6 Night Surf Retreat in Popoyo Nicaragua | January 17-23, 2026
Join us this January 2026, as we return for an epic weeklong surf retreat in beautiful Popoyo Nicragua at the Malibu Popoyo Boutique Hotel.
DATES: Saturday January 17th - Friday January 23rd, 2026
We're taking a small group of Traveler Surf Club members, customers and friends on an adventure filled with yoga, farm fresh food, and warm dreamy waves!
Each day will include yoga, surf sessions with local guides and delicious meals.
The guides are amazing at finding the best empty breaks, at the right tides and times, all around the area. Each day is a different adventure and the guides tailor the day's surf outing depending on experience levels, conditions and expected crowds.
In order to avoid overrunning local breaks, space is limited to 8 surfing guests and a limited number of non-surfing spouses or partners.
This trip is open to surfers who are independent in the water and feel comfortable catching their own waves.
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The 6 night itinerary includes:
- Individual King room or shared 2 Bed loft room
- 3 meals per day sourced from the nearby organic farm, fresh water & soft drinks
- Daily yoga
- Daily surf guiding – the experienced local guides will put you in the right spot!
- 1 Massage
- Airport transfers to and from the Hotel
- Traveler Aloha Collection Reversible Tote & Baseball Hat
Excludes:
- Alcoholic drinks
- Personal expenses
- International flight
- Tips for hotel staff & guides
- Surfboards (although the hotel has boards available for guests to rent, or you can BYOB!)
- Travel Insurance
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PRICING for 6 nights
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1 Bed King Room- Single Surfer *Price is for 1 Person |
$3,500 |
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1 Bed King Room- Surfer + Non Surfer Partner/Spouse *Price is for 2 People |
$4,600 |
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1 Bed King Room- 2 Surfers *Price is for 2 People |
$6,400 |
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2 Bed Loft Shared Room- Single Surfer sharing with another Surfer *Price is Per person |
$3,200 |
Single King Room: 1 Bed+ 1 Bath
Shared King Room: 1 Bed+ 1 Bath
Shared Loft Room: 2 Beds + 1 Bath 
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FAQs
Who is this trip ideal for?
The group is limited to 8 people who surf comfortably and consider themselves advanced beginner, intermediate, or advanced. You should feel comfortable on your own in the water and be able to catch waves without being pushed. We will have local surf guides with us everyday to give tips and help in the lineup.
The Traveler community is a wonderful group of people who love the ocean, nature and who appreciate and respect the knowledge of locals and local culture. If that sounds like you, then we hope you can come along for this amazing trip! No children under age 18. The group dynamic of this trip is best suited to individuals, couples and pairs rather than family groups.
Is the trip a Surf Workshop?
This trip has 3 main goals: Surf More, Get Warm, Be Happy!
We will not plan any intensive training or lessons each day, though Surfing and Yoga are always on the menu of activities. Julie Cox, Traveler's founder and former pro-longboarder will be available to offer tips and instruction to guests. The local surf guides will also be able to offer individual advice in the water. We will spend time taking video of each guest over the course of the retreat, so that we can evaluate progress and offer feedback in a group setting. By surfing daily for long sessions at varying breaks, we've seen all of our guests improve dramatically and experience maximum stoke.
This is a no-pressure, de-stress and relax kind of trip! We want to connect a group of ocean and nature loving people who will bring good vibes to the warm water. Come with friends or make new ones on our adventure!
What type of Board should I bring?
This time of year, the waves are great for longboarding and that's what we are partial to. We plan to personally rent boards on site as the lodge has a great quiver selection and this eases the pain points of travel with a large board. You can rent boards on site as well. However, we recommend that guests who really want to become more in-tune with their own equipment, or have questions about their own equipment, bring a longboard or midlength.
Can I bring my Spouse/Partner/Friend who does not surf?
Yes, we welcome non-surfing pals who come along and will be sharing a King room with you. Please select the appropriate room option on the booking menu. The room cost for a double occupancy King room will cover their meals, yoga, airport transfer and a massage for your partner. Your friend won't be included in the daily surf excursions as there is limited space in the Landcruisers. This option is best for partners and spouses who want to spend time lounging by the pool, or swimming at the local beach. The resort has Wifi. They can also arrange horse rides and other a la carte excursions.
The hotel rooms are set up mostly with king beds, and there are several loft rooms with a king/ queen setup so that 2 friends or individuals can share a room with separate beds.
Pricing is listed in the dropdown menu.
Is there a Surf Club Member Discount?
Yes, TSC Members who book their deposit before our October 5th early bird deadline, will receive a discount code for $150 off of your final balance due.
Getting there:
Roundtrip Airfare is not included to Managua International Airport (MGA) You will need to make sure to book your airfare such that you arrive and depart within the scheduled itinerary.
Unless you plan to extend your trip, please plan to arrive on the day of Jan 17th and depart on Jan 23rd.
There are connecting flights in the US from California through both Houston and Miami. If flying on Avianca Airlines, there are connecting flights through El Salvador.
Arrival: Fly into Managua, Nicaragua (MGA) arriving by 3 PM on Jan 17.
Departure: Fly out of MGA no earlier than 10am on the 23rd.
The airport transfer from MGA to Popoyo is about 2.5 hours so plan for a full day of travel, or plan to stop over for an extra night in one of your layover cities to reduce jetlag. Either way you will arrive at Popoyo and immediately sink into relaxation mode. You can choose to follow your own pace every day!
If you plan to extend your stay on either end of the trip, we can put you in touch with the team at the Popoyo Hotel to arrange for additional room nights, or advice on other places to go in Nicaragua or Costa Rica.
Do I need to get a Visa for travel to Nicaragua?
A visa is not required for a stay of up to 90 days, but you must hold a passport valid for at least six months beyond your date of country exit and with one blank visa page.
What medicine will I need to bring?
We always recommend bringing a supply of your personal medication and basic first aid essentials that you may want to have, like band aids, aloe vera gel for sunburns, and powdered Gatorade, Pepto or Imodium if you sometimes get an upset stomach. Similarly some guests pack dramamine for boat excursions, but its not likely to be needed.
We should note that the food at the lodge is excellent and organic and no belly aches were reported on our previous trip!
Is the water safe to drink?
The lodge where we will stay provides filtered water and ice for drinking.
What should I pack?
Great question! Here's a list of some items that we've road tested and recommend to keep you comfortable on your adventure!
Luggage & Bags:
- Topo Global Travel Bags
- Patagonia Black Hole Duffle/ MLC
- Backpack or Beach Tote for personal items each day
- Board sock or Board Travel bag if you bring your own board
- Board Sling- Great for carrying boards on the beach if you don't have a boardbag.
Swimwear: Best to bring 2-3 suits and rash guards so that you can stay dry each day.
- Women's Swimwear
- Men's Swimwear
- Rash Guard
- Wetsuit - (Optional)Will not need anything heavy, suggest a 1-2mm for sun or wind protection
Headwear:
Accessories:
- Water Bottle- Best to have 20oz +
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Sandals
- Waterproof bag
- Surf Earplugs
- Lightweight or quickdry towel
Clothing:
- Yoga wear
- Lightweight layers
- T-shirts & tank tops
Misc:
- Photocopies of passport
- Ding repair Kit
- Bugspray
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Cancellation Policy:
- Your per person Deposit reserves a limited spot on this trip.
- Deposits are non refundable after November 28th, 2025
- Balance of payment for the trip will be due by December 15th, 2025
- Once the deposit deadlines have passed, we unfortunately cannot offer refunds on the trip. For this reason we require that you purchase trip insurance from a third party.
Trip Insurance:
- You can find a number of coverage options here. World Nomads is another popular option. Amex card holders can purchase trip insurance through their card membership.
- Likewise, please consider your refundable airfare options when booking your flight.
- Typical insurance coverage is about 5-10% of the cost of the trip, depending on how much you choose to insure for, it can also offer great options like out of country medical evacuation and other services that provide great peace of mind.
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More Questions?
Email us: hello@travelersurfclub.com Attn: NICARAGUA