Sin categorizar,
New York to Nicaragua: The Luxury Escape You Need
Tucked
along
the
country’s
stunning
Emerald
Coast,
Rancho
Santana
offers
a
luxury
retreat
unlike
any
other.
Se siente como su propio parque nacional privado: con senderos para caminatas en la jungla y olas increíbles
Un
escritor
de
viajes
regresa
a
Nicaragua
y,
en
una
visita
al
resort
Rancho
Santana,
recuerda
por
qué
se
enamoró
del
país
en
primer
lugar.
Por
Jen
Murphy
.
“Waves
all
day,”
sings
my
enthusiastic
surf
guide,
Lenny
Espinoza.
It’s
barely
5:30
a.m.
and
morning’s
first
blush
tints
the
sky
sherbet.
Most
guests
at
Rancho
Santana
are
still
sleeping,
but
the
surrounding
jungle
is
wide
awake.
We
wax
our
surfboards
to
a
chorus
of
bellowing
howler
monkeys,
the
high-pitched
buzz
of
cicadas,
and
a
symphony
of
bird
song.
Above
it
all
we
hear
the
rumble
of
crashing
waves
calling
us
to
the
ocean.
In
most
countries,
“waves
all
day”
would
be
a
wishful
mantra.
In
Nicaragua,
Espinoza’s
refrain
is
a
celebratory
fact,
particularly
along
the
Emerald
Coast
where
Rancho
Santana
resort
is
located.
Lake
Managua,
50
miles
inland
from
this
30-mile
stretch
of
shoreline,
funnels
wind
from
the
country’s
Caribbean
side
across
to
the
Pacific
Ocean,
providing
330-plus
days
of
offshore
winds.
Those
unicorn
winds
make
this
one
of
the
few
places
in
the
world
where
you
can
find
perfect
waves,
from
sunrise
to
sunset,
nearly
all
year-round.
It
was
the
promise
of
consistent
surf
that
first
drew
me
to
Nicaragua
in
2010.
But
the
country’s
raw
natural
beauty,
empty
beaches,
warm
people,
and
untapped
potential
for
adventure
are
what
have
lured
me
back
a
half-dozen
times.
My
reasons
for
returning
have
changed,
but
the
reactions
of
friends
haven’t.
“Isn’t
it
dangerous?,”
they
still
worry.
“Aren’t
the
waves
in
Costa
Rica
just
as
good
…
and
the
hotels
even
better?”
they
ask.
Nicaragua
spent
most
of
the
20th
century
suffering
through
oppressive
dictators,
revolutions,
counterrevolutions,
a
10-year
civil
war,
and
a
devastating
earthquake.
With
such
a
tumultuous
past,
it’s
no
wonder
that
mostly
die-hard
surfers
and
undaunted
backpackers
dared
venture
across
its
borders
in
the
1990s
when
a
tenuous
calm
seemed
to
settle
across
the
country.
As
Costa
Rica
was
loudly
being
touted
as
the
posterchild
of
eco-tourism,
whispers
of
Nicaragua’s
pristine
nature
quietly
started
to
spread.
In
1997,
American
developer
Matt
Turner
learned
of
a
2,700-acre
ranch
for
sale
with
five
dreamy,
surf-swept
beaches.
He
and
five
friends
flew
down
to
scout
the
land
and
immediately
knew
they’d
discovered
paradise.
Their
original
vision
was
to
build
personal
vacation
homes,
but
luckily
for
me,
they
decided
to
share
their
Shangri-la,
called
Rancho
Santana,
eventually
adding
rentable
homes
and
a
17-room
oceanfront
inn.
Most
real
estate
developments
feel
like
exclusive,
gated
compounds
shut
off
from
locals.
Rancho
Santana,
however,
feels
like
an
integral
part
of
the
surrounding
communities
thanks
to
investments
like
a
non-profit
health
clinic
and
a
community
center
located
across
from
the
ranch’s
entrance
that
offers
youth
and
adult
English
language
courses,
computer
and
vocational
classes,
sports
programs,
and
a
gym
open
to
both
locals
and
guests.
Everyone
is
welcome
at
weekly
bike-and-burger
rides
hosted
at
the
property.
The
resort
also
supports
the
Santana
Surf
Team
and
its
members
(many
of
them
employees
like
Espinoza)
show
off
their
talent
on
the
waves
at
Playa
Santana,
the
surfing
beach
adjacent
to
the
inn.
Espinoza,
28,
started
working
as
a
surf
guide
for
the
resort
at
age
16.
As
we
paddled
out
to
the
empty
lineup
at
Panga
Drops,
he
told
me
he
was
promoted
to
an
office
job
a
few
years
ago.
After
just
a
few
months,
he
told
his
boss
that
he
preferred
a
job
where
he
could
be
barefoot
and
in
board
shorts
sharing
his
passion
with
guests.
I
can’t
say
I
blame
him.
His
office,
the
surf
shack,
is
located
steps
away
from
world-class
surf
breaks
like
Panga
Drops
and
Colorados.
It’s
also
next
door
to
La
Taqueria,
the
resort’s
casual
taco
spot,
beloved
for
its
tableside
guacamole
service
and
house-ground
corn
tortillas
stuffed
with
beer-battered
catch
of
the
day
or
chile-braised
lamb.
My
first
trip
to
Nicaragua,
I
was
nearly
as
wave
obsessed
as
Espinoza.
Back
then,
Rancho
Santana
catered
to
guests
like
me.
But
the
resort’s
new
emphasis
on
wildlife,
culture,
and
wellness
has
started
to
attract
non-surfers
looking
for
a
less
crowded,
more
affordable
alternative
to
Costa
Rica.
And
what
they
uncover
is
a
destination
that
has
it
all:
wildlife,
volcanoes,
towns
brightened
with
pastel-painted
façades,
and
incredible
hiking
and
biking
trails.
Even
surf-crazed
visitors
like
me
are
enticed
away
from
the
sea.
The
vastness
of
the
ranch
makes
it
feel
like
your
own
private
national
park
(there’s
even
a
turtle
sanctuary
and
guests
can
observe
hatchlings
August
through
October).
Later
that
afternoon,
Eddy
Mendoza,
one
of
the
resort’s
experience
guides,
leads
me
on
a
hike
along
the
21
miles
of
jungle-shaded
trails.
A
self-described
bird
nerd,
he
jumped
with
excitement
when
he
spotted
the
long,
bright
blue
tail
of
Nicaragua’s
national
bird,
the
guardabarranco
or
turquoise-browed
motmot,
flash
above
us.
Another
afternoon,
I
up
the
adrenaline-factor
on
a
mountain
bike
excursion
with
guide
Devin
Lynn.
Jurassic-sized
iguanas
scurry
out
of
our
path
as
we
zip
down
the
resort’s
newly
built
singletrack
trails.
The
ranch’s
“hero
dirt,”
which
provides
some
of
the
most
predictable
grip
on
the
planet,
makes
the
mountain
biking
here
just
as
unique
as
the
surfing,
boasted
Devin.
That
same
evening,
I
have
a
thrilling
sunset
surf
session
with
Eddy,
but
it
isn’t
on
a
wave,
it’s
down
a
100-foot
sand
dune
at
Playa
Duna.
With
such
an
action-packed
schedule,
my
muscles
would
have
been
revolting
if
it
weren’t
for
daily
Yin
sessions
in
the
ocean-view
yoga
pavilion
and
a
restorative
massage
and
cold
plunge
at
El
Bosque,
a
new
6,000-square-foot
spa
built
into
the
treetops.
The
upside
to
being
so
active
was
that
I
always
had
an
appetite,
and
trust
me,
you’ll
want
one.
The
food
at
Rancho
Santa
is
sensational
and
nearly
every
ingredient
in
the
dishes
I
savored
—
the
coffee-rubbed
pork
chop
and
plantain-bean
hash
served
at
La
Finca
y
El
Mar,
the
sushi
and
wood-fired
pizzas
at
La
Boquita
—
is
sourced
locally.
Seafood
comes
from
area
fishermen,
including
Espinoza’s
dad,
but
nearly
everything
else
is
grown,
raised,
and
produced
on-site,
including
the
cheese
and
kombucha.
On
a
tour
of
Rancho
Santana’s
80-acre
farm,
I
learned
that
I
am
hopeless
when
it
comes
to
milking
cows
(I’m
only
slightly
better
when
it
comes
to
handling
goat
udders).
But
the
more
important
insight
was
the
extent
of
the
sustainable
and
regenerative
practices
the
resort
has
embraced.
Each
month
those
cows
and
goats
produce
2,000
liters
of
milk
and
the
farm’s
chickens
lay
more
than
1,100
eggs.
Cows
and
pigs
are
slaughtered
for
meat
and
the
two-acre
garden
provides
2,500
pounds
of
fruits,
vegetables,
and
herbs
each
month.
What
isn’t
used
at
the
properties
four
restaurants
and
sold
at
the
on-site
market
is
sold
to
staff.
An
on-site
biodigester
utilizes
organic
waste,
including
animal
droppings
and
food
scraps,
to
produce
fertilizers
and
biogases,
enough
to
cook
all
the
food
waste
that
is
received
from
the
kitchens
to
feed
the
Rancho
animals.
The
resort’s
efforts
go
beyond
food.
A
solar
park
powers
much
of
the
property
and
an
on-site
woodshop,
which
employs
200
locals
who
do
everything
from
craft
furnishings
for
the
villas
to
meld
metal
for
the
chandeliers
in
the
inn’s
rooms.
In
total,
the
hotel
employs
more
than
80
percent
of
its
staff
from
the
surrounding
16
communities.
As
easy
as
it
would
be
to
stay
on
property,
where
my
every
wish
and
desire
was
met,
the
team
at
Rancho
Santana
urges
guests
to
go
out
and
explore,
offering
day
trips
to
the
colonial
city
of
Granada
and
the
active
Masaya
volcano,
and
boat
excursions
to
epic
waves
like
Lance’s
Left.
Tours
of
the
neighboring
communities
include
stops
at
local
restaurants
like
Amigos
Bar
(don’t
miss
the
wings)
and
Yolanda’s
(the
ceviche
is
a
must).
And
the
nearly
mile-long
stretch
of
beach
between
Playa
Santana
and
Magnific
Rock
,
a
favorite
beginner
surf
spot,
has
a
handful
of
beach
bars,
including
Popoyo
Republic,
a
low-frills
spot
recently
opened
by
the
manager
of
Rancho
Santana’s
horse
stables.
When
I
visited
this
area
in
2015,
I
stayed
at
a
chic
(and
pricey)
boutique
hotel
on
this
very
stretch
of
beach
—
it’s
since
been
reimagined
as
a
hip
surf
lodge.
Nicaragua
was
having
a
brief
“star”
moment.
International
investors
and
influencers
had
descended
on
Granada
and
surf
towns
like
San
Juan
del
Sur
and
Popoyo.
Almost
overnight,
this
sleepy
area
seemed
on
the
precipice
of
becoming
the
next
Tulum.
But
then,
in
April
2018,
president
Daniel
Ortega
announced
social
security
reforms
that
resulted
in
the
largest
protests
the
country
had
seen
since
the
end
of
its
civil
war
in
1990.
Authorities
around
the
globe
issued
travel
warnings,
crushing
the
country’s
nascent
tourism
industry.
Visitors
disappeared
and
investors
vanished,
leaving
locals
to
return
to
their
lives
as
campesinos
(farmers).
COVID-19
dealt
the
country
yet
another
setback.
Despite
the
uncertainties
over
the
years,
Rancho
Santana’s
owners
consider
Nicaragua
home
and
have
stayed
committed
to
their
employees
as
well
as
their
long-term
plan
to
develop
the
ranch
slowly
and
sustainably.
And
travelers
are
starting
to
trickle
back,
following
those
same
whispers
the
owners
heard
more
than
two
decades
ago
—
and
still
finding
a
place
that
feels
undiscovered.
Nightly rates at Rancho Santana start at $360 for guest rooms; $520 for suites and $800 for three-bedroom residences. You can book at ranchosantana.com.