About Hostal Los Chamos
Hostal Los Chamos is a surf hostel and backpacker guesthouse in San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua, one block from the main beach. We host independent travellers, surfers and backpackers who want an affordable bed, a social atmosphere and easy access to the water.
What we are
We are a small, independently run hostel — not a chain and not a franchise. The place is managed day to day by the people who live here, which is why guests deal directly with us rather than with a call centre. If you message the WhatsApp number, a person who works here answers it.
- Location: one block from the main beach in San Juan del Sur, and a fifteen-minute walk from anything else worth walking to.
- Accommodation: mixed dorms, private doubles with shared or private bathroom, and triple and family rooms.
- Breakfast: included with the room rates.
- Surf: lessons and board rental, plus transport out to Playa Maderas and Playa Remanso — the town beach itself is for swimming, not surfing.
- Included: free WiFi, lockers in the dorms, a communal kitchen, and a courtyard where most evenings start.
How booking works here
Private rooms — doubles, triples and the family room — can be booked online through our reservation system, which shows live availability and real rates. Booking that way is direct: no commission goes to a third party, so the rate is the best one we can give.
Dorm beds are different. They aren't loaded into the online system, so if you want a bed in a mixed dorm the fastest route is to message us on WhatsApp and we'll confirm it. That's not a workaround, it's just how we run the dorms.
See the rooms · check availability · send us a request
Who we host
Most of our guests are solo travellers, surfers and small groups moving through Central America — a lot of Europeans on long trips, and people coming up from Costa Rica or down from León and Granada. San Juan del Sur is a stop on that route, and our job is to make it an easy one: somewhere central, cheap and social enough that you meet people on the first night.
If you're travelling alone, this is an easy town to stop being alone in. That's less about us than about the place, but a social hostel helps.
What we know about San Juan del Sur
We live here, so the practical questions get honest answers rather than brochure answers: which beach suits your surf level, whether the shuttle is worth it, where to eat for four dollars, whether the town is safe at night. That's also what the blog is for.
- Things to do in San Juan del Sur
- Surfing here: every break, by level
- Where to eat and drink
- Nightlife and Sunday Funday
- What a week actually costs
- Is Nicaragua safe for travellers?
About this website and our blog
Besides booking information, we publish a travel blog about San Juan del Sur and Nicaragua: surf beaches, day trips, budgets, transport and safety. We write it from living here year-round, not from other people’s articles.
This website is partly supported by third-party advertising. That does not change what we write — recommendations reflect our own experience of the town. Details are in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Contact us
- Email: [email protected]
- WhatsApp: +505 8546 9479
- Instagram: @hostalloschamos
- Address: 1 block from the main beach, San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua
You can also use our contact page to send us a message or ask about availability.