Beach
both
Level 5/10

Playa Hermosa Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
🌀Strong rips

Playa Hermosa is Nicaragua's best kept secret—a powerful beachbreak south of San Juan del Sur that features lots of peaks, long walls, and enough space to spread out even when it's pumping. The privately maintained access road keeps casual visitors away while delivering surfers to one of the longest beaches in the area. During swell season, Hermosa can get BIG, with double-overhead days that challenge even experienced surfers. The multiple peaks mean you can always find an uncrowded section, whether you want the heaviest barrel or a more forgiving wall.

Playa Hermosa Nicaragua surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today20
43
Poor
0.7m@13s
11km/h
Mon21
63
Fair
0.7m@18s
6km/h
Tue22
50
Fair
0.8m@12s
8km/h
Wed23
63
Fair
1.2m@8s
5km/h
Thu24
36
Poor
0.8m@12s
10km/h
Fri25
26
Poor
0.9m@10s
8km/h
Sat26
51
Fair
1.0m@13s
7km/h
Sun27
65
Good
1.1m@14s
4km/h
Mon28
30
Poor
1.2m@13s
9km/h
Tue29
23
Poor
1.6m@12s
12km/h
Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 9 km/h · PM 7 km/h · Tide at 8am (1.7m)
Groomed
Clean faces from offshore winds
Swell
0.7m
SW(232°)
Score: 5/25
Period
13s
Medium period swell
Score: 8/25
Wind
11km/h
ENE(71°)
Score: 21/25
Weather
29°C
0.5mm58%
First light 5:02amSunrise 5:32amSunset 5:40pmLast light 6:10pm
Secondary0.3mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:02am–6:10pm · through highIdeal tide: 0.4–1.8m
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
25°
29°
31°
33°
25°
25°
27°
30°
29°
25°
24°
26°
28°
27°
25°
24°
29°
30°
27°
25°
24°
28°
30°
26°
25°
23°
28°
29°
26°
25°
24°
27°
30°
28°
26°
24°
27°
30°
27°
24°
25°
27°
29°
28°
27°
25°
27°
28°
27°
25°
2m1.0
sec
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
18s
18s
18s
18s
18s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
swell
windkm/h
7g14
11g30
13g43
2g25
13g35
5g12
5g16
13g32
2g16
7g20
10g18
8g22
5g26
11g26
8g18
7g12
6g19
2g19
8g25
2g25
11g20
12g28
10g34
10g32
5g25
11g21
11g27
10g30
8g26
0g26
9g16
10g21
9g25
3g25
3g24
6g13
2g16
3g20
5g25
9g28
6g13
7g22
12g32
11g33
9g31
2g31
9g35
16g39
15g40
13g40
tidem
2:08am0.7m
8:35am1.7m
3:19pm0.7m
9:24pm1.6m
3:24am0.8m
9:45am1.8m
4:19pm0.7m
4:39am0.8m
10:53am1.8m
5:21pm0.7m
5:38am0.7m
11:48am1.9m
6:08pm0.6m
6:26am0.6m
12:36pm1.9m
6:48pm0.4m
1:01am2.0m
7:10am0.4m
1:18pm2.0m
7:24pm0.3m
1:39am2.2m
7:54am0.2m
1:57pm2.1m
8:02pm0.2m
2:14am2.3m
8:32am0.1m
2:36pm2.2m
8:40pm0.1m
2:52am2.4m
9:10am0.0m
3:16pm2.2m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

2:08 am
Low tide - 0.70m
8:35 am
High tide - 1.73m
3:19 pm
Low tide - 0.67m
9:24 pm
High tide - 1.57m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

43
Poor
Components
Swell Direction10/25
Swell Size5/25
Swell Period8/25
Wind21/25
Raw Score44/100
Adjustments
Wind History+6
🌊 Tide+5
💨 Gusty Wind-5
📉 Undersized Swell-7
🚫 Undersized Capmax 64
Adjusted Score43/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score43
✨ Groomed🌊 Optimal tide window

Plan Your Strike

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (205°)
Direction range
180° - 245°
Size range
0.8m - 3.5m
Ideal size
2m - 2.8m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
16s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
NE (45°)
Offshore range
0° - 90°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.8m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

2/10

Access: Private access road. Small fee. Worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Playa Hermosa Nicaragua?

The Playa Hermosa Nicaragua profile favors mid tide, ideally between 0.4m and 1.8m on the local tide chart. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at Playa Hermosa Nicaragua?

The Playa Hermosa Nicaragua profile uses wind from NE (45°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 0° to 90°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at Playa Hermosa Nicaragua?

The Playa Hermosa Nicaragua scoring profile favors swell from SSW (180° to 245°), a swell-height range of 0.8m to 3.5m, and a reference period of 16s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.

When is the best time of year to surf Playa Hermosa Nicaragua?

The main season at Playa Hermosa Nicaragua is Apr-Oct. A secondary window runs Mar, Nov. Most consistent in region. Can get big during peak season.

How do I get to Playa Hermosa Nicaragua?

The spot profile lists MGA as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 140 minutes. Private access road. Small fee. Worth it.

What kind of wave is Playa Hermosa Nicaragua?

Playa Hermosa Nicaragua is a beach break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 5/10.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Oct

Secondary: Mar, Nov

Most consistent in region. Can get big during peak season.

Getting There

Airport
MGA
Drive time
140 min
Data quality
verified

🤙 Strike Specialist

The Strike Specialist in Nicaragua is Sea Nicaragua Travel. Get in touch with them for the best chance of scoring the best waves in Nicaragua — and don't forget to tell 'em Barrel D sent ya.

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