Where To Stay In Popoyo Nicaragua
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Table of Contents
Where To Stay In Popoyo: My Top Accommodation Tips
1. CASITAS PACIFIC
Activities Offered By Casitas Pacific
2. CASA LA AVENTURA
Activities Offered By Casa La Aventura
3. ESCONDITE PACIFICO
Activities Offered By Escondite Pacifico
How To Book Activities In Popoyo
How To Get To Popoyo
What To Expect From Popoyo
Are There ATMs In Popoyo?
Best Time To Visit Popoyo
More Tips For Traveling In Nicaragua
Popoyo is a small village and area on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. It’s one of the perfect spots for relaxation and vacation in Nicaragua if you’re not looking for the crystal-clear water and white sand beaches of the Caribbean. Popoyo is also one of the best surfing spots in the world.
For you to have the best relaxation, I took my time and walked around the area in search of the best hotels in Popoyo. This article will reveal where to stay in Popoyo and how to enjoy the place to the fullest.
Nicaragua is one of the best countries to explore in Central America. It still needs to be discovered by travelers and is a much better option than neighboring Costa Rica. So let’s get into it.
Where To Stay In Popoyo: My Top Accommodation Tips
I took my time when visiting this place to look around and find the best hotels in Popoyo for you. After familiarizing myself with the area and seeing many hotels, I have picked the top 3 for you.
So here are my top accommodation tips for Popoyo:
- Casitas Pacific (mid-range hotel)
- Casa La Aventura (low-budget guesthouse)
- Escondite Pacifico (low-budget hostel)
1. CASITAS PACIFIC
Casitas Pacific is my top-pick hotel and the best place to stay in Popoyo.
It has a natural style, friendly personnel, an amazing terrace, great food, and clean, simple rooms. Moreover, it’s located directly on the beach with beautiful ocean views. You can also watch the sunset directly from the terrace or your room’s upper floor and enjoy a local drink.
Casitas Pacific offer simple yet beautiful rooms. They’re located in casitas (small houses), with one room on the ground floor and one on the upper floor. Each room has its bathroom with a shower (hot water, which is a plus in Nicaragua). Palm trees surround the casitas, so it feels like you’re in nature.
Then you walk towards the ocean, where they have a beautiful terrace. You can enjoy breakfast (included in the room fare), lunch, and dinner there.
I loved their food – you can enjoy smoothie bowls or smoothies in the morning, snacks such as sandwiches or a hamburger, homemade french fries, and fish caught on the same day from the ocean.
In addition, they have their own power generator and the Wifi is fast, which is often an issue in Popoyo.
It’s the perfect hotel for the following:
- couples
- backpackers looking to relax
- solo travelers
- digital nomads
Activities Offered By Casitas Pacific:
Casitas Pacific also offers a few activities for your stay:
- surf lesson
- massage
- horse riding
Check out with the reception staff for the prices and schedule.
Casitas Pacific is, without a doubt, the best hotel to stay in Popoyo, thanks to its beauty and simplicity, price range, services, location, and food options. If you’re looking to relax in Popoyo, this hotel is perfect for you.
When looking at Booking.com, you may find this hotel has the best deal. Other hotels are either overpriced and not even on the beach or have a similar price but offer less comfort, beauty, and services than Casitas Pacific.
Check out more photos and prices via Booking.com and book your stay in Casitas Pacific.
2. CASA LA AVENTURA
Casa La Aventura is an eco-friendly guesthouse just 200 meters from the beach. It has a rustic style, and it’s almost entirely made from bamboo and wood.
It’s one of the unique accommodations in Popoyo and throughout Nicaragua. This place is for those who love to be connected to nature and go camping but still enjoy a bit of luxury.
It’s run by Jonathan and Cristiano, who are ready to help you with whatever you need during your stay. They understand how it feels when you’re constantly on the road and need time to relax.
Casa La Aventura features double rooms, a room designed in a 1980 Dodge van, and camping and glamping tents. They only have 6 rooms, so hurry up and book one before they’re all sold out.
This accommodation has a common socializing area, a kitchen to cook your food, BBQ facilities, and a garden. They also have an outdoor shower, which I particularly love.
Casa La Aventura doesn’t offer breakfast or any other meal. Yet they can give you fresh eggs, bread, and yogurt, which are delivered every day by the locals.
Activities Offered By Casa La Aventura
- Acroyoga
- Salsa
- surf lessons
- horse riding
They sometimes host Acroyoga and Salsa on their terrace. It’s also possible to rent a motorbike, bicycle, surfboard, and bodyboard on the spot.
Book Casa La Aventura if you want to be in nature, experience a unique stay in Popoyo, and relax after your long travels.
3. ESCONDITE PACIFICO
Escodite Pacifico is my top pick for a low-budget hostel in Popoyo. They offer double rooms as well as dorms for backpackers. Stay in Escondite Pacifico if you want to socialize a bit yet still have some time for yourself.
It features double rooms for couples and dorms for solo travelers or backpackers. Their facilities are clean and offer everything you need to stay in Popoyo. It also has a terrace on the beach so you can watch the sunset and enjoy your meals/drinks.
Escondite Pacifico is run by young volunteers, who fill this accommodation with young vibes and positive energy. They sometimes organize yoga sessions, can sign you up for surf classes, and horse riding sessions.
This accommodation is suitable for the following:
- backpackers
- solo travelers
- digital nomads
- couples
- introverts
Note that Escondite Pacifico doesn’t provide any food. Yet they have a kitchen so you can prepare your meals.
Activities Offered By Escondite Pacifico:
Escondite Pacifico also offers a few activities for your stay:
- surf lesson
- boat trips
- yoga (only sometimes)
- pizza night
Escondite Pacifico organizes yoga from time to time. Yoga teachers organize the classes, but they’re only sometimes in Popoyo. So don’t count on it. Yet you can do yoga when there are yoga teachers at the time.
What I love about this accommodation is their pizza nights. They organize them every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Escondite Pacifico is for those looking for low-budget accommodation with comfort, on the beach, and with possibilities to socialize, but not a party-hard style.
How To Book Accommodation In Popoyo
I always use Booking.com to book my accommodation whenever I travel. It’s very fast; I can see photos of the properties and read reviews of other travelers’ stays.
What I love the most about Booking.com is that it’s fast to book, and everything works smoothly. Even when I make a mistake with my booking, I contact them, and they’re willing to change the dates for me.
It recently happened to me when I was traveling from Nicaragua (Leon) to El Salvador (San Salvador) on a night bus. Unfortunately, I miscalculated the dates and booked too many nights in Leon. I contacted Booking.com after checking in, and they changed my checkout date without any issues.
The more times you book accommodation on Booking.com, the more benefits you’ll get. For instance, I’ve already reached the ‘Genius 3’ level. This means I get 20% off the price with some hotels and free breakfast.
So book your stay in Casitas Pacific, Casa La Aventura, or Escondite Pacifico in Popoyo via Booking.com and have a great stay.
You can also use the yellow box below to book your stay in Popoyo:
How To Get To Popoyo
Popoyo is one of the best surfing destinations in the world. Even if you’re not a surfer, it’s a great spot to relax and enjoy the ocean. Popoyo is still less known, so it’s not crowded at all. You’ll find your quiet place if you want to spend some time with yourself or your loved ones.
It’s situated in the southwest of Nicaragua, on the Pacific Coast.
- Managua To Popoyo: 103 kilometers/64 miles
- Rivas to Popoyo: 47 kilometers/30 miles
- San Juan del Sur to Popoyo: 75 kilometers/47 miles
You can reach it by taking a local bus from Rivas to Salinas. Get off at the bridge near the German Bakery (before Salinas), and take a taxi to your accommodation.
Alternatively, you can take a taxi from Rivas to Popoyo, which costs around $25 per ride (2 people). If more people share a taxi, taxi drivers usually take advantage of it and charge each person around $15.
PRO TIP: If you’re traveling alone and want to take a taxi, find fellow travelers before. Then, ask a taxi to drive you and negotiate the price per ride. This way, it’ll be cheaper. However, if the taxi driver finds individual travelers and puts them into one taxi, he charges more per person.
PRO TIP: If traveling by bus, ask your accommodation in Popoyo to pick you up from the bridge.
PRO TIP: If you’re on a budget and want to take the bus, don’t travel on Sunday. There is no bus on Sunday to Popoyo/Salinas.
What To Expect From Popoyo
As I mentioned, Popoyo is one of the best surfing destinations in the world. So if you’re a surfer, don’t hesitate anymore. Popoyo is the perfect spot for you to enjoy the waves and relax.
If you’re not a surfer and are eager to try, it’s also a great place for you. It has spots for first-timers to see whether surfing is the thing for them.
If you’re not a surfer (like me) and don’t even want to try, Popoyo has its charm for you, too. It’s a great place to relax, do long beach walks, watch big ocean waves, and enjoy the beautiful sunset from the beach or your hotel room.
PRO TIP: Popoyo is NOT for you if you want a vacation in crystal-clear waters (like the Caribbean) and white-sand beaches. It’s on the Pacific coast, meaning the beach is long, with grey sand, the waves are huge, and access to the ocean can be challenging.
Popoyo is for those who enjoy surfing or want to learn it, love walking on the big long beaches, enjoy the sunset, and relax.
The village has few facilities. It has only one small supermarket, surf school, shop, hostels, and hotels. It’s a quiet place for those looking for relaxation, surfing, and chill vibes.
You can go to San Juan del Sur if you need more facilities and a vibrant city. However, I didn’t like the place so much. The biggest disappointment of the place is its beach in San Juan del Sur: it’s crowded, smelly, and dirty. So San Juan del Sur is to enjoy its nice cafes and restaurants and socialize with others. But not for nature, neither for relax nor the beach.
Are There ATMs In Popoyo?
Thanks you asked. Unfortunately NO, there are no ATMs in Popoyo, so plan accordingly. Bring the amount of cash you’ll need for your stay in Popoyo. Some places, such as the local supermarket, restaurants, and hotels, accept credit cards. However, they often charge a 5% extra fee for a transaction.
So the best way is to carry cash to Popoto to avoid extra charges and issues.
Best Time To Visit Popoyo
The weather stays pretty consistent throughout the entire year in Popoyo. The temperature range between 26°C and 32°C.
For the surfers, the best time to visit Popoyo is from April to October, when the waves are more sizable and consistent. There is also a lot less wind during that time. In Nicaragua, April to October is considered the rainy season. Yet, it’s less windy, and the waves are better for surfers.
November to April is usually the best time to visit Nicaragua, as it’s the dry season. So if you’re not a surfer, the best time to visit Popoyo is from November until April.
RELATED ARTICLE: Is Nicaragua Safe To Travel? Safety Tips For First-Timers
More Tips For Traveling In Nicaragua
These are my top picks for places where to stay in Popoyo, Nicaragua. So choose the one that feels the most home for you and book.
You’ll love the long beach walks, sunset experience, and chilled vibes in these accommodations.
If you want to see more of Nicaragua, you should also head to Ometepe. Check out my 11 unique things to do on Ometepe Island in Nicaragua. Also, see my article about where to stay in Ometepe and book your favorite accommodation.
If you’re planning to go to Leon and experience volcano boarding, check out my article about where to stay in Leon.
If you like Pacific Coast less and are looking for a Caribbean vacation, check out my article about how to get to Corn Islands from Managua.
Nicaragua is an amazing country, ready to show you its stunning volcanoes, unique lakes, beautiful beaches, and great adventure activities. So book your stay as soon as possible, and travel.
Happy travels!
