.
Source: dreamsea.com, checked November 7, 2026
Popoyo Surf Camp
An oceanfront camp in Popoyo, and the lowest published price we found for a week that includes lessons.
Source: popoyosurfcamp.com, checked November 7, 2026
Giant’s Foot Surf
Beachfront rooms with A/C in a fishing village, with all meals and drinks included and free airport transfers for stays of 7 nights or more. Boat tours and one-on-one video coaching for intermediate surfers and up.
Source: giantsfootsurf.com, checked November 7, 2026
Lapoint Nicaragua
An international surf camp brand. Everyone arrives on a Monday and follows a set weekly schedule.
Source: lapointcamps.com, checked November 7, 2026
evo trip at Miramar Surf Camp
Sold by evo, a Seattle outdoor gear and travel company. The intermediate and advanced packages swap lessons for a daily boat trip.
Source: evo.com, checked November 7, 2026
Buena Vista Surf Club
A hotel on Playa Maderas with its own surf club. Lessons are sold in packs and rooms are booked separately.
Source: buenavistasurfclub.com, checked November 7, 2026
Maderas Village
An adults-only boutique hotel a short walk from Playa Maderas. No surf package; it points guests to local instructors on the beach.
Source: maderasvillage.com, checked November 7, 2026
Magnific Rock
A surf resort in front of Popoyo’s Beginners Bay. Its 5-night all-inclusive package starts at $1,199 per person, it also builds custom packages, and it offers daycare for families.
Source: magnificrock.com, checked November 7, 2026
Surf Ranch
A resort with a pool, waterslide and skatepark. Its surf packages add lessons at Playa Remanso.
Source: surfranchnicaragua.com, checked November 7, 2026
Where Nica Surf Camp fits
Pick us if you want a set week with a group of adults, most of whom came on their own, two coached surf sessions a day and almost everything handled from the airport on.
Look elsewhere if you need your own dates, want a women-only group, want to stay longer than a week or want the lowest price: Dreamsea and Popoyo Surf Camp publish the lowest week prices we found.
Questions
How much does a surf camp in Nicaragua cost?
Going by the prices camps publish, a week runs from about $520 at Dreamsea (a shared bed with breakfast and dinner, lessons extra) to $3,150 at Chica Brava (women only, 2027). Weeks that include lessons, a room and most meals start at about $670 (Popoyo Surf Camp). Nica Surf Camp is $1,950 in a shared room for 6 days and 5 nights.
Which surf camps are on Playa Maderas?
Maderas Village and Buena Vista Surf Club both describe themselves as about a five-minute walk from the beach. Neither publishes a full week with a room, meals and lessons together: Buena Vista sells lesson packs and Maderas Village points guests to local instructors. Nica Surf Camp stays at Villas Playa Maderas, on the cliff above the middle of the beach, and includes all three.
Do any surf camps in Nicaragua run set group weeks?
A few. Chica Brava runs women-only weeks from Saturday to Saturday for up to nine guests, Lapoint runs weekly programs with Monday arrivals at Los Clavos in the north, and Nica Surf Camp runs two set weeks in May 2027. Most other camps let you pick your own dates.
Do surf camps in Nicaragua include airport transfers?
Some do. Nica Surf Camp, Chica Brava (Managua, at scheduled times), Lapoint (Managua on Mondays), the evo trip to Miramar and Magnific Rock’s 5-night package (Managua) include them, and Giant’s Foot makes them free for stays of 7 nights or more. Dreamsea charges $90 each way from Managua for up to four people, and Maderas Village charges $100 for one person.
Is San Juan del Sur or Popoyo better for a surf camp?
Both have beginner-friendly waves. Playa Maderas has a mostly sandy bottom with whitewater on the inside, and Popoyo has a beginner spot called Beginners Bay. Maderas is 25 to 40 minutes from the town of San Juan del Sur; Popoyo and Playa Gigante are further up the coast in Tola. Pick the base that suits the rest of your week.
Run one of these camps and something here is out of date? Message us on WhatsApp and we’ll fix it.
Surf Maderas with us in May
Two weeks at Playa Maderas in May 2027, from $1,950.