1

Around San Juan del sur there are some nice breaks and nice beaches.

2

..and some cheap hostels and surf schools :-)

3

Casa Oro was a good and cheap hostel right in the centre of San Juan del Sur . And every day they do cheap shuttles to the nearest major surfing beach. You get to meet people on the shuttles and can surf with them during the day

4

Hey, if you are interested in a cheap place on the beach you could check out our family hostal in Poneloya. We just have a few extra rooms we rent out to help in our costs and to make our work with disabled children more possible because this is voluntary. So never a lot of people, cheap place, kitchen, close to Leon city with every hour busses. We have contacts with some local surfschools and the hotels nearby are always open for visitor who just want to sit and meet people but who dont spent the night there. It is all very welcome in our area. For longer stay like a month or some weeks we can always make a special price. In case you are interested you can check our website www.botanicajazmin.net
Cheers Asha

5

Check out the north pacific: Playa Mechapa, Asseradorres, and Jiquilillo. All are easily accessible from Chinandega, located north of Leon only a 40 min bus ride. Buses leave more frequently for Playa Jiquilillo from El Mercadito, Chinandega five times a day a 7am, 10, 1130, 3, and 430 and takes about 1.5 hours otherwise in a cab in 40 minutes.

All of the beaches are off the beaten path in comparison to SJDS, Poneloya, and Las Penitas. Beaches are uncrowded, great for all levels of surfers, kms of virgin beaches, and you will also have many activities to choose from: Kayak Central America's largest mangrove/wetlands in Estero Padre Ramos (accessible via Jiquilillo beach and Mechapa beach), horseback on quiet beaches, surf beach breaks or hire a boat to off shore surfing on Padre Ramos river mouth break or check out Boom Wavos or Punta Asserradorres, hire a boat and visit the Golf of Fonseca and the islands that were created by Volcano Cosiguina's eruption, fish on the beach or hire a fisherman to take you out, hike Volcano Cosiguina and take in the incredible views of Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and the awesome crater lake, and best of all, relax on these deserted beaches and take in the peace and quiet.

Places to stay: (google them for more info)

Jiquilillo: Rancho Esperanza www.rancho-esperanza.com, Vista del Pacifico
Playa Asseradorres: Joe's Place (Portunica), Chancletas Surf Camp on the Boom Wavos,
El Cocoloco Eco-resort, Al Cielo
Mechapa: Redwood Beach Resort

The north Pacific Coast of Nica often goes unnoticed and it still keeps its charm. Would highly recommend it for anyone who wants to stay away from the typical gringo trail and wants to experience Nica living in quiet fishing villages.

Safe travels

6

I stayed at Asseradorres for a while. Beach was sick. No infrastructure in the area for the most part. Just the way I like it. Chancletas was great, expensive as compared to other areas of Nica, but given the whole supply and demand thing, prices were fair enough. Free coffee in the morning. Real coffee. You could walk to a nearby village for your culinary basics, or cheaper water. The crowd at chancletas was decidedly mid 20's, though. Some older guests and families, but everyone fit in just fine. Food for thought on finding people your age to socialize with.

7

San Juan del Sur, Rayito de Luna ,-- search facebook

8

I second #5's suggestion for Jiquilio -- another place to stay is Rancho Tranquilo. I also loved El Asterillo. A tip: when traveling to either of these places, make sure and communicate with the bus driver ahead of time so he knows where you want to go off...otherwise they might drive right thru and you'd never know the difference (and add 2 sweaty hours to your trip!)