Playa Madera Nicaragua

The southwest coast of Nicaragua has become one of the hot spots for international travelers, and with good reason. The coast is a mosaic of rugged rocky headlands and pocket beaches. It has a number of nature reserves. It is the prettiest coastline in the country.

After years of traveling through Latin America and the Caribbean I chose to move here to the southwest coast of Nicaragua. I have looked into living in Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador and Argentina, but it is here that I decided to settle. There are many reasons for this. The major ones involve lifestyle, climate, health and safety, and cost of living. There are many choices of where one can live. Most important for me are natural geography and culture. Nicaragua is blessed with tremendous natural diversity, from the beautiful, sculptured beaches of the southwest Pacific,

 to the northern highlands,

and the tropical Caribbean, it has something for everyone.

 On my first trip here I rented a car for a couple of months and did an extensive tour of the country.    I wanted to get a very good feel of the opportunities and potential of the different parts. Two areas drew my attention and heart; the Pacific southwest coast and the northern highlands.

The highlands are beautiful,

with a wonderfully refreshing climate, but there were not enough other attractions to draw me to the area. I finally decided to move here to the beaches on the southwest coast.

Here are a number of the reasons I chose Playa Madera, just north of San Juan del Sur. The two principle reasons are the people and the natural geography. San Juan del Sur is known around the world for its beautiful beaches and water sports. f you want more infomation you can visit our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VistaPlayaMadera or call Craig at 505-8754-2884.

 It has become a focal point for tourists, retirees, and ex-pats from around the world. This makes it unique in Nicaragua, while San Juan del Sur is an old established Nicaraguan community it has a large population of foreigners. This was important to me in a variety of ways. It expands the potential community of friends and neighbors. While the majority of my friends are Nicaraguans, I also have friends from around the world. There is a sizable European, Canadian, US, Australian, and Latin American population. This makes for an exciting and dynamic community. This is extremely important to the quality of life. There are some beautiful beaches to the north, but they are either very isolated, hours from the nearest city, or gated communities built exclusively for foreigners. Neither of these appealed to me. Here you have the best of both world, spectacular scenery and an old established Nicaragua community with a large population of foreigners. There is also sorts of community activities from organized sports and social events to numerous potential volunteer opportunities.

The second major reason was the natural geography. Here in the southwest corner of Nicaragua the mountains and hills descend right down into the sea. It is a rugged coastline of beaches and rocky headlands. This creates a very dramatic coastline with great diversity.

 Depending on which way the beaches face, and the shape of the rocky headlands one can find beaches with wild and powerful waves; perfect for surfing or boogie-boarding,

while just around the corner, protected by dramatic cliffs and headlands one can find bays with clear and calm water. A perfect place for swimming, diving, or playing with a young family. From some points in Vista Playa Madera one can see five distinct bays which offer something for everyone; from the avid surfer to tranquil beachcomber.

There are many other activities in which one can partake. The fishing is incredible. A friend spends 3 hours a week fishing with rod and reel, or spear gun, and has more fish than he wants for the week. The locals use a hand line with primitive weights and floats and make a living with the fish they catch. Using a decent rod and reel offers one great  opportunity for sport and food.

 The area is great for horseback riding. There are 4-5 different places within a few km one can rent horses. With good connections and friends I ride for free or very cheap, even the tourist spots are very inexpensive. One can chose between beach and forest for your rides. If you are a serious riders, this is the land of horseman. The term for gentleman here literally translate to horseman. There is a wide range of horse from which to chose. One can buy a horse for as little as $130 dollars, and pasture with local friends or your own property.

Then there is walking, hiking birding, gardening and much, much more for outside activities. Visit the volcanoes, kayack in the ocean or lakes, windsurf, or just lay back and enjoy the incredible climate.

The climate is the other part of the puzzle that makes this area so desirable a place to live. San Juan del Sur is less than 700 miles north of the equator. Most of places within this distance are very hot and humid. I have spent much time in Ecuador, Columbia, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Caribbean. They are beautiful places full of wonderful beaches, forest and people, yet none are as livable as the beaches of southwest Nicaragua. The secret here are the easterly winds. They blow off the Caribbean, as they cross the isthmus they dry out. This reduces the humidity. Yesterday we had a humidity of 62%. I remember living in Ecuador with 100% humidity. I could take a cool shower, and be in a full sweat by the time I crossed the room to get into bed! It is definitely very uncomfortable to have nights of 32 degrees and high humidity all night. Most can not live comfortably without air conditioning.

Here it is very different. The humidity is much lower than normal for much of the tropics. One hears much of the importance of location for real estate; location, location, location, that is all one hears. Here it is even more important that ever. There is tremendous diversity within the country. The Caribbean lowlands are true humid tropical forest with high temperatures and humidity. You have to be a jungle lover to enjoy living there. The northern highlands are wonderful, great climate and beautiful foresst. It just does not offer the range of activities and culture of the southwest coast. Then there is the southwest coast. This area is classified as dry, tropical forest. There are only three months with considerable rains, June, September, and October. The rest of the year it is pretty dry. This affects the humidity, as mentioned above, making it a much more comfortable climate within which to live. This aridity has other great benefits. This is the only part of Nicaragua where malaria is unknown. That is right, there is NO malaria here. I live in the forest here in a home with no screens on my windows. There are many, many less bugs than my former homes in Vancouver and Golden BC Canada. It is ironic that here in the forest, there are less mosquitoes than in town. In town there are numerous sources of stagnant water, old tires, abandon wells, buckets, and old water tanks. These are all potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Dengue, another mosquito borne disease is not found in the forests, only in urban setting where there is breeding grounds and people.

These are the principle reasons I picked this area. It is amazingly livable with a moderate climate. The dry eastern winds blow the hot surface waters out to sea, and cool waters from deep in the Pacific well up to the surface. These waters range from 24 to 27 degrees. These cool waters moderate the temperatures tremendously  Daily highs seldom climb above 30 degrees during the hottest part of the day, which is only for a couple hours in the afternoon. By early evening the temperatures drop to the mid 20's, with lows of 24-26 degrees. We live a early life here. I raise around dawn and work out on the property until noon or 1 pm and then it is siesta and beach time, becoming more active as the temperature drops in the evening. Add water and the climate allows one to grow just about everything. I have grapes, lychee, pomegranites, almonds, passion fruit, papaya, pineapple, all the citrus, and literally dozens of other fruits and vegetable growing on the land. And flowers, flowers, flowers.

Then there is the spectacular scenery. The coast is very dramatic with beautiful views and varied offerings with a backdrop of tropical forests. This is still a very undeveloped coastline.

There are many birds and animals. It is a nightly serenade of gentle rocking waves and animals singing in the forest.

 The natural diversity provides an incredible range of possible activities, from gardening to birding,

surfing and swimming, fishing and horseback riding, to poker nights, beach volleyball, spas and fine dining. The area offers many many amenities and activities. This is unique in Nicaragua, and the combination makes this the best place in Nicaragua to live. Best of all it is under 1 1/2 hours to Granada, and under 3 to Managua where there is even more cultural and commercial opportunities, and then you get to retreat from the hustle and bustle, and noise of the city and kick back and watch the sunsets over the ocean. Or just kicking back and relaxing.

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.

Vista Playa Madera Property Plans and Photos

Vista Playa Madera is a small ecologically oriented community nestled in the tropical forests above Playa Maderas, a few minutes north of San Juan del Sur Nicaragua. f you want more infomation you can visit our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VistaPlayaMadera or call Craig at 505-8754-2884.

 Stage 2 has numerous new properties for your choice and selection. Lots 1-5 Stage 2 Lot Plan:

Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 have tremendous views from the south to Costa Rica and the west where the waves of Playa Madera are visible.

Lot 2 and 3 Stage 2 View to the south

View from the boundary between lots 2,3 stage 2

Stage 2 is an area with many old tropical trees lower down the slope. These form a buffer between the properties and other developments. The steep terrain there and poor potential access make this green space unlikely to be developed. Below the properties the slope increases so no other development can ever block your views to the south and west guaranteeing unobstructed views. All the lots were designed to incorporate the best views and privacy. Privacy hedges are being planted between the property.

View from lot 4 stage 2. The lot has great views south to the El Cristo statue and west. You can see the surf break at Playa Madera from the building site. The trees in the foreground are located on the property and will be pruned to open the view even further. This is one of the larger properties with abundant space for a pool, garden and guest house.

                                                                                                                                                                                 

Lot 6 has some of the best views in the area. One can see from Costa Rica all the way north to Morgan's Rock; almost 270 ocean views. Lot 8 has similar views from a slightly lower position.

View from the boundary between lots 5 and 6 stage. These lots have tremendous views from Costa Rica all the way to the northwest. Lot 6 is one of the larger lots with road access to the top and bottom of the lot, both areas have great views and it is a great property for a nice home and guest or rental home for income purposes.

Lot 8 is one of the closest properties to the beach. It has road access to the top and bottom of the property with great views of the ocean and south toward Costa Rica and El Cristo. Lot 8 has more trees on the property. There will be some selective tree removal and pruning to further open up the property to the great views.

Lot 9 is one of the most affordable lots and closest to the beach. It is perfect for a home and garden.

Lots 10, 12 and 13 are adjacent and have similar views toward the ocean. They all have access to the top and bottom of the properties. Giving great flexibilty for home location, parking, garden and possibilities for a pool.

View from lot 12

View from lot 13

View from lot 13

Lots 15, 16, and 17 are lower down the slope. They have ocean views and great views down into the forested valley filled with old tropical trees. These are some of the bigger  properties with ample space for a home, garden and guest cabins.

Stage 2 is zoned for limited removal of the larger trees on the properties, and restrictions on the type of development to preserve the unique beauty and natural wonders of the area. They are zoned for solar and wind power, although subterranean connections to the electrical grid are allowed.

Deep fresh water wells have been drilled on both stages and provide clean, potable water to all lots

Stage 1 lots are located across the valley form the other properties.

Lots 1-4 Stage 1

They are located closer to the principle road into town and are close to the beach and restaurants These properties have great views of the beach to the west. There are currently three properties for sale in stage 1. They are all larger lots with great access and lots of room for a home and guest house. Lot 4 is the largest property. It is divided from the other properties by a large gully that is forest with beautiful old tropical trees. It has great views and tremendous privacy. It is the perfect location for a small hotel or multiplex. Selective clearing and pruning will open up the ocean views further. This is your decision. All the properties have been planted with a wide variety or fruit and ornamental trees and plants. This was the first stage of development and I have already harvested some papayas, citrus and vegetables from the properties. Within a few years there will be a great bounty of free fruits available.

View from property 4 stage 1. Lots 1 and 2 have similar views that need a bit of selective clearing and pruning to open the views.

Lot 2 view stage 1

Vista Playa Madera is a unique community nestled in the forests above Playa Madera. It is located 15 minutes north of San Juan del Sur. The road into town is scheduled for paving soon which will make the drive into town even shorter making it the premier location for a home, business, or investment. This is the fastest growing area in Nicaragua. And for good reason the natural beauty is unrivalled. It is close to the beaches and all the amenities. Come visit us and see the beauty and wonders of the area. You can also visit out Facebook page to get a larger sense of the area and local activities: https://www.facebook.com/VistaPlayaMadera or call Craig at 8754-2884.

Healthy living in the tropics Cool drinks and Refrescos

It is warm here in the tropics. One needs to drink a lot to stay hydrated. Our favorite drinks are called refrescos here, aguas in Mexico. They are fruit favored waters; our homemade favorites, they usually add too much sugar in the restaurants, are Jamaica peach, Tamarindo ginger, Madarin, and Passion fruit. They are incredibly delicious and healthy too. You can used ordinary tap water for these as they are boiled for a few minutes. Then you avoid the toxic leaching of chemicals from plastic bottles from drinking bottles water, and generate less waste.

Here is a recipe for one of our favorites:

Tamarindo ginger: throw about 1/2 lbs tamarindo pulp, with or without seeds, into 2 liters of boiling water, break into small pieces first. Throw in about two to three inches of ginger root. Boil 3 minutes, this is just to sterilize them, for health safety. Add a bit of honey or raw cane sugar to taste. Let it cool and then throw it into a blender for a minute or two, pour it through a colander, add 2 more liter of cool water, let cool a bit more, and place in fridge. Enjoy

Here are some great recipes for aguas frescas from a whole variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains. You will never think of a cool refreshing glass of water the same after trying some of these. Aguas Frescas Recipes.

I will add more recipes over time.

Another favorite refresco is Hibiscus Peach. They grow a great deal of hibiscus here in Nicaragua. Our favorite supplier is a women's cooperative in Nandaime. They grow organic hibiscus and sell huge sacks for about $4. Hisbiscus is very high in the flavanoids and anti-oxidants that are contained in red wine....without the alcohol.

Soak a couple of big handfuls into a large pot of cool water (eight liters) overnight. Bring to a boil, again for health reasons. Let it cool. Put in glass pitchers and place in fridge. Pour over large glass of ice and add a touch of peach nectar. Enjoy! Here is an article on some possible health benefits of hibiscus.

Passion fruit refrescos are one of my favorites. Passion fruit is loaded with numerous healthy elements. It is very high in dietary fiber, one cup has the equivalent of four cups of bran! It is loaded with vitamins A and C, and a wealth of anti-oxidants. Here are a couple of articles on the nutritional and health benefits of passion fruit: Passion Fruit.

It is one of the easiest and fastest to make:

Scoop out the inner flesh of half a dozen passion fruit into a blender, add a bit of honey or raw cane sugar to taste. Throw in a couple handfuls of ice. Two liters of water. Blend and enjoy.

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

Hooray mandarin, mango and avocado season are here

Hooray mandarin, mango and avocado season are here !!! Some of my favorite fruits.

Fresh squeezed madarin juice

Fruit prices are incredibly low here if it is domestically produced. At the wholesale market in Masaya we bought 2200 madarins for $8. Eight dollars and made over 12 liters of fresh squeezed juice and 100 fresh madarin popsicles, yummy.

Wholesale fruit market in Masaya

 And fresh tomatoes for less than two dollar a bucket.

Wholesale fruit market in Masaya

It is easy to live a healthy life here, eating locally produced fruits and vegetables, and wonderful seafood.

Investing in Nicaraguan Real Estate

Now it the perfect time to invest in Nicaragua real estate. After decades of stagnant growth Nicaragua is being discovered. Tourism and retirement immigration are growing at double digits. This is a sure sign that real estate prices will continue to climb.

Playa Maderas just minutes north of San Juan del Sur

 Major investments in infrastructure and tourism will continue to draw people to the country. When they experience the natural diversity and beauty of the country many will decide to buy their own little piece of paradise. You have missed the real estate booms in Costa Rica and, Mexico, and Belize. Nicaragua is the Costa Rica of 15-30 years ago, price are a 1/3 of prices in Costa Rica. A sizable percentage of the recent purchase in the area are ex-pats from Costa Rica. they are cashing in on their earnings in Costa Rican real estate and buying new properties in southern Nicaragua.

View of Playa Madera from Vista Playa Madera

They are experienced investors in Latin America real estate and know where the next best deals can be found. Prices around San Juan are higher than in other parts of the country, but that is for good reason. It has one of the best climates in the country. The cool Pacific waters moderate the temperatures tremendously. If you live on the coast the daily highs rarely climb above 30 degrees, and nights are typically between 22 and 24 degrees. The dry tropical forest of the area is very healthy with no malaria, and few other tropical diseases.

Morgan's Rock from Playa Maderas

While there is some very cheap properties in other parts of the country you get what you pay for. If you want to live in a remote, isolated area, away from the ex-pats and tourism, and all the amenities and infrastructure that brings, then you can find some very cheap properties. But, if you want to live near the sea with all the amenities: good infrastructure, great town for shopping, entertainment, and dining, boating, fishing, surfing and more then you should look to the Pacific coast. One should not under estimate the importance of the local community. It is extremely important to have a close group of friends. This area has just the right mix of ex-pats and locals. The ex-pat community is large enough that one can pick and chose friends. there are many local gatherings of friends for drinks by the water, potlucks, card games, fishing, horseback riding and more. This adds tremendously to the quality of life for new immigrants and seasonal visitors.

The great recession hit property markets very hard here. Prices plunged between the end of 2007 and 2010; people have little interest in 2nd homes, or vacation properties when their primary homes were losing value and threaten with loss. Now, that the economy has stabilized and the real estate market is rising, interest has grown tremendously. They are making million dollar improvements to the roads, port, and other infrastructure. The growth in visitors will push the real estate markets ever higher, as more and more people come to know of the beauty and diversity of this pretty country.

Here are a few links to some websites on investing in property in Nicaragua.

Vista Playa Madera on Facebook

Nicaragua Retirement on Facebook

Escape Artist Nicaragua

Globalpropertyguide Nicaragua

Nicaraguanbugle Nicaragua

Coldwell Banker Nicaragua

Even better than reading about it? Come visit our spectacular part of the world.

Sunset from Vista Playa Madera lot

Vista Playa Madera, just minutes north of San Juan del Sur, offers ocean view lots from $26,995.

San Juan del Sur reminds me of Sayulita in Mexico 25 years ago, but prettier! Today lots without ocean views and miles from the beach are selling for 5-10 times the price of properties in Nicaragua. Compare this

A lot in Sayulita Mexico today

to this in Vista Playa Madera for 1/5 the price:

View of Playa Madera from Vista Playa Madera lot

In a much, much safer country (ranked as the 3rd safest country in all the Americas after Canada and Uruguay) and a lower cost of living.

Here is a good article on investing or retiring in Nicaragua.

International Living is a good source of information on living/retiring in Nicaragua.

Photos of Nicaragua

You can see many more photos of this part of Nicaragua on my Flickr photo site.

Morgan's Rock  from Playa Magajual

Retirement Security in Nicaragua

Here is my idea of retirement security. Living in a beautiful, healthy location surrounded by lots of great possibilities for activities, among a circle of friends. In a house that is built and paid for, with its own alternate power and water. Enough land to have a garden to supply fresh fruits and vegetables, fish from the sea. This would provide real retirement security.

View of Playa Madera

  It is inflation proof. Your major costs are covered. Solar panels are now guaranteed for 25 years, and have a usable life expectancy of 80% for 40 years. With the climate here one can grow a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables all year round. Vista Playa Madera is planted with thousands of tropical trees. Virtually every tropical fruit imaginable have been planted from avocados and bananas, to lychees and mangoes, to pineapple, passion fruit, grapes and more. Just a few minutes walk away you have 5 different beaches and bays, from one with wild and raucous waves another with calm still waters, it all depends on the angle of the beaches and headlands. To get a retirement visa here all one needs is proof of $700 a month in income. All this can be done for under $100,000; then you are set for the rest of ones life.

View of Mogan's Rock from Playa Madera