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The View of San Juan del Sur through Pelican Eyes

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!

Reception at the Pelican Eyes.
Reception at the Pelican Eyes.

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 entrance of the Pelican Eyes.
The entrance of the Pelican Eyes.

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.

Plenty of room to stretch out!
The enormous beds were extremely comfortable with high quality linen. We slept very soundly both nights!
A rocking chair to relax on after a day at the beach.
A rocking chair to relax on after a day at the beach.

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.

Large tiled shower and sink area.
Large tiled shower and sink area.

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.

The private balcony of the room with a view into the bay.
The private balcony of the room with a view into the bay.

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.

Every pool had a view.
Every pool had a view.
The higher pool up more suitable for laps.
The higher pool up more suitable for laps.

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!

A fountain on the way to the upper pools.
A fountain on the way to the upper pools.
Walkways through the property.
Walkways through the property.
Looking over the roof of our room and into the bay.
Looking over the roof of our room and into the bay.
Brightly colored bougainvillea.
Brightly colored bougainvillea.

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.

La Cascada and the view.
La Cascada and the view.
La Canoa under renovation.
La Canoa under renovation.

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!

David

About David

Founder and writer at World-Adventurer.com, David is on a mission to travel to every country in the world and has less than 10 countries left! He loves new adventures, unique cultures, historic landmarks, and luxurious hotels. Follow along as David shares a journey of a lifetime!