New year, new coliving experience! We were looking for a coliving in Central America and came across Waves & Wifi in Popoyo, a small coastal surf town on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast. Experiencing life in Nicaragua, reliable internet connection, a laid-back lifestyle – it didn’t take long before we booked a seven-week stay at Waves & Wifi in Nicaragua. This blogpost is all about my personal experience living and working at Waves & Wifi, and what digital nomads can expect from this coliving in Popoyo.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Asia over the past few years, but Central and South America hadn’t really been on my radar before. When exploring a new country, I like to combine the experience with a coliving stay. Why? Guaranteed comfort, stable internet, a proper workspace, and an instant social circle. However, there aren’t that many ‘real’ colivings in Central and South America. By real, I mean more than just accommodation with a desk. More than just 4 people sharing a fancy house. But a dedicated coliving space built for digital nomads, where community (10+ people), shared routines, and a daily life naturally come together.
Important advice: It’s best to get an E-Sim instead of a physical one in Nicaragua!
Waves & Wifi is one of those places. After spending seven weeks in this coastal town, I can honestly say that the coliving vibe in Popoyo felt similar to the colivings I’ve experienced elsewhere. There’s a dedicated community manager, a weekly activity schedule, and overall a very comfortable (surf-)remote-work-lifestyle. This is the perfect location for those who want to combine laid-back life, surfing and work.
Small note on the surfing part: I’ve tried surfing many times over the years and it’s just not my thing. BUT you definitely don’t need to be into surfing to have a great time at Waves & Wifi. Whether you’re here for remote work in Nicaragua, community, yoga, or simply a slower pace of life by the ocean, the experience goes far beyond surfing.
The best time to visit Popoyo
Popoyo has a tropical climate with warm temperatures all year round (25–30 °C / 77–86 °F). There are two seasons: the dry season (roughly December to April) and the rainy/wet season (about May to October).
- Dry season (Dec to Apr): This is generally the most comfortable time to visit Popoyo. For beginners or intermediate surfers, the waves are usually smaller and easier to handle. It can get really windy though! Especially in February and March.
- Rainy season (May to Oct): If you’re coming for surfing, this is prime time. The swells are more consistent and powerful around this time as the Southern Hemisphere storms generate bigger waves. The advantage: Less crowds. Mornings often bring good surf before brief afternoon showers start.
This is what is generally recommended. The weather, especially these days, is unpredictable though and you can probably have quite a good time all year round. So if you’re coming outside December to April, don’t worry too much about it.
How to get to Popoyo in Nicaragua
There are a few different ways to get to Popoyo. If you’re coming from Europe, I have a few suggestions to make the long flight more worth it. Personally, I didn’t find many good or affordable connections from Frankfurt to Managua, so I decided to combine the arrival with a few other stops.
1. Fly into Managua
The easiest and most comfortable option is to fly directly into Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. From there, you can take a private taxi to Popoyo, which takes around 2 hours and usually costs 80 – 100 USD. Public transport from Managua to Popoyo does exist, but it’s not great. There’s no direct connection, and it requires several changes. It’s cheaper, but also significantly slower and more exhausting.
2. Fly into San José, Costa Rica
If you have a bit more time, I highly recommend combining your trip with a visit to Costa Rica and flying into San José. For travellers coming from Europe, this is often the more affordable option, as flight connections tend to be better and more frequent.
We spent a week in Monteverde before heading to Popoyo, and after our stay we added another two weeks in Costa Rica. From Monteverde to Popoyo, you can either take a private taxi (around 260-300 USD per car) or use public transport via Liberia, cross the border, and continue by taxi on the Nicaraguan side.
Check these work-friendly cafés & accommodation in Monteverde.
3. Fly via the US with a stop in Miami
Another option is flying via the US, with a stop in Miami. There are good direct connections from Miami to Managua, and the flight itself only takes around 2.5 to 3 hours. This can be a nice option if you want to spend a few days in the US to adjust to the time zone and avoid long airport layovers.
Extra advice: Avoid short layovers when flying with United Airlines. Even if you’re only transiting, you’ll still need to go through immigration, which means you should plan at least 2 to 3 hours between flights. I missed my connection to San José because of this and ended up spending an extra night in New York. In hindsight, I would’ve planned the route in a way that allowed me to actually spend a few days in the US instead of stressing about tight connections.
About Waves & Wifi in Popoyo
Waves & Wifi was founded in 2023 and built specifically as a coliving space for digital nomads and remote workers. The main building currently has eight private rooms, all with their own bathroom, air conditioning, and fan. A second building is currently under construction which means even more space for future guests! Overall, the vision behind this place is really exciting, so watch this space.
Waves & Wifi is much more than just the coliving. The space also includes a coworking office with daily, weekly and monthly passes. The rooftop is used for daily yoga classes, and Kooks Café is right next door, offering the best coffee in town and super healthy food (and sweet treats which make you visit on a daily basis).
Location
Waves & Wifi is located in Popoyo, Guasacate. Guasacate is basically one long road running parallel to the ocean, lined with guest houses, small hotels and some restaurants. Waves & Wifi is only 150 metres from the beach, which means you can reach the ocean and watch the most beautiful sunset in less than 5 minutes on foot. The beach is super long and wide, perfect for scenic sunsets or even running.
To all UK digital nomads: Check your tax residence with this free calculator!
Beginner’s Bay, the spot for surf beginners and lessons, is around a 20-minute bike ride, or a combination of a short bike ride and a longer walk. The Popoyo main break, for more experienced surfers, is a bit closer. There’s a small supermarket in town where you can find most essentials (plant-based milk approved!), but it’s quite expensive. We usually went to Miranda Supermarket, which is a 15-minute scooter ride from Waves & Wifi. Walking there isn’t really an option, as it’s quite far and along the main road. I’d definitely recommend renting a bike or scooter for your stay. This will make life a lot easier: grocery runs, surfing, but also to explore the area and go on weekend trips to Ometepe or Granada. You can rent the bike through Waves & Wifi.
Overall, the location is super beautiful. At night, you can hear the ocean. Early in the morning, it’s the birds singing in the nearby trees. No traffic noise, no distractions, just the pure beauty of nature.
Here is a full itinerary for a weekend trip to Granada by scooter!
The house
Life in Nicaragua mostly happens outdoors, and it’s the same at Waves & Wifi. The coliving is split into two main buildings: one with all the rooms (find out more in the next section), and another shared space including the community kitchen, an outdoor gym and dining area, the coworking space (first floor) and a beautiful rooftop terrace (top floor).
The community kitchen comes with everything you need to cook: a microwave, mini oven, blender, coffee machine, toaster, and more. Once I figured out which dishes I could make with the local ingredients, I really enjoyed cooking outdoors. In the evenings, this space became the heart of the coliving, where people would come together to catch up, cook dinner, and play games.
One of the highlights of the coliving is the pool area with hammocks. It’s perfect for spending your lunch break, relaxing between meetings, or cooling down. Some of us even worked from the pool – there are no limits.
Right next door is Kooks Café, which is also part of Waves & Wifi. It’s by far the best coffeeshop in Guasacate, and their menu is a dream. You’ll find local dishes, healthy bowls, sweet treats (different cake every day and amazing cookies!), and great coffee. All right next to home.
The rooms
There is one main building (soon two) with eight private rooms: two deluxe (king beds), two triple rooms, and four private queen rooms. All rooms are bright, modern, spacious, and come with their own bathroom as well as either a balcony or terrace.
The upstairs rooms have private balconies and outdoor showers. I really liked the outdoor shower! That said, you’re surrounded by nature and may get an occasional bat visit. The downstairs rooms come with a terrace instead.
Each room is equipped with a solid wooden desk and a good internet connection. On some days I preferred working from the room. In case of power cuts, the fans, water and lights will continue to work (YAY to all the solar panels), but the AC and power outlets won’t. Rooms are cleaned once a week, and you can also use the laundry service, which is 9 USD per basket.
We stayed in one of the deluxe rooms, and I absolutely loved it. It was very bright, had a few indoor plants, lots of space for our things, and the sounds in the mornings were so relaxing.
The workspace
The coworking space at Waves & Wifi is located in the main building on the first floor. All Waves & Wifi guests get 24/7 access, and it’s also possible to book daily, weekly, or monthly passes if you’re not staying at the coliving. It’s the only coworking space in Popoyo, and every detail has been thought through.
The workspace is air-conditioned and solar powered, which is essential in Nicaragua. Even during power cuts – which do happen, sometimes for a whole day – the internet, AC, and power outlets keep working, so you can continue your work without interruptions (to the point where you won’t even really notice there is a power cut).
Inside the coworking space, you’ll find desks with ocean views, jungle views (so many beautiful plants in there!) and smaller nooks overlooking the pool. For calls and meetings, you can book a slot in one of the four soundproof phone booths, all with air conditioning and their own power outlets. You can book a slot up to two hours using a schedule hanging outside each booth.
Social life
Waves & Wifi has its own community manager, which for me is an absolute must-have in a coliving! It creates a social base, a weekly rhythm, and plenty of opportunities for people to connect. Our community manager Martina did an awesome job. Every week there were several activities and events we could join. I often get asked whether social life in colivings can be overwhelming. My honest answer: No it isn’t. No activity is mandatory, and because you got your own private space, it’s easy to take time for yourself whenever you need it.
Social life also depends a lot on the group and people staying at the coliving. During my seven weeks at Waves & Wifi, I met many different people, but the overall group vibe was always friendly and active. We all appreciated early nights, early mornings and fun activities. A few of us surfed together regularly, went out for dinner 1-2 times a week, and we also did some movie nights by the pool. A weekly event was the Friday BBQ. Waves & Wifi also offers daily morning and evening yoga classes on the rooftop.
I’m not that much into parties and enjoyed sticking to my healthy, early morning routine. But there are still a few options each week for those who do want to go out. On Saturdays, there’s Popoyo Secret, a beach party that starts before sunset. On Wednesday’s, there is a sunset party at the Magnific Rock, overlooking Beginner’s Bay. For those who are really invested: The Treehouse Party is happening near Granada on Fridays and there is a shuttle bus taking you to and back from the venue.
A few of my highlights during the stay:
- Tuesday 7 AM running club
- Making smoothie bowls for breakfast
- Collecting shells and making bracelets
- Movie nights by the pool
- Morrocan family dinner cooked by one of our fellow colivers
My time at Waves & WiFi coliving
In total, I spent seven weeks in Popoyo from January to March 2026 together with my partner. It took about a week to arrive and settle in, another two weeks to really find my routine and figure out food and daily life. After staying at over six colivings, this has been a repetitive pattern. I’d therefore recommend staying at least one month to fully enjoy the coliving experience. It takes time to get to know the people and the area, and to get this feeling of home.
Those seven weeks also gave us enough time to explore more of Nicaragua on weekends – highly recommend. Popoyo can feel a bit like a bubble, with many of the comforts you might know from home. Taking time to travel beyond gives you a much deeper understanding of the country, its history, challenges, and its incredibly beautiful nature. And it really is beautiful.
By the way: I always felt safe in Nicaragua, whether in Popoyo, Granada, or Ometepe. The locals are incredibly friendly, warm, and welcoming.
Read more about how to find the right coliving!
Living & working in Popoyo
All in all, I loved experiencing life in Popoyo. Waves & Wifi is a super comfortable place with everything you need. I mean, the best café in town is literally right next door to your home. Popoyo itself is very laid-back, giving you the chance to slow down life. There’s not a lot going on, but that’s exactly what makes it so charming. Goodbye hustle culture, hello relaxed life. Life here revolves mainly around the ocean, and surfing is definitely the main activity.
I needed a while to figure out the best, healthiest and most affordable way to live and eat here, but after around 1 week I figured it out! You can have great food as a vegetarian and vegan as well. Some of our colivers were gluten-free, which granted is more challenging, but possible.
Staying at Waves & Wifi for seven weeks also meant having enough time to really get to know the people behind the place. We connected with the staff at Kooks Café, as well as Leo and Gerry, the founders of Waves & Wifi. Having a comfortable accommodation to stay is one thing, but for me, it’s the connection to the people and the place what makes the experience memorable.
Before arriving, I was a bit worried about working with German clients because of the time difference – Nicaragua is seven hours behind Germany. One guy staying with us even who woke up at 3 am in the mornings to make his meetings – which is challenging, but possible! I don’t work full-time and have a flexible schedule, so it worked out well for me. The biggest challenge was not automatically checking my phone in the morning, as it was already full of work and private notifications from home. This felt very different in Asia, where I had a 5 hour time buffer.
Summing up: Working remotely from Popoyo for Europe is absolutely possible, it just requires some adjustment. The big advantage? Your afternoons are quiet while Europe is asleep, so you can go surfing and watch the sunset without any disturbances.
Power cuts & internet
Power cuts are not rare in Nicaragua. We had more than I can count on two hands, some of them lasting the whole day. Staying at Waves & Wifi however,I barely noticed them. The café and workspace continued operating as usual. The only limitation was that the AC in your room and the power outlets wouldn’t work during outages. Everything is self-reliant, running on the power of the sun and stored solar energy. The internet speed was great as well, and I might’ve had my most productive months here! Sometimes you kind of forget you are in Nicaragua.
Activities & slow life
Popoyo is a super popular destination for surfers. For me, as a non-surfer (I took a lesson in Popoyo, it was fun, but I’m just not a passionate surfer), I had lots of time to read books, relax by the pool and do yoga. The pace of life is sometimes so fast, that it feels strange to live a slow life. But it feels SO good. Spending most time outdoors, eating well, moving your body, really has an effect on you. Surrounded by a great community.
Thanks to our community manager Martina and all the individuals sharing this experience, we had great weekly events and activities going on. The vibe was very chill. This is what I love most about colivings: you get a social experience without having to put in huge effort. It doesn’t only happen after work, it naturally unfolds throughout the day. Sharing lunch breaks, having a small chat during breakfast, heading to the beach for sunset… this is why I love colivings.
Click here to see all my blogposts about the digital nomad life!
Personal highlights
My personal highlights were the lifestyle itself, Kooks Café, yoga, and our little activities. I loved being outdoors so much, but especially the sounds of nature in the mornings and at night. Just being able to walk to the ocean, watching pelicans drift along the waves, and seeing the sun set over the horizon, was just so special.
What was also nice is the climate. During the day it was sunny, and hot with around 31°C. At night it cooled down to around 22°C. We slept with open windows (all with mosquito nets) and loved the cooling breeze at night. I know most people prefer AC, but honestly give it a try. It’s so nice!
Another highlight: private massages on the weekends. The massage therapists come directly to your room with their table and give you a beautiful 60-minute massage. Cost is 40 USD and will be added to your tab. So worth it.
I also loved our trips to Granada and Ometepe. Granada is perfect for a weekend getaway and about a two-hour scooter ride from Popoyo. We combined the city trip with a scuba dive in Lake Apoyo. We also went on a long weekend trip to Ometepe, an island formed by two volcanoes in Lake Nicaragua. You can take your scooter on the ferry, which saves money and gives you full freedom to explore. Ometepe was one of the most special and beautiful places I’ve ever visited.
And of course: Kooks Café was my daily pleasure. I either had lunch there, coffee, or treated myself to a cinnamon roll, chocolate cake or whatever they were serving on that day. The cakes change daily (dangerous but exciting), and their home made sourdough can be pre-ordered weekly.
P.S.: As a Waves & Wifi guest, you get a coffee loyalty card which means free coffee after 10 drinks!
Cost of life in Popoyo
Before coming to Nicaragua, I expected low living costs. While life here is cheaper than in Costa Rica and most of Europe, it was still more expensive than I had anticipated. Most of the things we use in daily life are imported. I want to give a realistic idea, so you can prepare mentally and financially.
Here’s some price references (last updated March 2026):
- Cappuccino (Kooks Café): 120 Nicaraguan Cordoba NIO (3.20 USD / 2,80 €)
- Sourdough (Kooks Café): 6.50 USD / 5 €
- Healthy Bowl (Kooks Café): 300 NIO (8 USD / 7 €)
- 500g Tofu (Miranda Supermarket): 260 NIO (7 USD / 6 €)
- Vegan Protein Powder (Miranda Supermarket): 1300 NIO (35 USD / 30 €)
- Oat Milk (Miranda Supermarket): 160 NIO (4.30 USD/ 3,70 €)
- Scooter Rental (Waves & Wifi): 12.50 USD/day for over 4 weeks, 25 USD/day daily rental
- Yoga class (Waves & Wifi): 10 USD
- Refuel: 110 NIO (3 USD / 2,50 €)
A fruit and veggie truck passes the coliving 2 to 3 times a day with fresh fruit and vegetables from local farms. This is the cheapest and best source for fruit, veggies, and eggs. Plus, it offers a great opportunity to improve your Spanish. For bigger grocery runs, I recommend going to Miranda Supermarket (15 minutes by scooter).
Advice for your stay in Popoyo
Bring an adapter
Sockets in Nicaragua are US-style, so when coming from Europe you should definitely bring an adapter.
Rent a scooter
Restaurants and the local, more expensive supermarket are in walking distance from Waves & Wifi. To make the most of your experience in Popoyo and to avoid super long walks in the heat, you should definitely rent a scooter. This will make going surfing, buying groceries, getting cash out and joining activities a lot easier. This way you can also go on weekend trips to Granada and Ometepe.
Get an e-SIM
It’s not very easy to get a SIM card in Nicaragua, as you need a local Nicaraguan ID to sign up. I usually don’t get e-SIMs as the local alternative is cheaper, but in Nicaragua it’s your best option. Click here to check out the plans!
Find an e-sim for your stay in Nicaragua!
Organise cash
If you’re coming from the US, I recommend bringing USD from there. Withdrawal fees at ATMs are around 5 € per 300 USD, which can add up easily. Most local places and surf rentals only accept cash – either in USD or Nicaraguan Cordoba. The change is usually given in NIO.
Payments at Waves & Wifi are very convenient. Everything goes on your weekly tab and can be paid by card, this includes Kooks Café, yoga classes, massages, and the bike rental.
Bring a few essentials from home
You can buy most of the things you need in the supermarkets in Popoyo. But there is a few things that are hard to find or very pricey. Here’s a few items from my list:
- Cocoa powder (weird one I know, but I’m an addict)
- Chocolate & snacks
- Sunscreen & body products
- Supplements
Learn some basic Spanish
I really recommend learning some basic Spanish before coming to Nicaragua, or maybe even taking lessons while you’re here. There is a local Spanish teacher who can come to Waves & Wifi. It’s possible to navigate with English in Popoyo, but knowing a bit of Spanish makes life a bit easier and it’s a good way to connect with locals. The fruit truck guys don’t really speak English, and simply knowing the numbers or the names of fruits and veggies change the whole interaction.
For me, it’s also about respect. Making effort to speak the language goes a long way. And once you leave Popoyo and travel to places like Ometepe, there will be situations where no one speaks English.
Come with an open and curious mind
This is one I like to add to most of my coliving blogposts. When staying in the Popoyo bubble, it’s easy to forget that Nicaragua is still a developing country with its own realities. Reliable internet, hot showers, consistent electricity – these things can start to feel “normal” while being here, but they’re not a given everywhere.
At the end of the day you’re a visitor. This place isn’t here to serve you. There’s a shared responsibility in how we use resources – water, electricity, AC. Many locals don’t have the same access we do while staying in a comfortable coliving. So we should use those resources with care.
Did you like what you read? Take the first step! Click here to book your stay in Popoyo in Nicaragua!
Final thoughts
All in all, I had a great time at Waves & Wifi. I was able to stay productive with my work, but also experience a new country and culture. I always felt safe, and the locals were warm and welcoming. I’ll miss our beautiful room, the community and this slow life. Very grateful for this experience.
My previous coliving experiences
You want to explore other colivings around the world? Check my recent experiences below.
