Beach
both
Level 2/10

Playa Remanso

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Playa Remanso is Central America's safest beginner wave—a sheltered bay south of San Juan del Sur that catches smaller swells and transforms them into gentle, rolling walls perfect for first-time surfers. The wave is so forgiving that multiple surf schools have made this their home, introducing hundreds of newcomers to surfing each season. The protected nature of the bay means minimal hazards: no rocks, no strong currents, just warm water and consistent small waves. For families or nervous beginners, Remanso removes every excuse not to try surfing. The dirt road access adds just enough adventure to make it feel like discovery.

10-Day Forecast
Today14
55
Fair
0.8m@17s
27km/h
Sat15
67
Good
1.1m@17s
24km/h
Sun16
67
Good
1.0m@16s
23km/h
Mon17
70
Good
0.9m@15s
18km/h
Tue18
57
Fair
0.9m@11s
17km/h
Wed19
53
Fair
0.9m@11s
18km/h
Thu20
49
Fair
0.7m@9s
20km/h
Fri21
54
Fair
0.8m@11s
18km/h
Sat22
63
Fair
0.8m@12s
21km/h
Sun23
64
Fair
0.6m@15s
21km/h
Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: AfternoonAM 27 km/h · PM 25 km/h
Groomed
Clean faces from offshore winds
Swell
0.8m
SW(226°)
Score: 10/25
Period
17s
Long period groundswell
Score: 23/25
Wind
27km/h
ENE(65°)
Score: 18/25
Weather
29°C
0.1mm88%
First light 5:02amSunrise 5:32amSunset 6:03pmLast light 6:33pm
Windswell0.7m@3sSecondary0.3mConfidence
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: 6:01–8:14am · droppingStrike window: 10:12am–12:21pm · risingIdeal tide: 0.3–1.4m
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°
32°
28°
25°
28°
30°
29°
26°
25°
27°
30°
31°
27°
25°
29°
32°
31°
27°
25°
29°
32°
31°
27°
25°
28°
31°
30°
27°
25°
28°
30°
29°
28°
25°
27°
29°
29°
28°
25°
28°
31°
30°
29°
25°
28°
30°
30°
28°
2m1.0
sec
17s
17s
17s
17s
17s
17s
17s
17s
17s
17s
16s
16s
16s
16s
16s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
swell
windkm/h
25g50
29g62
29g66
26g58
24g52
18g37
23g52
28g62
26g65
19g53
21g46
26g57
26g58
21g50
19g40
13g25
21g48
21g52
16g41
20g41
13g29
19g44
19g49
19g45
13g43
19g37
21g47
23g58
21g55
4g46
17g33
21g45
23g56
19g55
15g51
15g30
18g41
21g54
18g55
14g50
18g36
22g52
25g66
20g63
15g55
16g41
21g50
26g60
23g61
18g58
tidem
3:02am2.5m
9:12am0.1m
3:20pm2.6m
9:35pm0.0m
3:48am2.6m
10:00am0.1m
4:04pm2.5m
10:17pm0.0m
4:32am2.6m
10:45am0.1m
4:48pm2.4m
5:16am2.5m
11:32am0.3m
5:32pm2.3m
5:56am2.4m
12:13pm0.4m
6:16pm2.1m
6:41am2.3m
1:01pm0.6m
7:01pm2.0m
1:06am0.6m
7:30am2.1m
1:52pm0.7m
7:52pm1.9m
1:56am0.7m
8:22am2.0m
2:55pm0.8m
8:55pm1.8m
2:55am0.8m
9:21am2.0m
4:00pm0.8m
10:00pm1.8m
4:05am0.9m
10:25am2.0m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

3:02 am
High tide - 2.53m
9:12 am
Low tide - 0.12m
3:20 pm
High tide - 2.56m
9:35 pm
Low tide - 0.00m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

55
Fair
Components
Swell Direction11/25
Swell Size10/25
Swell Period23/25
Wind18/25
Raw Score62/100
Adjustments
Wind History+6
🌊💨 Windswell-5
🌊 Tide-3
💨 Gusty Wind-5
Adjusted Score55/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score55
✨ Groomed🌊💨 Windswell🌊 Too high for this tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to MGA, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (200°)
Direction range
175° - 235°
Size range
0.6m - 2m
Ideal size
1.6m
Height multiplier
0.90×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

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

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
all
Optimal range
0.3m - 1.4m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

2/10

Crowd level

4/10

Access: South of San Juan del Sur. Dirt road access.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Playa Remanso?

Playa Remanso works best on a mid tide, ideally between 0.3m and 1.4m on the local tide chart. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.

What wind direction is offshore at Playa Remanso?

Offshore wind at Playa Remanso blows from the NE (45°). Anything in the 0° to 90° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at Playa Remanso?

Playa Remanso wants SSW swell (175° to 235°) between 0.6m and 2m, with a period of 14s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf Playa Remanso?

The main season at Playa Remanso is Apr-Oct. A secondary window runs Nov, Mar. SW swell season. Protected bay catches smaller swells.

How do I get to Playa Remanso?

Fly into MGA, then allow about 135 minutes by road. South of San Juan del Sur. Dirt road access.

What kind of wave is Playa Remanso?

Playa Remanso is a beach break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 2/10.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Oct

Secondary: Nov, Mar

SW swell season. Protected bay catches smaller swells.

Getting There

Airport
MGA
Drive time
135 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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