A couple of coves south, along a country dirt road only accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicles, is the Buena Vista Surf Club, a place much closer to what I’m normally used to staying in. Comprised of six simple thatched huts in a forested valley above one of Nicaragua’s best surf breaks (Playa Madera), the lodge is run by Marc and Marielle, an attractive and cool Dutch couple who dropped out of the world of corporate branding to live their dream. Both are surfers themselves, so everything about the Buena Vista Surf Lodge feels like it was done by surfers for surfers, but with air of sophistication and style usually missing from the average surf scene. There’s a touch of lounge and yoga culture mixed in, making BVSC a perfect mix of surf and stretch for both men and women. There’s an expansive hardwood deck that juts out over the hillside and is the perfect hangout at any time of the day, but especially for the stupendous Pacific sunsets, which is something of a ritual. Muriel cooks family-style breakfasts and dinners every day, which lends the place a relaxed and comfy camaraderie.

All of these places come highly recommended. Make it down if you can.