Popoyo isn’t just a place—it’s a lifestyle. A small beach town that either tugs at your heartstrings… or sends you packing after a week. Between the power outages, the muddy, sometimes impassable roads, and the kind of heat that has you melting by 10 a.m., it’s not everyone’s cup of hibiscus tea.
But if you stick around, embrace the rhythm, and lean into the quirks, you’ll find Popoyo is the best place to build an amazing life. You’ll find a small but mighty community—misfit expats who quietly exited the matrix, humble locals who’d give you the shirt off their back, and a rotating cast of curious surf tourists and digital nomads bringing new energy to the mix.
I visited Popoyo after nearly a decade in Berlin, where winter lasted eight months. My escape plan started a few years earlier when I visited Costa Rica. I fell for the waves, the jungle, and pineapples so sweet they put bland fruit back home to shame.
I planned to go back to Costa Rica… until love and visa rules rerouted me. The Moroccan man I was dating couldn’t enter CR without a lengthy visa process, but Nicaragua? Easy visa on arrival. I figured it was worth a shot: similar jungle, surf, and my dollar would go further.
Spoiler: the romance fizzled before he even got here. But Popoyo? She stole my heart.
Short on time? Here's the cheat sheet
💭Living in Popoyo means a laid back lifestyle where shoes are optional.
🏠When house hunting, consider moving around Playa Guasacate, Jiquelite, or El Limón Dos.
📚Make your transition easier and get a headstart learning the language with Mondly.
🛂Most foreigners who move to Nicaragua skip the visa process and instead rely on border runs every 3 months.
📞Save the hassle of getting a local SIM or the cost of roaming with Airolo, an e-SIM that’ll have you connected from the moment you arrive.
☂️Although it’s certainly hot and power outages are common,
🏖️Living in Popoyo offers year-round surf and a slow pace of life, in all the best ways.
Mornings in Popoyo
The buzzing of cicadas. The crash of waves. The sun spilling into my casita. I pad barefoot to the kitchen, slice open a papaya (which I never used to like until I tasted it fresh here—turns out it tastes like Fruity Pebbles), toss it in the blender with frozen bananas, cacao, and nut butter. Paraiso.
Work comes next—emails, client calls, the usual laptop life. Some days, I squeeze in a good stretch before the inevitable: an electrical outage or the Wi-Fi cutting out. Instead of losing my cool, I either pack up my laptop and head to a nearby hotel with a backup generator so I can work remotely, or I catch some waves.
What It’s Like for Foreigners in Popoyo
Popoyo is small enough that you start to connect with others quickly. There’s a solid expat base here (many of them surfers or digital nomads), a steady stream of travelers passing through, and locals who keep the whole place running.
There’s no Starbucks on the corner or mall for errands—your “delivery service” is a fruit and veggies truck rolling by with its megaphone blasting “AGUACATE, PAPAYAS, MANGOES.” Chinelas (aka flip flops) are optional—you just dash out, grab your haul, and feel like the luckiest person in the world knowing lunch came to you.
There are community WhatsApp groups, including one for women only, where people share fun events, connect, sell used motos or other things, or coordinate border runs.
Social life is what you make it. One night you might dance to a DJ set at Mag Rock, Tipsy Gypsy, or Popoyo Secret; other nights you might be playing volleyball at Amahula Hostel. It’s not a party town, and that is just fine with me. After a decade in Berlin, I am “partied out.” I much prefer hitting the sack early, which seems to be a shared sentiment among locals, advanced surfers, and expats alike.
Spanish, even if it’s rusty, is pretty much essential if you want to put down roots here. Just be warned: the Nicaraguan accent takes some adjusting, but luckily, locals are patient. Depending on your goals, I recommend these apps/platforms for language learning:
- Drops: Use the free version of this app for 5-minutes of vocab lessons a day. This is good for improving vocab but little else.
- Mondly: If you want to have a little bit more practice, this app is similar to Duolingo but has less silly prompts and more realistic phrases and sentences.
- Babbel: Babbel is similar to Mondly but also teaches cultural tidbits during the language lesson.
- iTalki: If you're more serious about learning to speak the language, this platform allows you to have 1:1 or group lessons with native teachers. This is especially helpful when it comes to getting accustomed to the Nicaraguan accent.
Let’s Talk Practical
One of the most attractive things about Popoyo was how much further my money goes here than in Berlin or Phoenix (my hometown).
Here's a quick look at rent prices:
- I’m currently renting a one-bedroom casita about a 10-minute walk from Beginner’s Bay, and paying $600/month.
- If I lived in Limon Dos? Rent would be around $300.
- Want a hilltop ocean view, more bedrooms, or more land? Expect to pay around $900–$1,200.
Prices of rooms fluctuate based on the season.
Food is as cheap or expensive as you make it. A big, hearty Nica plate—rice, beans, chicken, tostones, salad—is about $7. Local produce is very affordable. Almond milk and specialty goods? Not so much.
Transport-wise, a moto is the local favorite—it handles the dusty dry-season roads and the wet-season mud pits. 4x4s are common too. I mostly walk, since I’m close to surf spots and small shops, but the heat can be brutal and is not for the faint of heart.
Cost-saving tip: negotiate. I’ve gotten discounts on moto rentals, massages, and fruit just for asking.
Compared to the chaos of San Juan del Sur or El Tránsito’s near-total quiet, Playa Popoyo is the perfect place for me—small-town vibe with just enough going on. And the surf? Top-notch.
Where to Plant Yourself
Popoyo is spread out enough that your neighborhood choice matters. Here's a look at a few different areas to consider moving to in Popoyo:
Playa Guasacate
The go-to spot for young tourists. Hostels, hotels, restaurants, and a tide pool at the far end. Great if your focus is socializing and you don’t mind limited surf access. Remote workers and digital nomads will love working remotely at Waves and Wifi, Popoyo's only official co-working spot.
Consider scoping at Playa Guasacate by booking a few nights at Vibra Guesthouse. Their rooms provide a lofted bed with a private kitchen and workspace.
Jiquelite
Where I live. More expats, a couple of supermarkets, one surf shop, and resorts that’ll let you use their pool if you spend enough at the bar. Beginners Bay reef break is a short walk away, has beachside board rentals, and it’s quieter than Guasacate without being isolated. Truly a special place.
Mag Rock is a good choice to be right near Beginners Bay and in a good location to explore the rest of the neighborhood.
El Limón Dos/Santana
Mostly local Nicaraguans, closest to Playa Santana’s barreling beach break (more experienced surfers). Limited amenities—come for the waves, not the cafés.
Get to know the area and waves by staying at Tukasa Surfhouse, just a 2 minute walk from Santana Beach.
Visas & Staying Legal
Most foreigners get a 90-day tourist visa on arrival. After that, it’s border run time—Costa Rica is the easiest and closest. You can often carpool with other expats, split the cost, and make a day of it.
Nicaragua residency options do exist, but I stick to border runs, which cost about $30 (plus transport) - but verify before heading to the border!
Pros & Cons of Living in Popoyo
The Good Stuff
A few personal pros of living in Popoyo include:
- Year-round surf—thanks to offshore winds and multiple breaks.
- Cost of living—lower than most comparable surf destinations.
- Community—helpful and welcoming
- Nature—sunsets, jungle, beaches
- Pace of life—slow, in the best way.
- The fruit—seriously, it’s the best.
The Not-So-Good (a.k.a. Why Some People Leave)
So you can have a well-rounded look about what life here is like:
- Limited medical care—nearest hospital is in Rivas, an hour taxi ride away.
- Rough roads—especially during the rainy season.
- Spotty internet/power—backup plans are a must.
- Cash economy—ATMs are few and not always working. Try to verify before making a trek.
- Petty theft—don’t leave valuables on the beach while surfing.
- Crowded surf—crowds will likely increase when the new coastal highway opens.
Things I Wish I'd Known
Popoyo is split into three main zones. I first tried the tourist hub of Guasacate, then dog-sat near Santana—but the punchy waves intimidated me. Jiquelite is closest to my favorite surf spots and feels just right.
Transport choice matters—a moto, dirt bike, or 4x4 will save you a lot of rainy-season headaches. But you also don't need one. You can get anything delivered or find a friendly expat with wheels to run errands with. I still haven't figured out how the chicken bus works so can't recommend it either way.
Always have backups—electronics, bank cards, IDs, cash stashes.
Tips for Settling In
A few last words of advice before you make your move.
- Learn basic Spanish—it might spark a romance!
- Rent before buying—test different areas.
- Be visible—join events, hang out at the same café or hostel.
- Respect surf etiquette—watch, learn, then paddle out.
- Befriend a Nicaraguan —immerse yourself in the local culture.
- Plan for cash shortages—have multiple ways to pay.
Is Popoyo for You?
If you crave world-class waves, year-round surfing, warm tropical air, a slower pace, a friendly community, and a barefoot-friendly lifestyle, Popoyo might just steal your heart. If you think you'll miss having a large variety of dining, entertainment and shopping options, four distinct seasons, or a big-city dating scene… probably not.
Come visit Popoyo during the dry season and the wet season. Rent a motorbike and explore her different surf spots. After you’ve dodged enough giant pigs on dusty roads, soaked in the hot springs in Las Salinas, tasted your first sun-ripened pineapple, and ridden your first few waves, you may find she’s living rent-free in your mind. You might “date around” with other places just to be sure, but if you feel that quiet pull in your gut, pay attention—Popoyo could be the one. A home base for the weary wanderer, a place to exhale between far-flung adventures.
If you let her set the pace and follow her flow, I promise you, Popoyo will nourish you. She’ll remind you what slow feels like, and in her salty, sun-drenched embrace, you may finally heal from the hustle and grind you left behind.
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