Best Time to Visit Nicaragua: Seasons, Months and Activities

In this guide

The best time to visit Nicaragua is the dry season, November to April, when the Pacific side has clear skies for volcanoes, beaches, Ometepe and Granada. The rainy season runs May to October, with September and October as the wettest months. Sea turtle arrivals at La Flor run July to January, so wildlife has its own calendar.

The two seasons

Nicaragua has a dry season from November to April and a rainy season from May to October. Lonely Planet, Audley Travel and Responsible Travel agree on the split and on the two wettest months: September and October.

We are based in Rivas, on the Pacific side, and all of our day tours leave from Rivas or San Juan del Sur. The calendar below is written from that side of the country.

Pacific and Caribbean are not the same

The Pacific, where San Juan del Sur, Ometepe, Granada, Masaya and León are, is drier than the Caribbean. The Corn Islands, on the Caribbean side, see more rain throughout the year. If your trip mixes both coasts, plan the Pacific days for the activities that need dry ground, such as volcano boarding and summit hikes, and keep the islands flexible.

The US Department of State advisory for Nicaragua, dated 14 May 2026, lists hurricanes, earthquakes and eruptions among the risks it cites for the country. We mention it because a weather plan for the Caribbean should include the possibility of changed flights. Read our summary of the official advisories at /en/guides/nicaragua-travel-advisories-and-what-monkeys-does.

High season: December to April

The high season runs from December to April, according to Lonely Planet. Hotels in San Juan del Sur and on Ometepe fill earlier, and so do our calendars. We take bookings by WhatsApp at +505 8506 1173 and confirm price and inclusions in writing; for December to April we suggest writing to us as soon as you have flights.

November is the first month of the dry season and comes before the high season. It is the month we recommend to people who want dry weather without the December crowds.

Semana Santa

Semana Santa (Holy Week) falls in March or April depending on the year, and it is the peak of domestic tourism in Nicaragua. More than 1.3 million people traveled in the first days of Semana Santa 2025, according to News in America. The Pacific beaches, San Juan del Sur included, are where much of that movement goes.

Practical notes for that week:

Book hotels and transport weeks ahead. We confirm our vehicles in writing, but hotels are a separate matter.
The San Jorge to Moyogalpa ferry keeps the same schedule on holidays, per Ometepe Nicaragua. The small boats do not operate on Sundays. Check the day's schedule at the pier.
Granada, Masaya and León are an alternative to the beaches during the busiest days.

Calendar by activity

Sea turtles: July to January

The paslama (olive ridley, Lepidochelys olivacea) season at the La Flor Wildlife Refuge, in San Juan del Sur, runs from July to January according to MARENA, cited by 100% Noticias. Mass arrivals are not scheduled in advance, and they last a few days. The recent numbers give an idea of scale:

Date	Arrival	Source
26 October 2024	12,321 females, first arrival of that season	MARENA
1 January 2025	Third arrival of the season, 3,495 females	MARENA; also cited by La Prensa
August 2025	6,000 females	La Prensa
September 2025	5,771 females over four days, second of the season	MARENA
December 2025	36,647 females over seven days	La Prensa
1 October 2026	32,949 females, sixth arrival of 2026	La Prensa

Our La Flor Sea Turtle Night Tour is an evening tour from US$45 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$80 solo. We follow the MARENA and press reports during the season and tell you honestly whether an arrival is under way on your dates. Full detail in /en/guides/la-flor-turtle-season.

Volcanoes: dry season

Volcano boarding on Cerro Negro (728 m) and the hikes on Telica, San Cristóbal, Mombacho and Concepción are best from November to April, when the trails are dry and the views are clear. Our Cerro Negro tour is a full day from US$65 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$110 solo, with board, suit, helmet, goggles and entrance included. See /en/guides/volcano-boarding-cerro-negro.

Masaya is the exception: the crater is reached by vehicle, so it works in both seasons. As of July 2026, per Sally Sees (seen November 3, 2026), the park has a day shift from 8:30 to 16:30 (US$5 for foreigners) and a night shift from about 16:30 to 20:00 (US$10), with about 5 minutes at the rim of the Santiago crater. The park can close without notice because of activity, and the hours change, so we confirm the day before.

Surf: Maderas and Popoyo

Playa Maderas, near San Juan del Sur, is the wave we use for our beginner and intermediate surf lesson. Popoyo, in the municipality of Tola, west of Rivas, is described by Mondo Surf as very consistent, with more than 150 days a year, and it works on all tides. Our surf lesson at Playa Maderas lasts 2 to 3 hours, from US$35 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$55 solo.

Swell, wind and the recommended level month by month, with sources, are in our surf season in Nicaragua guide. For specific dates, write to us and we will tell you what the local instructors are seeing that week.

Corn Islands: the Caribbean side

The Corn Islands are wetter than the Pacific all year, so there is no single perfect month, and flights are the deciding factor. La Costeña is the only airline from Managua to Big Corn, with two to three flights a day, about 80 minutes in the air and a round trip of about US$180 (seen November 3, 2026), according to Little Corn Island. The panga from Big Corn to Little Corn takes 20 to 30 minutes, per Voices of Travel, and costs between US$7 and US$10 depending on the source: US$10 per Little Corn Island and Voices of Travel, about US$7 per Vagrants of the World (seen November 3, 2026).

Our Corn Islands Caribbean Escape is a 2 to 3 day plan from US$110 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$190 solo. Managua to Big Corn flights are included; the hotel is quoted separately. See /en/destinations/corn-islands.

Beaches and San Juan del Sur

For sun on the Pacific beaches, pick the dry season. For quiet beaches, avoid Semana Santa and the December to April high season. San Juan del Sur is 140 km south of Managua, per Wikipedia, and has no airport, per Audley Travel; we bring guests from Liberia or Managua with our transfer. See /en/destinations/san-juan-del-sur.

Month by month

Month	Season	What works	Notes
January	Dry	Volcanoes, beaches, Ometepe, last turtle arrivals	High demand. January 2025 saw 3,495 turtles at La Flor
February	Dry	Volcano boarding, Concepción and Mombacho hikes, surf lessons	High demand
March	Dry	Everything on the Pacific	High demand; Semana Santa in some years
April	Dry, last month	Volcanoes, beaches, Granada	High demand; Semana Santa in some years; domestic crowds on the beaches
May	Rainy season begins	Granada, Masaya, Ometepe, cooking class	Fewer visitors
June	Rainy	León, Granada, Ometepe, Masaya	Fewer visitors
July	Rainy	Turtle season opens at La Flor; Granada and Masaya	Watch the arrival reports
August	Rainy	Turtles, Ometepe, Granada	August 2025 saw about 6,000 turtles
September	Wettest	Turtles, Granada, Masaya at night	September 2025 saw 5,771 turtles over four days
October	Wettest	Turtles, Granada, Masaya at night	October 2026 saw 32,949 turtles; October 2024 saw 12,321
November	Dry season begins	Volcano boarding, hikes, turtles, beaches	Dry weather before the high season
December	Dry	Everything on the Pacific, turtles	High season begins; December 2025 saw 36,647 turtles over seven days

What Monkeys does

Monkeys Travels & Tours is a private tour operator based in Rivas, founded in 2018 by Everth Palma. We have made more than 8,000 trips and transported more than 30,000 people. Every tour is private, with bilingual guides born in Rivas and a private vehicle for your group only, and we operate in both seasons. We answer WhatsApp in under an hour every day from 7:00 to 20:00, confirm price and inclusions in writing, and allow free cancellation up to 48 hours before the tour. For the rainy season, that last point matters: if the forecast is bad for a hike, you can move the date without losing money.

The Best of Nicaragua 5 Days package (5 days, 4 nights; from US$220 per person in groups of 4 to 6; US$420 solo) includes guide, all transport, hotel, daily breakfast and entrances, and we adapt the order of the days to the weather.

Questions we get every week

What is the best month to visit Nicaragua?

Any month from November to April works for the Pacific side: dry weather for volcanoes, beaches, Ometepe and Granada. December to April is the high season according to Lonely Planet, so book earlier. November gives you dry weather before the high season begins. If sea turtles matter to you, November to January combines dry season and arrivals at La Flor.

Is it worth visiting Nicaragua in the rainy season?

Yes, with the right plan. The rainy season runs May to October, and September and October are the wettest months. Granada, Masaya, Ometepe and León work in the rain, and La Flor turtle arrivals start in July. We avoid programming volcano boarding and long hikes on days with rain in the forecast.

When can I see sea turtles in Nicaragua?

The paslama season at La Flor runs from July to January, according to MARENA. Mass arrivals are not scheduled in advance and last a few days: 5,771 turtles over four days in September 2025, 36,647 over seven days in December 2025, 32,949 starting 1 October 2026. We watch the reports and tell you when to go.

What is Semana Santa like for visitors?

Semana Santa, in March or April depending on the year, is the peak of domestic tourism. More than 1.3 million people traveled in the first days of Semana Santa 2025. Pacific beaches fill up and hotels sell out. The Ometepe ferry keeps its normal schedule on holidays, and the small boats do not run on Sundays.

Is the Caribbean coast different from the Pacific?

Yes. The Pacific is drier than the Caribbean in every source we use. The Corn Islands are reached by La Costeña from Managua, a flight of about 80 minutes with two to three departures a day and a round trip of about US$180 (seen November 3, 2026). Big Corn to Little Corn is a 20 to 30 minute panga ride.

Sources

Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages, checked on the date shown above.