The Best Time Of Year To Come To Nicaragua

By: Kayla Nielsen

Unlike many counties that have four seasons, Nicaragua only has two: wet and dry. There are “shoulder season” months in that transitionary time from wet to dry, and dry to wet- which I GUESS are the Nicaraguan version of Spring and Fall. But otherwise, just two seasons flat out. 

As for the best time of year to visit, well, that really depends on what you want to do. Check out the breakdown below to figure out when you’d like to come see us here in Northern Nicaragua!

December - April, Dry Season: 

This tends to be the most popular time for tourists in our area, and is definitely our favorite time of year. If you’re looking into booking with us, or have stayed with us before, then you’ll also know that we’re only open October 1 - July 1 for this reason!

Weather: Generally dry (shocker, I know) and pleasant. Because the rains tend to full drop off around December, there won’t be so much as a cloud in the sky, which can make the middle of the day pretty hot. 

March and sometimes into April tend to be the hottest months, as off shore winds blow hot air in. Great for the waves, not so great if you’re sensitive to heat. 

Waves: This is popular time of year, because we get so many new surfers come to Nicaragua to learn how to surf (that’s how I learned how to surf in December 2019!), and the waves are perfect for beginners during this time. 

The swell tends to start picking up in April, which means there’s more places working that are otherwise flat during the peak of dry season. This is a great time of year to come if you want more versatility with waves.

June - September, Wet Season: 

Although these months are consistently wet, there’s really no saying just how wet they’ll be. It’s important to know that rains can effect visibility and cleanliness for all water activities. It might also cause certain trails to close down from landslides, or deep mud. And, of course, rain brings about more mosquitoes. 

Weather:

After having experienced mild, moderate, and severe wet seasons, I can say that mild and moderate are totally fine. Severe isn’t great, because it will truly rain all day every day with no sunshine coming out to dry things up AT ALL (yeah, laundry was a nightmare during that time). This time of year also bring much higher humidity, making it feel hotter than the dry season.

Waves:

The season is wet season, because it’s hurricane season, baby! Which might sound terrible to some people, but surfers know that where there’s hurricanes, there’s swell. Yep, you can expect some monster waves to be coming through at this time. That being said, sometimes it’s SO big that even the best spots can’t hold the swell, and it’s just a mess. But the great thing about Nicaragua is that no matter where you are, you can always find a fun wave within a 30 minute radius, if your local ones are blown out. 

October, November & May Shoulder Season: 

Because these months are in between two seasons, that’s exactly how they act: sometimes full sunshine, sometime a huge storm at night. Overall, we stay open during these months as they’re still really pleasant times of year to be here. Plus, everything is all lush and green, which we love. 

Weather:

This month tends to be the coolest month in the mornings and evenings (which means locals will be bundled up in sweatshirts, but you’ll still probably be sweating your ass off, because it’s not cold at all). Because there’s still a chance of rain, you might get more clouds during the day, which is helps blocks the midday sun. 

That being said, there’s also plenty of scorching, cloudless days. When it does rain, it’s usually at night rather than the middle of the day, and certainly not all day every day.

Waves:

Similar to the weather, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Typically the big swells start dropping off at this time, meaning tons of surf camps start flooding the line up with beginners again. But (like last week), you can still get a random grande swell come through unexpectedly. This is a great time for all levels, as the big swells can help otherwise flat areas have perfect beginner waves.

Regardless of when you decide to come, we can’t wait to welcome you. We know you’ll love your stay with us. See you soon, amigos!