SURF RANCH · NICARAGUA
San Juan del Sur travel guides
Choose a beach, compare rooms, plan a weekend and price a stay at Surf Ranch.
Choose your stay
Two-bedroom villas in San Juan del Sur
Two bedrooms, a living room and space for up to four guests. Walk through five actual villa photos, from a stone-walled bedroom in Villa 2 to the lounge in Villa 4. The bed arrangements differ by unit.
Condos in San Juan del Sur
Two queen beds, a private patio and space for up to four. Look inside Condos 3, 4, 5 and 6 to see how the balconies, bathrooms and rooftop spaces vary across the building.
Queen or twin room in San Juan del Sur?
Both standard rooms sleep up to two guests. Choose one queen bed if you want to share, or two single beds if you each want your own. These photos show the two layouts at Surf Ranch.
Pet-friendly stays in San Juan del Sur
Bringing a dog to Surf Ranch? The dog fee is US$20 plus tax per dog, per night. Work out the cost, choose a room for your group and notify reception when booking.
San Juan del Sur or Popoyo?
Choose San Juan del Sur for a resort day around the pool, skatepark and surf lessons. Choose Popoyo for a home with a kitchen, space for a group and days exploring the Emerald Coast. The hillside homes in the cover photo are at Surf Ranch Popoyo.
Where to stay in San Juan del Sur
Stay by the town bay for dinners on foot, near a surf beach for early sessions, or inland for pool days and space for the whole family. Here’s how the four locations fit different trips.
Which hotel room in San Juan del Sur fits your stay?
Start with two questions. How many beds do you need, and who wants a separate bedroom? Here’s how the standard queen, standard twin, condo and villa work at Surf Ranch.
Condo or villa in San Juan del Sur?
Both sleep four. The difference shows up when one person wants to sleep and someone else wants to talk. Compare the bedrooms, patio and shared space before choosing your dates.
Where to stay in San Juan del Sur with kids
Two queen beds or two separate bedrooms? Start with the right room, then plan a day around the splash pad, waterslide and pool.
San Juan del Sur stays for groups of 6, 8 or 12
Bringing six, eight or twelve people? Start with who wants to share a bed and who wants a bedroom of their own. Then pick the room mix that fits.
Budget and trip dates
How much does a San Juan del Sur resort vacation cost?
Start with the room total for your dates. Then see what three nights of all-inclusive meals or a private airport pickup would add for two adults or a family of four.
Best time to visit San Juan del Sur
For a trip built around outdoor lunches, beach walks and pool days, start with November through April. If your dates fall in May through October, leave room to move your outings around rain. Surfers should also check the conditions for their particular beach.
Surf package or all-inclusive in Nicaragua?
If you’re coming for lessons at Remanso, look at Surf & Stay. If you’d like to order lunch, dinner and drinks by the pool, compare the all-inclusive room plan.
Explore the coast
Three days in San Juan del Sur
Walk the bay on arrival, spend a full day at the pool or in the waves, then leave time for breakfast before the drive home. This itinerary works for a two-night weekend at Surf Ranch.
Playa Remanso vs. Playa Maderas
Picking a beach for your first lesson? Surf Ranch takes students to Remanso. For surfers who already catch their own waves, Maderas makes a different outing north of San Juan del Sur. Here’s how to plan each beach from the resort.
Seven beaches near San Juan del Sur
Compare beach access and plan your ride for a day on the coast.
San Juan del Sur without a car
Walk the waterfront once you’re in town. For Surf Ranch, the surf beaches and the airport, choose a ride for each leg and arrange the way back before you head out.
A rainy-day itinerary in San Juan del Sur
A flexible morning, lunch and afternoon at Surf Ranch when the beach plan changes. Coordinate lesson times with reception and plan around the weather you actually have.
A weekend from Managua to San Juan del Sur
Leave on Friday, keep Saturday for the activity you care about most and save Sunday for a relaxed breakfast. Here’s how to plan two nights as a couple or a family.
Surf, skate and group trips
Your first surf lesson in San Juan del Sur
Stay at the resort and head to the beach for your lessons. Here’s how much time you’ll spend in the water and what to plan around it.
Surf and skate in Nicaragua
Skate the concrete bowl at your hotel, then ride out to Playa Remanso for a surf lesson. Here’s how to fit both into three nights in San Juan del Sur.
Planning a surf retreat in Nicaragua
The first number to give reception is how many people will sleep at the resort. The second is how many of them will actually surf. These two lists answer different questions about rooms, lessons and rides.
Planning a private group event in San Juan del Sur
A reserved table for lunch, a pool day for a team and exclusive use of a space are three different requests. Start with who is coming, where they need to meet and how private the gathering needs to be.
Eat, swim and spend the day
A family pool day in San Juan del Sur
Pick a poolside spot, let the kids explore the splash pad and use your day-pass credit for lunch together.
Poolside dining in San Juan del Sur
Pick a poolside lunch, compare the food and drinks menus, and see how to reserve a table or cabana with credit toward your order at Surf Ranch.
Combine destinations and get around
Surf Ranch directions and check-in
Coming from town, arriving by airport transfer or meeting a taxi? Save the San Juan del Sur resort pin before you leave. Surf Ranch is inland, between town and Playa Remanso, with check-in from 2 pm.
San Juan del Sur or Tamarindo?
Both trips can include surfing. Choose Tamarindo for a small hotel across the road from the Pacific. Choose San Juan del Sur for pool days, skating and surf lessons with a beach ride. The coast in the cover photo is Tamarindo.
Granada to San Juan del Sur
After a morning in Granada, the Pacific coast is a practical next stop. Take a local bus to Rivas and change for San Juan del Sur, or reserve a ride directly from your Granada address.
Ometepe and San Juan del Sur
Trade the Pacific coast for an island in Lake Nicaragua, or finish your island stay at the beach. The link between them is San Jorge, the mainland ferry port near Rivas.
Getting from Managua to San Juan del Sur
Plan your airport pickup, bus connection or arrival in town.
Group airport transfers to San Juan del Sur
A group of eight on one flight and two groups of four on different flights need different transfer budgets. Count passengers per pickup, then add the luggage and boards before choosing a vehicle.
Where to watch sunset in San Juan del Sur
Stay beside the boats on the malecón, look down over the bay from a hillside, or settle into the sand at Playa Majagual. The best spot depends on how much walking and driving you want after the light fades.
Family celebrations and weekends
How to choose a pool cabana at Surf Ranch
Use the numbered seating map to match your group to a table for four, a poolside cabana for six or a large thatched cabana for 10–12.
San Juan del Sur with a toddler
Choose a room for naps, plan meals around your child’s routine and check how the day-pass age bands work at Surf Ranch.
A family reunion in San Juan del Sur
Plan a reunion for grandparents, parents, children and day visitors with a worked example for ten guests and one shared lunch.
San Juan del Sur for couples
Choose between a room for two, a patio or separate villa bedrooms, then build a weekend around a bay walk, a surf lesson or a slow resort morning.
Surf Ranch day pass or overnight stay?
Compare what your payment buys, how long you need the room, and when food and drink credit makes sense for a day by the pool.
Organize your activities
What to pack for a Nicaragua surf trip
Your packing list changes depending on whether you’re taking a lesson at Remanso or bringing your own board for independent sessions. Start with that decision before paying for a board bag.
Plan a skate camp in San Juan del Sur
A weekend skate camp starts with the riders, their skill levels and the features they want to use. Build the schedule around the concrete park and confirm the group arrangements before taking signups.
Three, five or seven nights of surf?
Two sessions make a compact first trip. Four give you more time to return to the beach during a week at the resort. Compare the lesson hours and meals in each package before choosing your dates.
Bring your yoga retreat to San Juan del Sur
You lead the practice. Reception can review dates, rooms, meals and a request for workshop space. Send the details that determine whether your class will fit comfortably before announcing the retreat to your students.
Plan a team offsite in San Juan del Sur
Bring one decision your team needs to make, the people who can make it and a realistic amount of time together. Use the resort inquiry to check the space and meals before sharing a final agenda.
Plan group meals in San Juan del Sur
One table can include overnight guests on different meal plans and friends joining just for the day. Make a list by person and meal so reception can tell you what is covered and what will be ordered separately.
Tour the resort
Resort amenities at Surf Ranch San Juan del Sur
See which facilities you can use at the resort, which activities cost extra, and where to reserve a poolside space or surf lesson.
Take a virtual tour of Surf Ranch San Juan del Sur
Watch the resort video and see the pool, bar, skatepark and guest paths before choosing a room or day pass.