The Best Hotels Near Gaia Forest Cafe & Bistro, by the Record
-
Nine casitas tucked into a private forested island on Lake Nicaragua, each a two-story bungalow with a king bed upstairs and a terrace looking out over the water. This is an ecolodge, so natural wood and earth tones, mosquito nets, no air-conditioning, and smarter architecture than you'd think. Yoga, kayaks, paddleboards, and a lakefront spa fill the days. A short boat ride arranged by the lodge connects you to the colonial city of Granada when the hammock loses its appeal.
-
Every room faces the ocean so you can read the waves without leaving bed, which is either very convenient or a dangerous reason to stay horizontal. This low-slung modernist surf lodge sits right on Popoyo, a stretch of Nicaraguan coast developed enough to be comfortable and not an inch further. Bungalows and suites sleep up to four, each with a veranda catching the offshore breeze, and the rates will make you wonder why you ever paid more elsewhere.
-
Six suites on Nicaragua's Costa Esmeralda, set just across the road from a bay whose sunsets embarrass everywhere else. The style mixes indigenous craft with Bauhaus modernism, which sounds like it shouldn't work and looks like it absolutely does. A pool, yoga, a spa, and a small restaurant keep the day occupied, though twenty surf breaks are within easy reach, and the team can sort volcano hikes or motorcycle tours for anyone who needs an excuse to leave.
-
Howler monkeys handle the wake-up call at this sprawling Pacific coast resort spread across thousands of acres of dry tropical forest, rolling hills, and five private beaches. Villas and guest rooms go big on Spanish Mission Revival, all red-tile roofs and stone floors opening onto breezy outdoor spaces. It's remote enough to feel like a genuine escape, but not so remote you're roughing anything.
-
Sea turtles nest on the crescent beach below while howler monkeys run the jungle canopy above, which sets a high bar before you've even seen the room. This ecolodge north of the Costa Rican border sits on 4,000 acres, half of it private reserve, with cliffside bungalows under thatched roofs that manage teak woodwork and hanging daybeds without feeling like a brochure. Michelin awarded it one Key. Kayaks and mountain bikes are yours for the asking.