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Playa Maderas
Surf spot · Nicaragua
Is it worth the trip?
65Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9, usually: typical for the time of year: good on 74% of days
Tue 3 · 64 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Wed 4 · 64 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Thu 5 · 64 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Fri 6 · 64 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sat 7 · 64 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sun 8 · 64 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Mon 9 · 69 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
No forecast for this spot on these dates. Usual weather for your dates
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best May–Jun, Aug–Sep6 good days in 7
Usual weather for your dates
not a forecast
| Day | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3to 9usually | 4 ft8 s | 181kJ | NEoffshore | 28°C |
No forecast for this spot on these dates. These are the usual readings for that week.
Best time to go
best May–Jun, Aug–Sep
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Playa Maderas on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears how it usually is on these dates, from past years' weather, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Playa Maderas
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More surf near here
3 places
- playa dos remedios 3.2 km away
- San Juan Del Sur 5.8 km away
- Playa Remanso 10.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Playa Maderas
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (229°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (49°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 4). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. The sea is about 25°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June, August and September, with about 6 good days in 7; in January and February, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is San Juan del Sur, 5.9 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$643–US$1,210 each
about US$643–US$1,210 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to LIR, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$288–US$596 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$60–US$94 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$114–US$188 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$127–US$234 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$54–US$94 |
| Total | about US$643–US$1,210 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 10 min by car · 143 places to stay
about US$40/nightcountry average
About San Juan del Sur its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in El Limon on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 18 places to stay
- Beds in Las Salinas on Booking.com
about 55 min by car · 17 places to stay
About US$40 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 11h 25m
About 11h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LIR, direct, then 2h 30m by road
Flights ORD → LIR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.