Volcan MomotomboOur big adventure today was focused on surfing. Before we met up with our surf instructors we stopped at the local panaderia (bakery) for some snacks to take to the beach. The bakery is located just across from the Parque Central and the church. Sam has fallen in love with the pineapple cookies. The lady at the bakery knows us now.
We booked our surfing lessons through San Juan Surf and Sport. They are known to be one of the best out-fitters in town and they didn't let us down. After a 20 minute drive through the countryside we landed on the most beautiful beach, Playa Hermosa, which means pretty beach. On Playa Hermosa sits the Playa Hermosa Surf Camp, which was our base for the day. The Surf Camp is newly opened and consists of a 'hotel' of dorm rooms, hammocks, an outside bar and grill, and endless waves. Our instructors Saul and Roberto led us onto the wide, flat beach and explained the fundamentals of surfing. We learned the parts of the board and the technique for getting on it. It was a LOT easier to do on the sand than it was in the water!
After about 20 minutes of instruction we hit the waves. Roberto worked with us while Saul worked with the other guys in our group. So, we basically had private instruction. Unfortunately, that's not enough to make us 'real surfers.' Steve was able to stand up once during our two hour session and Marnie chose to stay on her stomach or knees. Nevertheless, we were amazed at how fast you could go on the long board when you caught the wave just right.
We are grateful that we also had our own photographer with us. The photos are courtesy of Sam, who documented the entire experience.
Two hours in the water was enough for us and we headed back to the surf camp for a few beers and our tasty snacks from the bakery. Another hour or two in a hammock and we were ready to head back to the hotel. We'll never be pro surfers, but today was an experience we won't soon forget. Surfing is really fun!
Our day ended on the beach in San Juan del Sur with grilled whole snapper at a popular restaurant, El Timon. We watched the sunset and enjoyed a live Latin band. Steve and Sam finished up the evening poolside at the hotel drinking Flor de Cana, the local favorite.
Evenings and days like this have made us fall in love with this warm, friendly, and beautiful country. Despite its political and economic challenges, Nicaragua is endearing and we are so happy we've spent our holiday here.
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
5 days ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.
Mary Warren
6 days ago
Jess was very easy going and answered all our questions. It’s not easy dealing with 6 people at once but she did an outstanding job!
Diane Foster
1 week ago
Kassandra and the Adventure Life team have been incredible! Kassandra was very knowledgeable and attentive to our asks while making sure we kept within our budget. This was our first experience with a travel agent and we were blown away by the booking/initial exploration service. We will use Adventure Life again.