Surf Ranch Resorts

Surf Ranch Resorts is a privately owned hospitality brand founded in Nicaragua in 2009 by Canadian brothers Lucas Boychuk and Travis Boychuk. The brand is positioned toward travelers who want an active, sport-oriented resort experience rather than a conventional beach holiday. Its offering combines accommodation with facilities and programming associated with surfing and other adventure activities, including skateparks, surf instruction, rock climbing, paintball, camps, and demonstrations. The business originated from an investment and development project undertaken by the Boychuk brothers after they traveled from Kelowna, British Columbia, to Nicaragua in 2008. They initially placed a down payment on a roughly two-acre parcel in San Juan del Sur, then returned to Canada to accumulate additional capital and seek an investor. After financing was assembled, they went back to Nicaragua in 2009 and began developing the first property. The project used a mixed real-estate and hospitality model: villas and condominiums on the site were sold to help finance construction, while the completed resort provided lodging and activity-based experiences for visitors. A major feature of the first property was its skatepark, described in reference material as the largest in Nicaragua at the time of completion. The skatepark was completed in 2012 and enabled the resort to begin hosting skate camps and demonstrations involving professional skateboarders, including Chico Brenes. The broader San Juan del Sur resort was completed in 2013. This sequence made skateboarding a particularly visible part of the brand identity, complementing the resort's surf-oriented positioning. Surf Ranch Resorts subsequently expanded its development ambitions beyond San Juan del Sur. The founders acquired a 25-acre property in Popoyo, a Nicaraguan coastal destination associated with surfing, where a larger second resort was under construction according to the available reference material. The properties are accessible through Costa Esmeralda Airport, supporting the brand's appeal to international visitors traveling to Nicaragua's Pacific coast. The brand's business model centers on combining lodging, destination travel, and participation in high-energy recreational activities. Rather than presenting itself solely as a hotel operator, Surf Ranch Resorts integrates sport facilities and organized activities into its resort packages. Its intended audience includes surfers, skateboarders, families, groups, and other extreme-sport enthusiasts seeking an activity-focused stay. Available information does not establish a corporate parent, public listing, broader international chain structure, or operating footprint outside Nicaragua. The known brand development consists of the San Juan del Sur resort and the planned or under-construction Popoyo property.

Surf Ranch Resorts was established in Nicaragua by Canadian brothers Lucas Boychuk and Travis Boychuk. The origins of the business date to 2008, when the brothers traveled from Kelowna, British Columbia, to Nicaragua with the intention of acquiring land and creating a resort project. They placed a down payment on an approximately two-acre parcel in San Juan del Sur before returning to Canada to save additional funds and locate an investor. In 2009, after combining their own resources with outside investment, the brothers returned to Nicaragua and began construction. Financing for the development was supplemented by selling villas and condominiums on the property. This approach helped the founders fund a hospitality project while also creating a real-estate component alongside the resort operation. The first major recreational facility completed at the development was a skatepark. Finished in 2012, it was described as the largest skatepark in Nicaragua. The facility broadened the project's appeal beyond conventional beach tourism and gave the emerging brand a distinctive connection to skateboarding. Following completion, the resort hosted skate camps and demonstrations by professional skateboarders, including Chico Brenes. Construction of the remaining resort facilities continued, and the San Juan del Sur property was completed in 2013. Surf Ranch Resorts presented the destination as an adventure-oriented resort offering a combination of accommodation and active pursuits. In addition to surfing and surf lessons, the resort concept incorporated skateboarding, rock climbing, paintball, and other activities aimed at extreme-sport enthusiasts and active vacationers. Following the completion of the first resort, the Boychuk brothers expanded the brand's development plans. They purchased a 25-acre property in Popoyo, another Nicaraguan coastal location associated with surfing, and began construction of a larger resort there. The properties were described as accessible through Costa Esmeralda Airport, an important transport link for visitors arriving on Nicaragua's Pacific coast. The available historical record does not identify a public parent company, stock-market listing, corporate headquarters, or operations outside Nicaragua. It also does not provide a later completion date for the Popoyo project. On the documented record, Surf Ranch Resorts remains a privately owned Nicaraguan hospitality brand whose identity is based on combining resort accommodation with surfing, skateboarding, and other adventure-sport experiences.

• 2013

  San Juan del Sur resort is completed

  [1]Surf Ranch Resortsen.wikipedia.org

  The remaining development work at the first resort was completed, establishing the brand's initial operating property.

• 2012

  San Juan del Sur skatepark is completed

  [1]Surf Ranch Resortsen.wikipedia.org

  The resort's skatepark was completed and subsequently supported skate camps and professional demonstrations.

• 2009

  Surf Ranch Resorts is founded

  [1]Surf Ranch Resortsen.wikipedia.org

  After raising additional funds and finding an investor, the Boychuk brothers returned to Nicaragua and began construction of the first Surf Ranch Resorts property.

• 2008

  Founders travel to Nicaragua to acquire resort land

  [1]Surf Ranch Resortsen.wikipedia.org

  Lucas and Travis Boychuk traveled from Kelowna, British Columbia, to Nicaragua and placed a down payment on an approximately two-acre parcel in San Juan del Sur.

• Popoyo resort development begins

  [1]Surf Ranch Resortsen.wikipedia.org

  The founders acquired a 25-acre property in Popoyo and began construction of a larger second resort.

An activity-led coastal resort brand for extreme-sport enthusiasts and travelers seeking integrated surfing, skateboarding, and adventure experiences.

• Resort accommodation · 2013

  San Juan del Sur resort

  The first Surf Ranch Resorts property, developed in San Juan del Sur, combines lodging with facilities and activities aimed at active travelers. Its offering includes surfing-related experiences, a skatepark, and access to additional adventure activities such as rock climbing and paintball. Villas and condominiums were also sold during development to help finance the project.

• Adventure-sport facility · 2012

  San Juan del Sur skatepark

  The resort's skatepark was completed in 2012 and was described as the largest in Nicaragua. It became a central brand feature and enabled Surf Ranch Resorts to host skate camps and demonstrations by professional skateboarders, including Chico Brenes.

• Resort development

  Popoyo resort

  A larger second resort planned for a 25-acre property in Popoyo. The development was reported as under construction, but the available material does not establish a completion date or final operating configuration.

• Hospitality package

  Adventure activity packages

  Surf Ranch Resorts incorporates active recreation into its guest proposition. Documented activities include surf lessons, skateboarding, rock climbing, paintball, and other pursuits designed for extreme-sport enthusiasts and travelers seeking an experience-led resort stay.

• 2012San Juan del Sur skate camps and demonstrations

  Nicaragua · International visitors

  After completing its skatepark, Surf Ranch Resorts began hosting skate camps and demonstrations featuring professional skateboarders, including Chico Brenes. The programming reinforced the brand's positioning around skateboarding and active tourism.

  Outcome. The events established the skatepark as a visible attraction and a recurring part of the resort's adventure-focused offering.

  Source

• 2012

  Launch of the San Juan del Sur skatepark offeringProduct launch

  Background

  The resort was designed to attract extreme-sport enthusiasts in addition to conventional beach travelers.

  Action taken

  Surf Ranch Resorts completed its skatepark and used it for camps and professional demonstrations.

  Aftermath

  Skateboarding became one of the most distinctive documented components of the brand's resort proposition.

  Source

• 2009

  Use a mixed resort and real-estate development modelStrategy

  Background

  The founders needed additional capital to develop the San Juan del Sur resort after acquiring the initial land parcel.

  Action taken

  They sold villas and condominiums on the property to help finance construction while developing the resort's hospitality and recreational facilities.

  Aftermath

  The financing approach supported completion of the San Juan del Sur resort and its associated activity facilities.

  Source

• Expand to a larger Popoyo resortStrategy

  Background

  After completing the first resort, the founders sought to expand the brand within Nicaragua's Pacific coastal tourism market.

  Action taken

  They purchased a 25-acre property in Popoyo and began construction of a larger resort.

  Aftermath

  The project represented the brand's documented expansion beyond San Juan del Sur, although its completion date and subsequent operating status are not established in the available material.

  Source

• 2012

  Surf Ranch Resorts begins skate camps and professional demonstrations[1]Surf Ranch Resortsen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign · Product launch

  Completion of the San Juan del Sur skatepark allowed the resort to host skate camps and demonstrations by professional skateboarders, including Chico Brenes.

• Surf Ranch Resorts develops a second property in Popoyo[1]Surf Ranch Resortsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  After completing its San Juan del Sur resort, Surf Ranch Resorts acquired a larger property in Popoyo and began developing a second resort intended to expand the brand's presence on Nicaragua's Pacific coast.

1. 1Surf Ranch Resortsen.wikipedia.org