Playa Maderas is surely in the running for one of the most spectacular surf beaches in Central America due to its fairly consistent waves assisted by regular offshore breezes created by the "lake-effect" of Lago Nicaragua. But, it has one downfall, regular shuttle-buses full of tourists (including us) wanting to surf arrive consistently throughout the day making it a very crowded break and beach. Before the first shuttle arrives around 10 a.m.the beach may be empty but if the tide is right the water is already lined with surfers, including a handfull of locals who can really rip. The waves here are steeper and at least when we arrive, bigger than we have encountered on this trip.
We made our first trip out to this break on Saturday - two big mistakes, it was low tide and duh .. it was Saturday and that meant even bigger crowds. We only stayed a few hours as we had to get back to SJDS for my last few hours of spanish class. But we decided to head back on Monday and spend a few days at a local hostal located about 15 minutes walk up the beach.
Playa Mathilda is absolutely beautiful - the first white sand beach we have encountered in Nicaragua. The water is refreshing and you don't have to walk half a mile before you get your shoulders wet.
We take a room at Matilida's this funky, colorful, beachfront hostel with friendly staff and room options running from a "doghouse" (think over-sized concrete doghouse or tent with tin roof and windows) for $4 or a private room for $25. We opted for the private room with a hammock on the porch just calling my name.
The place is a surfer's dream and just about everyone here is here with one thing in mind - surfing. Which is a good thing since there is nothing else out here - no bars or discos and food is served from some simply shacks - we loved Juanita's hut on the beach and ate almost every meal there.
We did splurge one night for the local lobster - served from the most dilapidated shack you could image - but delicious just the same.
For the next 5 days we slipped into the same routine as all the other surfer's staying here (although many of them have been here a month or more). Its early morning surf sessions to catch the rising tide, then chill with a book for the afternoon until after low tide and head back for another session. At least once during your stay you need to make the obligatory walk over to Playa Majagual nicknamed "sunset beach" for.. you guessed it ... a beautiful sunset. Then its dinner and hang around and listen to it rain on our tin roof (which if you have never experienced it can be pretty loud when it rains all night!).
The walk to the Maderas surf break is short but you need to time it with the tide as its very difficult to cross the rocky outcropping at high tide. We found this out one day one as the water was already crashing into the shoreline. We thought we had seen a map that showed a dirt road following the coastline so we bushwacked inland to where we saw a road. Sounds right ... right! An hour and a half later and after getting a ride from a local up the big hill we final make it to Maderas - John carrying his surfboard the whole way! Lesson learned - watch the tide.
Early in the week a swell had come in so I struggled with the surf to the point where some days I had to demote myself to the whitewater - an ego-crushing fate. John on the other hand took the challenge head-on, engaged his testosterone, paddled out and proceeded to get wiped out of the ocean and tossed in the air. It was spectacular. But he kept at it, and eventually got the hang of the drop in and caught a few waves. For the most part of small point and shoot camera has been sufficient, but this was one of those times I wished we had a better zoom, both for the crashes and the successes. By the end of our stay I too had faced the challenge, albeit the swell had died down by then and the guys from Mathilda's gave me some tips on where the softest part of the wave was (i.e. easiest to catch). Why didn't they say so sooner!
Playa Mathilda is absolutely beautiful - the first white sand beach we have encountered in Nicaragua. The water is refreshing and you don't have to walk half a mile before you get your shoulders wet.
We did splurge one night for the local lobster - served from the most dilapidated shack you could image - but delicious just the same.
Early in the week a swell had come in so I struggled with the surf to the point where some days I had to demote myself to the whitewater - an ego-crushing fate. John on the other hand took the challenge head-on, engaged his testosterone, paddled out and proceeded to get wiped out of the ocean and tossed in the air. It was spectacular. But he kept at it, and eventually got the hang of the drop in and caught a few waves. For the most part of small point and shoot camera has been sufficient, but this was one of those times I wished we had a better zoom, both for the crashes and the successes. By the end of our stay I too had faced the challenge, albeit the swell had died down by then and the guys from Mathilda's gave me some tips on where the softest part of the wave was (i.e. easiest to catch). Why didn't they say so sooner!
