Coast of Riches: A Journey Through Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama A review of the Pelican Eyes Resort: The perfect place for a luxurious/romantic stay in San Juan del Sur!

I stayed at the Pelican Eyes Resort for two nights during our tour through Nicaragua. Perched on the mountain in San Juan del Sur, the property overlooks the bay but is close enough to walk to the beach. The experience at the hotel was one of the best of the entire Coast of Riches trip!

Highlights:

Beautiful view of San Juan del Sur.

Custom pools all with great views.

Large rooms with tall ceilings, private balconies and five-star amenities.

Excellent service from reception, cleaning staff, and wait staff.

The Experience

Arriving in the evening, Pelican Eyes stood out from the dark roads with its warm lighting.

We were greeted by the security at the front gate who opened the gate for us. The drive up is a bit steep so make sure you are in low gear (if you are driving manual).

The reception was very friendly and pulled up our reservation immediately. A refreshing welcome cocktail arrived as we were checking in.

We were escorted to our room by a bellhop whom also introduced us to the room.

The Room:

The room was impressive on entering. The tall vaulted ceilings were the most notable aspects of the room. The thick white hand-finished concrete walls topped with wooden beams added to the rustic charm.

Some towel art and fresh flowers were prepared for our arrival.

The bathroom tile work stood out, especially in the large shower that could fit a family of 5. Great water pressure through the rainfall shower.

In room was fresh local Nica coffee to brew yourself, a large drinking water dispenser, microwave, and flat screen TV.

Of course there was air-conditioning, which took a bit of time to cool down the room due to the vaulted ceilings, but the evening was comfortable.

Activities:

The resort is located right in town, meaning a short walk down you will be in the center of town and a little further you will be on the beach. The rows of restaurants and nightlife are centered in this area. They also have a shuttle available for town transportation.

The property has a spa, though we didn’t have time to check it out.

The pools are one of the best features of the resort. There is a pool right at the main restaurant and bar. Another large pool with a seating area, a viewing platform and shower sits higher up on the property and above that is a long infinity pool if you wanted to do some morning laps. All of the pools share the terrific view of the town below.

The gardens are also worth mentioning as they have plenty of wildlife and birds throughout the property. I spotted what I believed to be an opossum!

Dining:

La Cascada is the resort’s main restaurant serving Nicaraguan food and other cuisines. It is located right next to the reception and surrounds the pool. Sit near the edge for an amazing view while enjoying the freshly prepared local specialties.

Bistro La Canoa is another restaurant near the upper pools, but unfortunately it was under renovation during our visit.

Overall we had an excellent stay at a first class resort. I appreciated the attention from the staff from giving directions to making arrangements with our car rental company, no job was too small.

Service with a smile at a beautiful property set in the natural mountainous environment on the coast of Nicaragua… It was tough to leave!