Popoyo Stays: The Lowdown on Popoyo’s Best Hostels & Hotels for All Budgets

beachfront bungalow with thatched roof

This entry may contain affiliate links. This means if you click a link in this post and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Picking your perfect perch in Popoyo does take some forethought. You’ll have to consider which beach - Guasacate or Popoyo - you’d prefer to base yourself. Much to many a traveler’s chagrin, they are not the same, and your taxi driver from Rivas, Granada, San Juan del Sur, etc. will appreciate you knowing that in advance. Trust me. While Playa Guasacate has far more backpacker-friendly hostel options, Playa Popoyo is closer to the surf breaks and also slightly easier to get to and from by public transport. In this post, I give you the lowdown on the best places to stay in Popoyo on both beaches.

For even further insight into things to do, how to get to and around Popoyo, and other useful information for your Popoyo stay, check out my full Popoyo Travel Guide.

Popoyo’s Best Hostels

Escondite Pacifico

Location: Playa Guasacate

This quiet, no-frills hostel at the quieter end of Playa Guasacate has one female-only dorm and two private rooms. Stay here and you’ll have access to free filtered water, a kitchen, and yoga mats. The on-site restaurant Viento Este fires up their pizza oven every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday night and attracts what feels like everyone in Popoyo for a very cozy, delicious, and Italian-inspired night under the stars and string lights.

Check Availability

The Barrel -

Location: Playa Guasacate

This hostel is one of the few spots in Popoyo offering air-conditioned rooms and dorms and that’s the main reason it’s on this list. The hostel itself isn’t much of a looker nor a peaceful spot to lay back in a hammock, as it’s mostly a local bar with pool tables, loud music, and tables sticky with beer from the party last night. It is beachfront, as most hostels in Popoyo are, but it’s definitely on the loud and party-oriented end of the spectrum. As a guest, you do have access to a simple kitchen and filtered water throughout your stay.

Check Availability

Magnific Rock

Location: Playa Popoyo

You literally can’t beat the location of Magnific Rock. Set high up on a cliff overlooking Beginner’s Bay, this is definitely one of the most idyllic spots to stay in Popoyo. However, I will warn you that their dorms could use a bit of a facelift. But for the price and location, it just might be worth forgoing some comforts for a few nights in their competitively priced dorms. Every bed should come with a fan to help you keep cool and they’ll provide you with some plates and utensils if you want to prepare sandwiches and other no-cook meals in the room. There is a restaurant on-site that has some exceptional food and even better views, but it’s quite expensive by backpacker standards unless you wait for the happy hour at the bar. They also offer yoga classes twice daily in a space with yet more jaw-dropping views, and guests at Magnific Rock get a $1 discount. Stay here and you’ll also have access to a pool.

Check Availability

Cafe con Leche

Location: Playa Popoyo

This Quebecois-run chill beachfront bed and breakfast offers dorms and privates for reasonable pricing on the Popoyo side of the beach. All stays come with a delicious, home-cooked breakfast, coffee and drinking water, and a fully-equipped guest kitchen. There’s also a shaded yoga/gym deck, a swimming pool, and plenty of lounge chairs and hammocks for dozing off between surfs. Every Saturday, Cafe con Leche hosts a BBQ dinner that’s so popular reservations are usually required.

Check Availability

Amahula Surf House

Location: Playa Guasacate

This higher-end hostel is a rare find on Popoyo’s sands. Every bed comes with its own fan, outlet, and reading light, and best of all, curtains. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast and lunch daily, and family-style dinners five days a week. They’re known for organizing activities like surf trips, pub quizzes, and volleyball and beach tennis tournaments. Amahula is also the mastermind behind Popoyo’s infamous Secret Party, an electronic music event that happens every Saturday in a secret location.

Check Availability

 

Best Hotels in Popoyo

Budget-Friendly Popoyo Hotels

SUYO Cabañas

row of bungalows on the beach

Location: Playa Popoyo

For as low as $35USD per night, you can stay in your own private beachfront bungalow, complete with a personal hammock, front porch, and mosquito-netted bed. The grounds are simply gorgeous and exude this air low-key luxury at a price you almost can’t believe. As a guest, you have access to a fully-equipped shared kitchen, hot water showers, and a beachfront terrace where you’re more than welcome to lounge under the sun and stars or practice yoga. You can read my full review here from my own three-night stay.

Check Availability

Mid-Range Popoyo Hotels

Nicawaves

Location: Playa Popoyo

Don’t let Nicawaves’ non-beachfront location stop you from staying at this surf camp-style lodging - the beach and waves are still just a short walk away. Here, you can book a private and air-conditioned room or casita for as low as $30USD/night. This family-run hotel is arranged around a gorgeous pool and surrounded by tropical gardens for a true oasis feel. There’s an on-site restaurant with super-fast 5MB WiFi and a menu of international and local cuisine. The staff will support you in coordinating surf trips, board rentals, surf lessons, and even photography, or you can book one of their surf packages for an even better deal.

Check Availability

Mola Mola

Location: Playa Guasacate

This highly recommended and mid-range Popoyo hotel offers air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms and good WiFi with the ocean on your doorstep, while Mola Mola’s common spaces feature hammocks, books, board games, and a beach volleyball court. This is the sort of spot that feels like home quickly, due in large part to the friendly owner and staff. Beach barbecues, yoga classes, and surf adventures are organized frequently.

Check Availability

Sirena Surfhouse

Location: Playa Popoyo

This beachfront guesthouse in Popoyo is run by the Belgian-born Isabelle, a passionate surfer, yogi, and Popoyo transplant of 9+ years. It runs parallel to Isabella’s other passion project: Sirenitas, a local non-profit created to empower local girls by teaching them how to surf and swim. Rooms at the Sirena Surfhouse come with private ocean-facing porches, fans, room service, and access to a fully equipped kitchen and daily surf lessons, all for $60USD per night.

Check Availability

Casitas Pacific

Location: Playa Guasacate

For those of you looking for a step up from a dorm or hostel-style accommodation, Casitas Pacific is a great boutique eco-hotel option on Playa Guasacate. Rooms start at $84USD per night and include a private bathroom, fan and/or air conditioning, mosquito net, and complimentary daily breakfast at the on-site restaurant and cafe.

Check Availability

High-End Hotels in Popoyo

99 Surf Lodge

Location: Playa Popoyo

Though I haven’t slept here myself, 99 Surf Lodge is an excellent option for a more high-end stay with not only the beach on your doorstep, but a restaurant, bar, pool, and yoga and breathwork classes. Rooms start at $120USD per night and include private terraces, hot showers, and air conditioning.

Check Availability

 

If you found this post helpful, one of the best ways to say thanks is by booking your hotels, transport, tours, and trip insurance through the links on my Travel Resources page or by clicking any of the trip-relevant links below. This sends a bit back my way at no additional cost to you and helps to keep this blog up and running. Thank you for your support!

Accommodations: Booking.com, HostelWorld, Trivago

Tours & Experiences: Viator, GetYourGuide, EatWith, TripAdvisor

Flights: Hopper, WayAway

Trains, Buses, & Transfers: Bookaway, 12Go, BusBud

Car Rentals: DiscoverCars.com

Trip Insurance: Squaremouth, WorldTrips

Learn Spanish: Rosetta Stone, Babbel, Pimsleur

 

What To Read Next

Previous
Previous

Surf South Africa: A Guide to South Africa’s Best Surf Spots

Next
Next

Popoyo Hotel Feature: SUYO Cabañas