El Transito

Surf Guide

El Transito is a small, quaint fishing pueblo just off the beaten path on the Pacific coast of north-central Nicaragua. The crescent shaped cove provides a beautiful backdrop to a lineup that offers multiple peaks that tend to bounce off of a few rocks scattered just outside the take off zone. Though Nicaragua is known as the land of lefts, you can find plenty of rights here at El Transito. Although the best, biggest, and most common swells are from the South-West or South-Southwest, Transito can also handle the occasional West or West-Southwest swell during winter (as long as it's under 290 degrees). The best periods are anything from 16 seconds or under. Over 16 seconds and it tends to shut down, since the beach is fairly small. That being said, it would only take 15+ surfers for it to be crowded. However, there are rarely more than five surfers in the lineup, year-round. The extremely consistent El Transito break can be good all year round, just as long as it stays under a couple feet overhead. Typically, this spot is best in the off season (late October to the end of March), as the swells are usually smaller during that time of year and more suitable for the break. There is a small point on the south end of the beach (similar to Machete Point at Playa Maderas) with a rock/sand bottom that works on mid-period South-Southwest swells. The wave on the main beach (sand bottom) is typically mellow, with softer barrel sections and medium length waves suitable for all levels of surfers. El Transito is best from waist high to about 1-foot overhead and on a mid tide, however, it will break on most tides. The tide swings here are drastic, so the peaks will often change completely. The predominant offshore winds (250+ days/year) are best from the East-Northeast. These offshores rarely get too strong (so hardly ever any upwelling) and the water typically stays warm year-round. However, you may occasionally need a 1mm top/jacket between January and March. There are other breaks within walking distance or a short boat ride. Hemmies (if you dare) is a 15 minute boat ride to the south. About a 30 minute boat trip to the north, there is the increasingly popular break of Puerto Sandino, which is one of the longer lefts in Nicaragua, offering about 300 yard rides on the best days. There are other gems within walking distance that are known by the guys at GreenSurf Nicaragua: A barreling right hand wedge that rarely goes flat, and a little known big wave slab that shows up on the larger, longer period swells.