Beach
both
Level 4/10

Playa Amarillo

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
🪸Sharp reef

Playa Amarillo is Nicaragua's empty wave—an untouched beachbreak that delivers fun sand-bottom peaks to surfers willing to venture off the beaten path. The beach offers multiple takeoff zones, with a shallow reef section at the south end providing an alternative when you want something different. While the more famous spots in the region collect crowds, Amarillo remains blissfully overlooked. Minimal development means you'll likely share waves only with the occasional local or fellow explorer who discovered this quiet stretch of coast.

3-Day Forecast
Today
30
64
Fair
1.0m
@16s
41km/h
Tue
31
72
Good
1.0m
@15s
37km/h
Wed
1
65
Good
0.9m
@15s
34km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
1.0m
S(187°)
Score: 11/25
Period
16s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
41km/h
ENE(67°)
Score: 17/25
Weather
29°C
0.0mm41%
Windswell Component
0.8mENE@3s
Secondary Swell
0.4mWNW
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
afternoon
AM: 40 km/h ENE|PM: 38 km/h ENE
Lighter winds later (38 km/h)
Tide at 12pm (1.1m)

Location & Conditions

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0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
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Tide Times

6:10 am
Low tide - -0.62m
12:35 pm
High tide - 1.13m
6:45 pm
Low tide - -0.58m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

64
Fair
Components
Swell Direction16/25
Swell Size11/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind17/25
Raw Score69/100
Adjustments
🌊💨 Windswell-5
Adjusted Score64/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score64
🌊💨 Windswell

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (200°)
Direction range
175° - 240°
Size range
0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal size
1.9m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
NE (50°)
Offshore range
10° - 90°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.3m - 1.6m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

1/10

Access: Near Playa Gigante. Walk from Hacienda Iguana.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Oct

Secondary: Mar, Nov

Uncrowded beach break. Shallow reef at south end.

Getting There

Airport
MGA
Drive time
135 min
Data quality
community

🤙 Strike Specialist

The Strike Specialist in Nicaragua is Sea Nicaragua Travel. Get in touch with them for the best chance of scoring the best waves in Nicaragua — and don't forget to tell 'em Barrel D sent ya.

Strike Log

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