I’m not a beach person, except, I am. Sort of. While I struggle to lay on the beach for hours on end, don’t swim all that much, and tend to prefer an active vacation over a relaxing one, I still find myself drawn to the ocean.

Playa Gigante, and Aqua Wellness don’t boast the white sand beaches of Asia. But they are pretty idyllic. The resort is lovely, with perched tree houses dotting the hillside and the perfect amount of luxury balanced with minimalism and coherence with its natural surroundings. Howler monkeys yell in the background and waves crash violently against the walls of our little inlet. It’s the perfect place to end our trip.
We got lucky, though our treehouse didn’t come with a plunge pool, the villa attached did. And since no one was using it, we were able to spend our evenings watching the sunset dip below the jagged cliffs while floating in the pool, drinks in hand. Not the worst way to spend an evening, I’d say. We spent our days reading, swimming, tide pooling and wandering to the nearby village. It was the perfect way to finish our time in Nicaragua. Which, certainly was brief.
I’d love to come back and see more, as our jaunt afforded us only the tiniest of a glimpse into the country. From what we’ve seen, it’s beautiful, with incredibly open and friendly people. Though problems remain, the country is a far cry from its war torn past, and more Americans are discovering, it’s perfectly safe, and not yet over developed. So, a pretty perfect holiday destination, and we feel lucky to have seen it before tourism booms, as it certainly will.
Tomorrow, we head back to San Francisco, and while I’m mildly sad to be leaving (minus less mosquitos), I’m also thrilled for the rest of the summer’s adventuress!

So, cheers to you Nicaragua, we’ve had a fabulous time.