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.

Playa Remanso surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today19
77
Good
0.8m@14s
19km/h
Sun20
55
Fair
0.8m@12s
14km/h
Mon21
63
Fair
0.8m@18s
6km/h
Tue22
59
Fair
0.8m@17s
9km/h
Wed23
67
Good
0.8m@13s
6km/h
Thu24
56
Fair
0.8m@15s
11km/h
Fri25
31
Poor
0.8m@10s
8km/h
Sat26
66
Good
1.0m@15s
9km/h
Sun27
59
Fair
1.5m@14s
12km/h
Mon28
28
Poor
1.1m@13s
14km/h
Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: AfternoonAM 18 km/h · PM 16 km/h
Groomed
Clean faces from offshore winds
Swell
0.8m
SW(231°)
Score: 15/25
Period
14s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
19km/h
ENE(60°)
Score: 22/25
Weather
30°C
0.1mm78%
First light 5:02amSunrise 5:32amSunset 5:41pmLast light 6:11pm
Windswell0.3m@2sSecondary0.4mConfidence
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: 9:53am–6:11pm · through lowIdeal 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
26°
30°
33°
31°
27°
26°
30°
33°
30°
27°
25°
29°
25°
25°
25°
23°
25°
26°
27°
25°
24°
28°
29°
28°
26°
24°
28°
30°
26°
25°
24°
28°
30°
28°
25°
24°
26°
28°
27°
26°
25°
27°
29°
27°
25°
25°
27°
28°
27°
26°
2m1.0
sec
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
18s
18s
18s
18s
18s
17s
17s
17s
17s
17s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
swell
windkm/h
13g27
23g52
22g54
17g48
14g34
11g21
15g37
17g45
22g49
4g21
3g7
7g21
3g26
7g25
10g17
9g19
10g25
11g25
10g26
8g16
6g12
5g19
5g22
9g25
6g24
13g24
13g31
12g34
9g30
12g22
13g23
9g29
4g34
7g30
10g23
5g19
4g24
13g30
12g32
9g33
8g23
11g29
14g36
14g39
13g40
12g26
14g32
16g38
15g42
13g43
tidem
1:08am0.6m
7:34am1.8m
2:02pm0.6m
8:11pm1.5m
2:12am0.7m
8:38am1.7m
3:19pm0.7m
9:24pm1.6m
3:23am0.8m
9:46am1.7m
4:16pm0.7m
4:39am0.8m
10:53am1.8m
5:21pm0.7m
5:38am0.7m
11:51am1.9m
6:08pm0.6m
6:26am0.6m
12:36pm1.9m
6:48pm0.4m
1:01am2.0m
7:12am0.4m
1:16pm2.0m
7:24pm0.3m
1:37am2.2m
7:53am0.2m
1:57pm2.1m
8:02pm0.2m
2:14am2.3m
8:32am0.1m
2:36pm2.2m
8:40pm0.1m
2:51am2.4m
9:10am0.0m
3:16pm2.2m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

1:08 am
Low tide - 0.56m
7:34 am
High tide - 1.77m
2:02 pm
Low tide - 0.56m
8:11 pm
High tide - 1.54m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

77
Good
Components
Swell Direction9/25
Swell Size15/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind22/25
Raw Score71/100
Adjustments
Wind History+6
🌊 Tide+5
💨 Gusty Wind-5
Adjusted Score77/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score77
✨ Groomed🌊 Optimal 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
1.2m - 1.7m
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?

The Playa Remanso profile favors the recorded tide range, ideally between 0.3m and 1.4m 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 Remanso?

The Playa Remanso 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 Remanso?

The Playa Remanso scoring profile favors swell from SSW (175° to 235°), a swell-height range of 0.6m to 2m, and a reference period of 14s. 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 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?

The spot profile lists MGA as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 135 minutes. 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.

Plan a trip around Playa Remanso

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