What To Pack For Your Surf or Yoga Retreat in Northern Nicaragua: A Complete Breakdown For Every Season

By: Kayla Nielsen

I don’t know about you, but I actually LOVE packing, because it gets me pumped for the trip I’m about to go on. Hopefully this post will help you get those butterflies of excitement as you think about all the fun you’re about to have on your surf or yoga retreat here with us in Northern Nicaragua. 

Keep in mind, we DO have laundry on site for an additional fee should you choose to pack super light and rewear certain clothes. 

You can certainly buy most toiletries, first aid, pharmaceutical needs here in Nicaragua should you need to. It would be best for you to purchase BEFORE arriving to Still Salty Escape, so that you don’t have to spend the free time on your retreat running errands. 

Dry Season: December - April

Light, breathable clothing is best, because it is HOT here in Northern Nicaragua. If you’re coming for a yoga retreat, or YTT, then make sure to pack according to the number of days and hours you’ll be practicing.

Clothing & Footwear

-Yoga clothes (leggings, tops, shorts, etc) 

-Shorts

-Light weight, loose pants

-Light weight long sleeve shirt(s)

-Bathing suit(s)

-Rash guard top (only if you plan on surfing)  

-Lightweight bathing suit cover up or dress

-Pajamas

-Fully white outfit (only if you’re joining a YTT, use it for graduation day)

-Sandals that can get wet (we love Rubber Birkenstocks!)

-Closed toe shoes (only if you plan on doing volcano hiking, or big city tours on foot)

-Sarong (we have SSE ones for sale here if you don’t have one!)

-Full coverage sun hat (wide brim, bucket, etc)

-Baseball cap

-Surf hat (only if you know you’re sensitive to the sun, and want to be fully covered)

-1-2 pairs of socks depending on if you bring closed toe shoes (remember, you’ll want at least one pair for your flight)

Additional

-Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, face wash, skin care, body moisturizer)

-Bug spray

-Sunscreen (we sell Manda sun cream at SSE)

-Zinc (we sell Manda zinc at SSE)

-Supplements

-Prescribed pharmaceuticals 

-Basic First Aid (Bandaids and disinfectant)

-Phone charger

-Battery pack 

-Other technological needs (laptop, iPad, chargers, chords, tripods, mics, etc)

-Camera (please read our Clearing Customs blog first)

-Surf board (only if you know you prefer NOT to rent one of ours)

-Yoga gear (only if you know you don’t want to practice on our Alo Yoga mats)

Wet Season: June - October 

We are not open during wet season. But if you come to Nicaragua during this time hunting for big waves, then you’ll certainly have a blast. It’s important to remember that even places offering laundry might struggle with the turn around, because it’s much cloudier and wetter during this time. Power outages are also more common during the storms, so pack back up batteries according to your work load. 

Clothing & Footwear

Everything listed from Dry Season

-Light weight rain jacket or poncho

-Closed toe shoes that can get wet 

Additional:

Everything listed from Dry Season

-Extra bug spray

-Poncho for backpack or suitcase

-Waterproof casing for electronics 

-Additional battery packs

-Small fan (solar, battery, or rechargeable)

Shoulder Seasons: May & November 

These months tend to be mostly dry, with storms coming through at night. Check out our blog on the best time to come to Nicaragua to learn more extensively about the seasons. Because the shoulder seasons do have rain, there’s likely to be more mosquitos than dry season, but less than rainy season. 

Overall, you’ll want to pack everything from BOTH lists to ensure you’re prepared in case the rains tend to be strong. 

Whether it’s raining, shining, or a little bit of both, we promise you that your yoga or surf retreat with us here in Northern Nicaragua will be the experience of a lifetime. Feel free to shoot us an email with any additional questions you may have when you’re packing your bags to come see us. 

Hasta pronto, amigos.