Hello Popoyo, Nicaragua!

A chance encounter led to a new adventure…

While shooting a women’s retreat at The Imiloa Institute in Costa Rica one year, I met a wonderful human named Adge. Through this friendship I learned that she and her family lived in Nicaragua half of the year. She always spoke so highly of this place called Popoyo and offered to host me and my partner if we ever chose to join them there.

I mean of course I wanted to go. Duh. A new country and somewhere right by the ocean? Sign me up! So, earlier this year we chose to meet Adge and her family in Nica at the end of January. Which was also the time of the event called Circus with Purpose which Adge helps direct and you can read more about here.

So, how did we get there? The best, and usually cheapest, airline from Florida to fly into Central America is Avianca. The flights through Avianca are usually direct as well which saves a lot of hassle. I personally hate layovers, but will choose them if the price is worth the added hours.

Now, there are two ways to reach Popoyo which is a small surf side town on the western coast of Nicaragua. One, you fly into Liberia, Costa Rica and travel the three hours by taxi and across the border to reach your destination. Two, you fly into Managua (usually a little more expensive) and travel the two hours by taxi with no border crossing to reach your destination.

I chose to fly into Liberia, mainly because it ended up being cheaper, but unfortunately I had yet to experience the tedious border crossing extravaganza. Luckily, for my arrival, Adge had booked my taxi and I didn’t have to worry about finding them. (My return was rather different, but I’ll get to that at the end.)

Customs are pretty fast and not stressful compared to other travel destinations. Finding my taxi was easy since they hold up a sign with your name/group in the sea of yelling taxi drivers seeking customers. Your Costa Rican driver will drop you at the border, about an hour and half drive from Liberia, and you will have to walk with your luggage as the border patrol checks your passport.

It sounds daunting, but it’s surprisingly easy. I was nervous, but if you just follow the signs and into the white border patrol building, it’s a breeze. The drivers are usually good with English, but I would suggest brushing up on your Spanish to make the travel easier.

Make sure you bring cash with you!

I didn’t realize how much easier cash would be versus using my card. If you use your card you will be charged a processing fee which is small but adds up over time. For the border crossing there are small fees you will pay to enter into Nicaragua from Costa Rica, but nothing crazy. It all came out to about $15 which is about 550 Nicaraguan Cordobas. Which means the exchange rate is 1 USD equals 36.80 NIO.

The taxi drivers are amazing at guiding you across the border, but know you will need Whatsapp to communicate efficiently with them as well as family at home. Once you are through the check point with a quick luggage scan, you will meet your Nicaraguan taxi driver on the other side and continue the last hour and a half to Popoyo.

Fast forward to our arrival where I was dropped off right outside the gates to Adge’s community, which I will keep private for her and her family, but know it is super adorable and a five minute walk to the ocean. And voila! I was there to explore, assist with the circus event, and meet my partner at their arrival later that week.

The sun was hot but windy season was beginning which kept you comfortable.

The slow island style mornings are something to treasure. Waking up in a beautiful palapa style home with hammocks and butterflies swarming the open fields was pure bliss. The community she lives in is in Jiquelite which is sandwiched right between Playa Popoyo and Rancho Santana. It’s all the same area, but it’s important to note the different area names. Everyone rises early, including the Howler monkeys, to beat the sun’s heat and since 99% of Popoyo’s travelers and residents surf- they’re usually out on the water catching waves well before the sun rises.

Now, you can either walk everywhere which is my favorite way to get around here, or you can rent a small moto bike to get around faster. There are plenty of rental shops to choose from, and you can’t really go wrong with who you choose. Everyone is so incredibly friendly and easy to work with. Popoyo is small and still up and coming on popularity. I would say go sooner rather than later, because with all the land for sale I can see it becoming a prime and busy destination in the future.

Where should you stay when you arrive?

Luckily, I was able to stay at Adge’s home for a few nights before transitioning over to my Airbnb. I chose to book a property one of her friends owns called Rain & Sunshine Surf Casita literally less than a ten minute walk from Adge’s own home and about 5 minutes to the beach. It is so cute and comfy as well as safe and clean with an insanely affordable rate. Not to mention her dog Mia is the absolute cutest creature ever.

The cutest place…

You will sleep so well in here, let me tell you.

Your own side of a terrace complete with an outdoor kitchen and private bathroom.

If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, then there are a plethora of places to stay in the area.

You could stay on the beach at a more hotel/resort style accommodation, just know that if you’re on a budget then you will more than likely not mind walking the 5 minutes to get to the ocean from a smaller Airbnb. I would almost suggest booking a few nights in different places just to see what each has to offer. It’s so easy to walk everywhere that staying in different locations is actually really easy.

Let’s get into the water…

If you’re looking to dip your toes into surfing, you have obviously come to the right place. If you head over to Mag Rock, the main point in Popoyo where the Magnific Rock Hotel stands high up on the cliffside, you’ll find Beginner’s Bay. Here you can rent a board for fairly cheap, about $30 for the day, and even buy swim lessons from the many stands posted up on the beach.

There are people out there ranging from beginners to experts, so don’t feel like you can’t jump in and try it out. You have to learn somehow, right? You won’t be able to master a skill unless you accept the fact that you have to fail at it first. If we don’t fail, then we never learn how to improve. So get out there! The ocean is such a magnificent entity that we don’t appreciate near as much as we should.

Don’t forget to go meandering.

I truly do mean it. Go look at the rocks- they’re SO COOL. It’s like a geologist’s paradise with all the epic rocks you will find and not to mention the giant one you can climb literally called “Mag Rock” that overlooks the ocean.

If you venture away from Mag Rock, though. You can jump onto an awesome flat rock escapade with tide pools to discover right beside the community of Rancho Santana, a place with amazing food and quite the security team. It’s a private community with a more country club vibe, but incredibly beautiful to look at and walk around if you know anyone staying there.

I’ve told you how to get there. I will even link all the resources below so you know exactly which taxi services I loved using and what other hotels my friends stayed in and loved. It’s so simple. The only investment you will need to consider is your accommodation, your airfare, and the taxi ride (which is usually about $80 – $100 one way). The food is incredibly cheap which you can dive into here for my favorite foodie goodies.

The whole area is walkable and you only need a car/moto if you decide to travel outside of Popoyo. The sunsets are to die for and the entire place is so dog friendly that next time I will be bringing Ro as I travel back for more Nicaraguan adventures. I hope this was helpful as you decide on your own exploration of this surf town. It’s so worth it.

Happy travels!