We have already established that Miami is the queen of beach style but, like everything in Miami, that beach style is the product of a melting pot environment. As such, we have always been a little curious to study how our beach style compares to beach styles elsewhere. During our recent visit to Nicaragua, we began our research at the Hacienda Iguana Beach Club, which is located in front of the internationally-renown surf break at Playa Colorado. The Beach Club’s restaurant, tiki bar, pool, and handful of hammocks gave us numerous options from which to sip a frozen cocktail and people watch.

Like other surf destinations in Central America, Playa Colorado is primarily visited by international visitors and ex-pats that are a) surfers, b) surf photographers, c) surfer wives/girlfriends/groupies, or d) all of the above. The beach style was composed mainly of functional swimsuits from brands like Roxy, Quiksilver, and O’Neill – our surf crew’s beachware was no exception. Beyond swimsuits, the style was casual. Our favorite non-swim staples were the bohemian cover-ups and accessories.

While we are partial to Miami’s elegant and flashy beach style, we brought back a little of Nicaragua’s laid-back beach style with us to Miami. Check out some of the beach style photos we snapped during our trip below for inspiration! We definitely took notes.