Ventana a las Olas

Reminiscing on villa I stayed at while in Nicaragua. Miss the view, sunsets, and food! (and the warm water)

The Seventh Day of Sunsets

Sunset - Day 7. A fitting end to the Nicaraguan holiday. A calming palette of color as the sun dipped below the horizon. 

Sun Flare

Sunset - Day 6. The most spectacular sunset of the trip! 

Million Dollar View

Sunset - Day 5. Photo taken just before the sun dipped below the horizon. Missing this view at Ventana a las Olas! 

Sunset, Dusk, and Night

Sunset - Day 4. These 3 photos were taken within 30 minutes of each other. It's amazing how quickly the scenery can change... and how quickly the sun goes to sleep during the winter months.

A Dragon's Flame

Sunset - Day 3. Not the most spectacular sunset of the trip, but still incredibly beautiful. It almost looked like a dragon was floating through the sky...

Sunset - Day 2

Not the most spectacular sunset of the trip... but I loved the blue shades in the sky (and in our "plunge pool").

Enter the Darkness

After a long day of travel (bus ride, 2 airports, and a long/bumpy drive), this was my reward. We arrived at the Ventana a las Olas villa (in Nicaragua) just as the sun had dipped below the horizon. I quickly took this shot before the darkness took over. 

Nicaragua - Surf, Sun, Naps, and Food

These 4 photos pretty much sum up my trip to Nicaragua (just missing a food picture)... fun surf, incredible sunsets, relaxing vibes, and beautiful scenery.

I had not been to Nicaragua for about 8 years and A LOT has changed. The infrastructure has improved dramatically (better roads, more consistent power, etc), the government has stabilized (no protests this time), and the country has spent quite a bit to encourage tourism. The last time I visited, I stayed at Playa Montelimar (close to the capital of Managua)... and I did not see another surfer my entire trip. This time I went further south and stayed at Rancho Santana. It was a bumpy 3+ hour drive from the airport, but it was worth it! My adventurous parents flew down flew down with me and we stayed at an amazing villa called "Ventana a las Olas" (courtesy of Waterways). The villa was perched on top of a hill overlooking Playa Santana. We saw some of the most incredible sunsets from the patio and enjoyed delicious, freshly cooked meals every night (lobster, fresh fish, pork, steak, and even a Thanksgiving dinner!!!!).

The great thing about this part of the country is that the wind blows offshore for 300+ days of the year!.. and there were about 15 different surf spots within a 15 mile radius (I surfed about 6 of them). There is everything from hollow beach breaks, to rivermouths, to cobblestone reefs, to scary outer reef breaks. Something for everyone!