A Week Surfing in Popoyo Nearly Ends in Disaster | Nicaragua

[@gideongrossman1]

Hey! I was just watching your vlog and did a double take at 7:10 because I've been riding a Native board in Morocco. A Eastern European surfer brought it over here from Bali. Fastest board I've surfed with. I cracked the nose riding around in Berber taxis with no sock, but after a solid repair job it served me well at Crocos and Devils Rock! Your video is very helpful for planning a trip down to Nicaragua. Cheers! -Gideon

[@WiththeSparrows]

@Gideon Grossman - yep I was using a Native board in Nicaragua, they're based out of Bali. Surprised you dinged it in a taxi rather than at Devils Rock!! If you're going to Nicaragua then I'd also recommend getting a boat over to Playa Colorados or heading North to the The Boom. Have fun!

[@juandurango6867]

THIS IS REAL TV BABY. YOU DID A GREAT JOB .

[@WiththeSparrows]

@Juan Durango - high praise! Cheer man

[@lauraweaver4336]

This looks like heaven! Getting my plane tickets this week! Yew!

[@WiththeSparrows]

@Laura Weaver - you'll have a blast. How long do you intend on going to Nicaragua for? Would HIGHLY recommend Masaya volcano if you have the time

[@LoQueYoDigoVaAMisa]

The guy selling the ice cream is completely nuts 😅 Oh dear, oh dear.

[@maxgordon9022]

Great footage in the chaos.

[@WiththeSparrows]

@Max Gordon - wish I got more, but mainly focussed on getting the fire under control!

[@turrito_7]

Loving your vídeos!

[@nordinjendoubi1739]

Hey, do you have a tip on where to rent motorbikes with surf racks, in this area? Cheers from Germany

[@WiththeSparrows]

@Nordin Jendoubu - we rented our scrambler from the place we were staying so it might be worth getting in touch with them (Suyo Cabanas)

[@lubomirtrenkov]

Hey man, i saw your Mentawais vídeo. What do you think is better. Mentawais or Nicaragua?

[@WiththeSparrows]

Haha it’s not even a comparison unfortunately. The mentawais wins every day of the week! As long as you factor out price…

[@seanogrady12]

I absolutely love your video and as a fellow digital nomad who was also just in Costa Rica, I found this video very helpful. I have a few questions. How did you get to Popoyo from the nearest airport? Where did you rent the dirt bike and how much was it? Are taxi's available to get around the Popoyo region for surfing or just going out?

[@WiththeSparrows]

@seanogrady12 - high praise, glad you enjoyed it! Airport - we actually got the bus over the border from Costa Rica to Nicaragua. Was fairly easy. If you are flying in I wouldn't worry about how to get to Popoyo, Nicaragua was one of the easiest places I've ever been to get a taxi and they're super cheap (in the grand scale of taxis). Certainly WAY cheaper than CR. Dirt Bike - just asked the manager of where we were staying and they arranged it. Seems to be fairly standard practice so you shouldn't have any issues finding a bike. Taxis - you can get taxis around Popoyo but it's pretty remote so you can sometimes end up waiting for a while. Some taxis only come from Rivas which is about 40 minutes away. For small trips around the area it's best to just rent a bike, I think I was paying $20 a day. You can also get boat rides to the different breaks (including Playa Colorados) but not sure what the price is there. Hope that helps! When are you heading there?

[@seanogrady12]

@@WiththeSparrows I'm thinking of flying to Liberia tomorrow, then bus to Rivas then taxi to Magnific Rock for $30. You're video said wifi in Popoyo was so bad that you can't really have meetings or do anything time sensitive. Was the connection Santa Teresa bad or even worse? (I was there when you were :) I'm trying to decide whether to even try to work, because in Santa Teresa calls would drop, power would go out daily and wifi would drop too and I'm trying to see if Popoyo is the same.

[@WiththeSparrows]

@@seanogrady12 Sounds like a good plan - it's really easy to get from Liberia to Penas Blancas and then to Rivas. Magnific rock is a pretty good place to base yourself. There's a beginner wave off the rock and then it's only a 10 minute walk to the main break in front of Finca Popoyo. Yeah the internet was no where near good enough to do calls. If you thought Santa Teresa was bad, Popoyo makes Santa Teresa look like 5G. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I think I mentioned in my travel tips for Nicaragua.....I can't recommend it for digital nomads because the internet is so patchy.

[@seanogrady12]

@@WiththeSparrows I’m heading to Nicaragua tomorrow! Did you guys have to print out your negative COVID test results when crossing into Nicaragua from Costa Rica or is it ok to have it on your phone?

[@WiththeSparrows]

@@seanogrady12 best to print it out because they check it multiple times and often take it into a separate office

[@imria-list8284]

Where is that Bakery man? I look all around for a bakery

[@WiththeSparrows]

@imri A-list the Google Maps link is in the description ;). But....if you head on the main road North from Finca Popoyo, it's about a 5 minute drive till you get to a proper tarmac road (with a bridge on the left). On your right is a building with a square ( Plaza Nahualapa) - it's in that square. Google 'Todo Con Amor Popoyo' and it should come up on Google Maps. Enjoy!

[@douglacoursiere2269]

You miss the food in Costa Rica? How is the surfing compared to Santa Theresa?

[@WiththeSparrows]

@Doug Lacoursiere I think I just missed semi decent food! To be fair, the food was good at Hush in Playa Maderas but in Ometepe it was awful. Surfing was more crowded than I thought it would be but nothing compared to Santa Teresa. Both have their merits - early mornings in Santa Teresa were spectacularly nice but the actual wave at Popoyo main reef was better.

[@lexypanting5427]

nice place

[@WiththeSparrows]

@Lexy panting - indeed it is. Popoyo is super quiet, but nice....it also has some really good surf.

[@danielpineda5448]

Las mejores olas para surfear qué distancia playa

[@WiththeSparrows]

@Daniel pineda - La mayoría de las olas son cerca de la playa, pero algunas están a cientos de metros

[@Shasho924]

Im from nicaragua

[@WiththeSparrows]

@Sha Sho - have you been to Popoyo?

[@Shasho924]

@@WiththeSparrows I have but I haven't surfed there yet. Bu the way im a kid so i dont go in those big waves

[@WiththeSparrows]

@Sha Sho - the point next to Magnific Rock is a good mellow spot. I wish I'd started surfing (or had the opportunity to start) as a kid!

[@joshuaflores1990]

Unless you have really been to Nicaragua you would think its some pristine paradise. It has been severly deforested, is actually expensive compared to a decade ago, and there is trash everywhere. The locals throw it into the rivers!

[@CarmenBriones-y3y]

Lo peor que un chorriado hable mal de su propio país

[@zapsymc]

i’m on a hole mother level i’m heekin

[@Vargaseliza]

Usted dijo que la comida de aqui es pobre y bueno, pero su esposa se pasó, la llamó 💩 a nuestra comida y eso es un insulto no deberían referirse de esa manera, debería ser respetuosa. 6:39

[@shroommcfanta2020]

Totally agreeing have some respect and remember that you are rather useless human beeings

[@shroommcfanta2020]

I,m totally agreeing.. be more respectfull and remember that your contribution to the well beeing of the human race is close to zero.