Nothing but Fun at Rancho Santana

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Read more about Nicaragua in International Living Postcards —your daily escape

Dear International Living Reader,

Nicaragua is a great place for a getaway. And Rancho Santana, overlooking the big blue Pacific, is where we chose to spend a recent weekend.

Every time we return to Nicaragua we spend at least a few days at Rancho Santana. We have friends who live here…one in particular, Tom Gordon, whom my husband likes to while away the sunset hours playing guitar with.

Imagine: a couple of guys, a couple of guitars, some great harmonies, a cold beer, and a perfect sunset over the Pacific…a few dedicated surfers taking a last ride before dark.

Nicaragua is blessed with an abundance of perfect surfing beaches, and many of them are just a short jaunt up or down the coast from here, although the clubhouse and bar at Rancho Santana overlooks one of the best.

We were not here to surf, though, but just to relax. We took leisurely morning strolls on the beach (I collected a big bag full of colorful shells) and refreshing afternoon dips in the clubhouse swimming pool. Instead of a surfboard, I found myself on a massage table one afternoon.

We were invited to dinner at the home of a friend who lives on the ridge overlooking two of Rancho Santana’s more secluded and sheltered beaches. (There are five altogether.) About 50 homes are here, but you wouldn’t know it by looking…they are hidden amongst nearly 3,000 acres of gorgeous jungle-covered ridges, cliffs, and valleys. Much of the property is a wilderness preserve that will never be developed. At night, the twinkling lights in the distance and the sound of the surf can lull you to sleep without even trying.

There aren’t many places like this left in the world. And the fact that we’re only a few hours from the U.S. makes it even more remarkable. We met a man at the bar one night who owns a home on a five-acre mountaintop estate here. He comes here every month from his other—but less relaxing, I’m sure—home in Gainesville, Florida. It’s that easy. Sometimes he brings his family, but often he comes alone just to rejuvenate. Not a bad way to recharge the batteries…

Best regards,

Suzan Haskins
Your Latin America Insider, International Living

P.S. By the way, those estate lots I mentioned? With all the infrastructure (roads, water, electricity) in place and an eye-popping ocean view thrown in for good measure…they start at $47,000. Try finding that anywhere else in the world right now. Find out more here.

Read related IL Postcards:

- The Latest Scoop on Nicaragua

- Discovering Nicaragua’s New Value Play

- Thanks to Daniel Ortega, Beach Prices Are a Steal