Surfing Nicaragua

Nicaragua is one of the best kept secrets in surfing.

The real prize is the offshore winds that blow from the hot Caribbean toward the Pacific. These winds are incredibly constant. One surfing website claims they blow offshore more than 300 days a year. This wind produces beautiful, tubes for virtually the whole year.

 These winds are more concentrated in the southern part of the country where there are no high mountains to block the easterly winds.

Here are a variety of surf report and blogs on surfing in Nicaragua:

Magicseaweed Surf-Guide

As one can see in the Magicweed guide Playa Madera is incredibly consistent, ranking over 80% swell consistency for over 7 months a year, and over 50% 9 months a year. Add the consistent offshore breeze and it makes it one of the premier surf spots in all of Central America. The best waves of the year are from April to October. This makes it an outstanding area to invest. Most tropical destinations suffer from a bipolar year, just a couple of months of high season, and a long, long stretch of off season. Here the best waves occur during a time of year when typically few tourists travel to the tropics. This make it a great place to build a B&B, hotel, or a house that can be traded for another in North America or Europe Homeexchange for a few weeks a year..


Nicaragua Surf Report

surfline Nicaragua

Beachlive Surf-reports

Stage 2 Vista Playa Madera is Open

Stage 2 Vista Playa Madera is Open.

Here are the lot plans for Vista Playa Madera.

Healthy Living in the Tropics Part 2 Cool Soups

And now that we have come back from the Masaya market, let us get cooking. Here are some delicious and easy to make soups that evokes a taste of Latin America.

Gazpacho:

Gazpacho

4 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 English cucumber, peeled and finely diced

1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup minced green onion

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 pinch dried oregano

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

1. Combine diced tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, green onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a large bowl. Stir in salt, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
2. Place cherry tomatoes, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Cover and puree until smooth. Pour pureed mixture through a strainer into the tomato-cucumber mixture; stir to combine.
3. Place 1/3 of the tomato mixture into the blender. Cover, turn blender on, and puree until smooth. Return pureed mixture to the remaining tomato-cucumber mixture. Stir to combine. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.
4. Season cold soup with salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with basil.

Avocado Vichyssoise:

Avocado Vichyssoise

This is an easy soup to make. It is served cold so it is a refreshing lunch or beginning to supper.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Add 3 peeled and cubed potatoes and 3 trimmed and chopped leeks. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add 4 cups stock, vegetable is best. Boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Purée, then let cool. Stir in a mix of mashed and coarsely chopped flesh of  2 avocados before serving. Garnish: Chopped cilantro. If you can not find leeks here some mild onions with green attached can be used, just reduce the quantity a bit.

Lime and Tortilla Soup:

Not cool but declicious

In this classic soup, called sopa de lima, from Mexico's Yucatan region. You can use chicken breasts or my favorite is with shredded BBQ chicken it goes well with the chipotle peppers. Be careful not to add too much chili or the soup may be too fiery for comfort. You want to maintain a good balance between the tartness of the lime and the heat of the chilies. One large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced, makes a soothing garnish to the spicy broth. 

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 corn tortillas, cut into strips 2 inches long
• 2 cups shredded BBQ chicken (I like the smoky flavor)
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs. minced garlic
• 1 to 3 tsp. finely minced chipotle chili peppers
• 1 1/2 cups fresh peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes 
• 6 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 12 paper-thin lime slices, cut into quarters

Directions:

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring 3 1/2 quarts of the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat so the broth boils gently and boil until reduced by half to about 7 cups, about 30 minutes. Buy a BBQ chicken and use bones and skin to make stock.

Brush tortillas with light coating of oil. Cut into narrow 1/4 inch strips and place in 350 oven for about 15 minutes until crisp.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño chili and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to soften. Add the reduced broth, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the shredded chicken, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper, and simmer until the chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Sprinkle the lime pieces and tortilla strips evenly over the top. Garnish with queso fresco and avocado.  Serve immediately. Enjoy

Properties at Vista Playa Madera

Vista Playa Madera is a small ecologically oriented development locate just above the beautiful beach of Playa Madera. This is one of the most beautiful beaches in Nicaragua. It is world famous for surfing. Yet, the rocky headlands create a myriad of different bays from great surfing to other bays with tranquil waters. There is a beach for everyone within minutes walk of the properties.

Morgan's Rock from Playa Madera

All properties have good access and excellent, potable well water. The properties have been landscaped and planted with a wide diversity of tropical plants and flowers. Thousands of tropical fruits have been planted on the properties. There are oranges, mandarin, limes, grapefruit, papaya, pineapple, bananas, cashews, pomegranate, passion fruit, cinnamon  pepper, avocados, mangoes and many, many more planted throughout the development. One can begin harvesting fresh fruit this year on some of the lots. Imagine stepping outside your door and picking fresh, organic fruit from your very own yard.

One of the lots. The foreground is a riot of papaya, pineapple, citrus, watermelons and more

These properties have been designed to ensure that each one has great views that can not be blocked by further development. There are spectacular views all the way from Costa Rica to Morgan's Rock. These are spectacular views. Many of the properties have views of the surf break at Playa Madera.

View from Vista Playa Madera

Stage 1 is composed of lots of approximately 1/4 acre, and  larger  nestled in the pristine forests above Playa Madera.  Lots in Stage 1 range from $27,995 to $99,995. Picture of Playa Madera  from one of the lots.  Stage 1 has four lots that range from 1063 meters squared to 2600 meters squared.

Lot 3 Stage 1

All the lots are located in a beautiful forested valley above Playa Madera. The forests abound with monkeys, butterflies, iguanas, and parrots. Yet, it is a very healthy place. There have been no reported cases of malaria in the state of Rivas, dengue fever is only found in urban areas. With your own well this is a very healthy place to live. My house has no screens on the windows and there are virtually no bugs to bother one.

Sunset from Vista Playa Madera

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While close to the beach they are nestled in the tropical forest above the beach. This is the best of both worlds, very close to the beach, yet set above the hustle and bustle. These forests are wonderful. They are home to a diversity of birds, butterflies, monkeys, and more.

Playa Madera

Morgan's Rock from Playa Madera

Sunset fromVista Playa Madera

 Stage 2 is just opening March 15th and will have 17 lots ranging from 500 M2 to 1500 M2. These are beautiful lots with incredible views toward the southwest from Costa Rica to Morgan's Rock.

 The new lots start at $17,995. They are just a few minutes walk from the beach and several restaurants and bars, yet nestled in the tranquility of the forest. This is a great place for a vacation home, retirement, or investment property.

The Road to Vista Playa Madera.

The Road to Vista Playa Madera.

      Long, long ago I made a decision not to wait until I was 65 to begin filling my bucket list. It seemed crazy to wait until you are 65 to do all the other things you desired to do. I decided then and there I would take my retirement in stages, 20% a year, and begin to follow my dreams and desires. I have been very successful in this. It grew into a type of work where I worked like a wild man, double, triple time three months a year, the rest of the year I enjoyed long periods of free time to travel, volunteer, and telecommute. It has been a great life so far, full of adventure, love and fulfillment. Before coming to Nicaragua I had a sailboat in the Caribbean.

 Heading southwest into the Caribbean from Florida

 I would work four months a year in Canada and then telecommute the rest of the year. I was once sitting on the beach in Cuba reading some technical manuals (and drinking a beer), on an incredible Caribbean beach and a foreign a woman asked me how long I was on vacation. I swept my arms across the blue horizon and exclaimed this is my office, and it was. I spent seven blessed years sailing those incredible waters.Sailing Cuba.

One of the incredibly beautiful wild, untouched beaches in Cuba

During those decades of work and travel I was drawn ever again to Latin America. It is an enchanted land, full of history, natural wonders, and friendly people. Through the years I have traveled to virtually every country in North, Central, and South America. I knew I wanted to "retire," here - I really envision it as engagement, engagement in new activities and adventure - down here. I just had not decided quite where. I had planned a trip back to Central America when I decided to buy my sail boat, so that trip was postponed. When I finally made it to my last country in Central America I discovered a real gem. It is a natural wonderland.

Playa Madera on the southwest of Nicaragua near San Juan del Sur

The natural diversity is awe inspiring. In a country the size of New York state one can find the dry tropical forests of the rugged Pacific coast, the dry and hot lowlands of the central interior, the cool cloud forests of the northern mountains, and the immense, grand forests of the hot and humid Caribbean lowlands. The land of lakes, spectacular beaches and volcanoes.

 It reminds me of Costa Rica forty years ago. I can walk 30 minutes from home and be on a beach where I have seen less than a dozen people in three years. The climate here on the coast is perfect. You always hear location, location, location for real estate. Here in the tropics that is truer than anywhere else. The diversity of microclimates is tremendous. Here right on the coast the easterly winds blow the warm waters on the surface of the Pacific out to sea and cool waters from deep below come to the surface. These waters average about 27 degrees. These cool waters moderate the temperatures tremendously. It is 6:30 pm today and the temperatures have already dropped to an incredibly comfortable 27 degrees. Daily temperatures range from lows of 22-24 degrees in the night to 29-31 during the hottest part of the day. For a country only 11 degrees north of the equator this is miraculous!

Then you have the humidity and rainfall. This area is classified as dry tropical forest, 80% of the rains come during 3 months of the year: June, September and October, Very little rain falls from November to May. This has a huge impact on the local humidity index, most of the year the humidity rarely climbs out of the 70's. This has a huge impact on the physical comfort. This is much lower than the humidity in NYC or Toronto. One can live comfortably without air conditioning in a well designed house. So cool evenings and warm days all year round. All in a country only only 700 miles north of the equator.

The situation changes drastically as you head east, first the temperatures rise as you get away from the moderating influence of the cool Pacific. It becomes hot, dry and arid for much of the year.

The hot dry interior

If you want to live in the tropics but don't like hot climates then the north central mountains are the place for you. Temperatures rarely climb above the high 20's and nighttime it is around 18 degrees.

The cool, cloud forests of north central Nicaragua

Then as you head farther east toward the Caribbean the humidity climbs rapidly. These are the deep lowland humid forest of the Caribbean lowlands.

Rio San Juan The pirate Henry Morgan prowled these waters.

 Day and night the temperature rarely drops below 30 degrees and the humidity is close to 100%. You definitely feels like you are in the hot tropics there.

A view of the surf from Vista Playa Madera lot

The dry forests of the Pacific coast has a major impact on insects and disease. There are very few bugs here. It is too dry much of the year. I have no screens on my windows, dressed only in shorts at dusk and there is not one mosquito or biting bug. There is probably 1% of the biting bugs of Canada, and NO malaria in the state of Rivas Nicaragua. malaria map of Nicaragua. Again it is all location. Here in the hills, over looking the sea there in no standing water. Pick a location just a couple of miles away, close to a river or estuary, or in urban areas where old tires, buckets and old cisterns prove a breeding ground, and you will have a mosquito problem. Ironically mosquitoes are more an urban problem than here in the dry forests.

A view south from Playa Madera to Morgan's Rock

So, after all my travels, from the farthest reaches of South America to the northern borders of Mexico and The Caribbean I picked Playa Madera as my place to settle down. It is a magic land of rugged rocky headlands and fine sand beaches. Vista Playa Madera is nestled in the forests above this beach.  The area is some times called Cinco Bahias, Five Bays, because there are five separate bays within just a few minutes walk of my home. This makes it an aquatic playground. One beach will face the full Pacific, and the southwest swell, with the whole southern Pacific in which to grow crashes upon the shore

. Another tucked behind the rocky headlands is calm as a lake shore.

Playa Majagual from Morgan's Rock

This diversity of beaches is wonderful. One can surf and boogie board on one beach, swim and play with small children on another. The protected coves are perfect for snorkeling or diving. The strong waves make for a beachcomber delight. Playa Madera is one of the best surfing beaches in Nicaragua. Numerous surfing competitions have been held here over the years.

The popularity of the area makes it fairly unique for a tourist area in the tropics. Most areas suffer from a major boom and bust season, with the popular months being confined to a couple months in the winter. Here the best surfing is April through to October. This doubles or triples the number of months when people come to visit. That makes it a much more desirable area for running a small business, hotel, or B&B.

Playa Madera Surf