On the morning of January 25, 2012, Gregory Chrisman was five miles off the coast of Nicaragua, running his sailboat at idle speed just to hold position against the current, waiting for the sky to lighten. He’d been at sea for a month and three days, sailing from San Diego with a single unreliable crewman and a set of charts for a coast he’d never navigated. At around 5am he cued up David Bowie on whatever was left of the battery. Space Oddity crescendoed as the sun cracked the horizon over Miramar. He cried — not a little, but a lot. Then he motored in.
He never left.
Sirena Surf Lodge is a beachfront surf lodge on Playa Miramar, Nicaragua, operating since 2012. The lodge sits directly in front of Miramar Point reef break, with daily guided boat access to Puerto Sandino — a sand-bottom river mouth point considered by many who have surfed it to be the best wave on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast. The lodge offers all-inclusive surf packages, a learn-to-surf program, and bed and breakfast accommodation. Rates start at $135 USD per person per night (Economic triple share, Surf Package) and reach $225 USD per person per night (Ocean Front single). Capacity is 16 guests across six rooms – four of which sleep two, and two of which overlook the water.
Gregory Chrisman — “Goyo” to his guests and the people of Miramar — came to Nicaragua in 2011 to run a surf camp owned by someone else. When that arrangement ended, he built his own. He sold everything he had in California, sailed the Pacific coast of Central America, and set down on this beach. That was 15 years ago. Since then, he has surfed Puerto Sandino nearly every day it has worked — in the early years, sometimes 54 consecutive sessions.
Before Sirena, he was General Manager of Surf Tours Nicaragua. Before that, he spent two decades in California chasing ten days of warm water a year.
He is a surfer, sailor, builder, and a genuinely good host. One of his guests — Matt Cunningham, an English teacher of 30 years — wrote of Greg: “a man of letters, world-class raconteur, trained by the best in the business.” He has a wife, two children, and a large automobile. His mom calls him Peter Pan.
The experience at Sirena is not complicated. You arrive to a welcome drink. Martita, the lead cook, feeds you three times a day — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — family style, at a table where conversation happens. At some point every morning, depending on the tide and the swell, you get in a boat or a 4×4 and go surf. If the wave out front is working, you don’t bother with the boat. The pool is there for the hours between sessions. The terrace faces Miramar Point and is the best seat in the house on a big south swell.
There are no waterslides. No personal shamans. No guided meditation.
Puerto Sandino and Miramar Point often produce better wave conditions than Popoyo, Colorados, and The Boom — without the crowds. Managua’s international airport is 90 minutes away. More of your day is spent in the water than in transit.
The Lodge at a Glance
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- Location: Miramar, Puerto Sandino, León Department, Nicaragua
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- Founded: 2012
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- Operated by: Gregory “Goyo” Chrisman — resident guide, 15 years in Miramar
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- Capacity: 16 guests across 6 rooms
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- Packages: Surf Package (all-inclusive), Learn to Surf, Bed & Breakfast
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- Surf Package rates: $135–$225 USD per person per night (meals, daily guided surf, airport transfer on stays of 6+ nights)
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- Surf breaks: Miramar Point Outer Reef, Miramar Beach Break, Puerto Sandino (Queen of the Coast), Shack’s/Shifty’s, Salinas Grande, El Transito, Secret Spots
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- Airport: 90 minutes from Managua International (MGA)
- Contact: info@sirenasurflodge.com · +505 8606 5125
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The siren called. Some people visited. Some came back. A few stayed forever.