When passing through Nicaragua, we always knew we wanted to spend some time near the coast so we could practice our surfing.
Or at least, so I could practise my surfing and Cazzy could relax and drink cocktails for a few hours!
Rapture Surfcamp stood out to us as a great place to stay and we has heard of them once or twice before as they have a few bases around the world.
So, if you might be interested in staying at a surf camp when in Nicaragua, here’s what we got up to there ...
Though stays here tend to be for a week or more, we only had a couple of days to stop by, but it was still plenty of time to see what it’s like.
The resort is located about half an hour outside of San Juan del Sur at a place called Playa Maderas in the southwest of Nicaragua.
The journey out to there from San Juan gets a little bumpy, but that’s because you really are in a beautiful, secluded spot.
We stayed in a glamping tent for two nights and had the chance to try out everything they offer in their prices. This includes …
I quite like the whole all-inclusive approach they have, as many other retreats often require you to pay extra for yoga or board rental etc.
6am surf - This is designed for those of you who are a a bit more experienced on a board and fancy starting your day out in the water.
8am-9am breakfast - They have a great breakfast system where you just write down what you’d like from the menu and they prepare it fresh for you.
9:30-11am yoga - This is included in the price of your stay and is designed for beginner yoga practitioners. It’s a great way to loosen up tired muscles for the day of surfing ahead; and can even help your brain stay younger!
12-2pm lunch in town - Times may vary depending on what the tides are like, but they typically stop off in San Juan for an hour so that you can grab lunch before you head out surfing.
2pm-6pm - They will then take you to a nearby beach that offers the best surf for that day. I loved this approach, because it gives you the chance to discover a whole bunch of different beaches during your stay. They also divide the guests up into different groups based on your experience level, so everyone gets the best chance to practice their skills.
6pm-whenever - After sunset, you head back to the resort, have a shower and then enjoy dinner and chilling with other guests. From Monday to Friday, dinner is included in the price of your stay. Friday night is pizza night and Saturday night is BBQ night, both of which you have to pay for but are well worth it!
They offer a few different room options at rapture, which makes it great for different budgets.
We stayed in the glamping tent, which turned out to be a really cool and unique experience.
The dorm rooms were also pretty cool as they were open, meaning you wake up to breathtaking views down and out over the ocean. It also means you stay nice and cool throughout the night, whilst a bug net protects you from any unwanted critters.
They also had a few other private rooms if you’re travelling as a couple and want that little more privacy!
For what you pay, the food provided at Rapture is pretty good value!
You get good choice of breakfast items and can choose to any items you want from a selection they offer.
The first night we were there they served up lasagna and salad, which was tasty and pretty healthy.
On the Friday night we had freshly made, oven baked pizzas and just missed out on the legendary Saturday night BBQ.
They also offer up lunches if you want to eat there, as well as a selection of drinks to purchase all throughout the day.
As you’d expect this includes plenty of healthy smoothies for the daytime as well as cocktails for the evening!
The pool deserves its own section as it ... is ... epic!
Seriously, it’s possibly the best pool I’ve ever been in at any resort.
Sure it’s not overly big and doesn’t have flumes and slides and water volleyball and god knows what else.
But what it does have is an incredible view stretching right out across the canopy below and the seas further beyond.
It was the perfect place to chill in and cool off in from the heat of the Nicaraguan sun.
And because it’s not too deep or big, it’s a great temperature as well.
As you can probably tell, I think Rapture is best suited towards any beginner surfer looking for a fun, chilled out experience!
All of the staff are young, friendly and helpful, so it’s a great environment for those of you looking to unwind for a few days, or even weeks.
Whilst there, we found a real mixture of people staying, including individual backpackers and big groups who came all the way from Germany just to stay there!
So if you’re keen to surf, do yoga, relax in the sun and possibly head out drinking or partying on the weekend, then you’ll love it there!
If you wish to stay here, then you can find their best prices here:
*A huge thank you once again to the team at Rapture who hosted us during our stay here. However do be aware that all views expressed are our own*
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