Nicaragua Awaits You
What to Expect at Pelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
Expect a lot of steps! Piedras y Olas, also known as Pelican Eyes after the sailboat this hotel owns, is a hotel overlooking San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean.
Contemporary haciendas of white adobe and red clay roofs dot a hillside and are connected by an intricate web of brick steps. Exquisite tropical landscaping includes palms that sway in the breeze and lavender, purple, and white bougainvillea.
San Juan’s harbor is visible from nearly every part of the hotel as are views of dramatic sunsets that are often the main attraction of the day.
The clientele is mainly North American with wealthy Nicaraguans apt to visit on weekends, Christmas, and Easter.
Of the three swimming pools at Pelican Eyes, two are infinity pools that offer the sensation of swimming into sky. Not recommended for the fear-of-heights crowd, but quite an experience. The pool areas are moderate but adequate in size as are the pools. One is a lap pool; another, a social magnet.
Pelican Eyes has wireless Internet access, but expect some blind spots. Internet access in Nicaragua is generally good.
The almost entirely Nicaraguan staff is notably welcoming, and the resort is gay-friendly. The hotel's open-air reception area is frequented by well-cared-for resident cats and dogs. The hotel profits go to fund educations for local kids as well as a veterinary clinic on the premises that takes in injured and abused animals, including monkeys.
Warm morning breezes dissolve into midday heat. Between noon and 3:30, it is very hot. By margarita time, the air cools down.
Check Rates Now
Guest Rooms atPelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
Pelican Eyes guests have a choice of casa, casita, or habiticiones accommodations.
Casas are houses with two bedrooms, two baths, and a full kitchen and terrace. Casitas are the same, with a single bedroom and bath. Habiticiones are single bedrooms and baths with no kitchen.
All rooms offer terraces or decks or balconies. Most have a king-size bed, but some have two queens. Décor is hacienda style with tile counters, white stucco walls, natural wood beams, and cedar furniture.
Wood ceiling fans with high ceilings, air conditioners in every room, and plenty of windows keep lodgings spacious and airy. Lush plants are everywhere, indoors and out.
Though you can comfortably brush your teeth with water from the tap, all rooms are equipped with tanks of purified drinking water. Hot water (rare for Nicaragua, which is all but the poorest economy in the western hemisphere) is readily available at Pelican Eyes.
The large tiled shower area will accommodate two under its daisy showerhead. Satellite TV, DVD, and stereo are in the rooms. Mobile phones and laptops are available from the desk.
Check Rates Now
Dining at Pelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
Pelican Eyes' two-tiered poolside La Cascada Restaurant and its gracefully curved tile bar are as welcoming as the friendly Nica staff.
The hotel boasts good quality food and Pelican Eyes' US-trained chef knows what to do with it. The menu (written in Spanish and English) caters to a North American palate and features steak, rack of lamb, chicken, salads, and fish.
Tuna was cooked to absolute medium rare perfection.
Steaks are juicy and large. Appetizers include a dreamy hot artichoke/shrimp dip and a mediocre ceviche. Thick tortilla chips that look loaded with grease are a heavy local variety not compatible with the rest of the menu. They are not greasy to the touch, but they are unappetizing.
Nicaragua does not have a dessert tradition, but La Cascada will satisfy your sweet tooth. A full dessert menu includes chocolate cake, cheesecake, apple crisp, and even cranberry sorbet.
The wine list leans to Chilean wines, though French and Spanish are available. Water and ice throughout Pelican Eyes is purified and safe. The outdoor restaurant is bug-free but not exactly animal free. Expect one or two of the house dogs or cats to drop in. They are rescued animals brought to the non-profit veterinary facility on the property.
Prices are reasonable and include a 10% tip, but not the startling 15% tax.
Weddings at Pelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
If getting married in the Third World sounds exciting, you can buy out the whole place for your destination wedding party (120 people maximum). Do book in advance.
The bride and groom may take their vows before a flaming sunset that seems to drift on for a long time. A priest from town is on call to officiate.
The wedding package includes the rehearsal dinner at a nearby restaurant, a group outing, and a wedding ceremony and reception with flowers floating in the pool and lots of romantic lights.
Pelican Eyes is accommodating and will work with couples on special menus and needs.
The choice of outings includes a day sail on the hotel’s namesake sloop; a motorboat “panga” ride to a secluded beach; and a canopy tour of breathtaking views from a zip line high above the trees.
Check Rates Now
Honeymoon Package at Pelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
Planning to visit Nicaragua on your honeymoon? With its many active and inactive volcanoes, large lakes, ocean, warm climate, and warm people, Nicaragua has much to offer honeymoon couples.
The three-night honeymoon package at Pelican Eyes provides ocean-view casita lodging, airport pick-up, a bottle of chilled champagne upon arrival, a candle-lit dinner on your private terrace, and a full gourmet breakfast.
The private setting and the luxurious sunsets over the Pacific in the distance are romantic enough, but added to this package is a one-hour massage for both bride and groom and a one-day sail on the hotel's own 42’ sloop, Pelican Eyes.
The sailboat ride can be replaced with one of several different tours, if sailing is not preferred.
Options include the zip-line canopy tour. Strapped into a harness, you “zip” from platform to platform and see breathtaking views of the lush valley and large lakes of the area.
Another option is a day at Majagual Beach, a bumpy twenty minutes by car from the hotel. Majagual is a stunning and quiet beach not popular amongst the surfers who surf Maderas Beach in the adjacent cove. This excursion includes a picnic lunch and bottle of wine, most likely Chilean.
Check Rates Now
What’s Nearby Pelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
Guests of the hotel can sign up for excursions at the front desk. There are distant secluded beaches to explore, the zip line canopy tour, a nighttime tour of big turtles laying their eggs in the sand, and a day cruise on the 42’ Pelican Eyes sailboat.
San Juan is known for surfing and you can learn how to balance on a board here.
At the bottom of the steps that lead up to Pelican Eyes, there is the unforgettable town of San Juan del Sur.
This casual beach community is a treasure. Colorful houses are lived in by Spanish descendants who pour out onto the streets at the end of the day.
Check out the small market and don’t hesitate to order a “licuado” sometimes called a “batido," a local fresh fruit shake.
Stop in at El Gato Negro — a bookstore/café reminiscent of what you might expect in a New England town. The U.S.-born owner will regale you with political musings. Her co-owner husband is quietly thinking of his commodity trades while he brews shade-grown coffee behind the bar.
The beach in town is a working harbor. Swim off to the North for a more secluded swim or hang with “la gente’ (the people) in front of the many thatched-roof bars along the sand. Settle down in one to catch the long sunset.
Back at the hotel, have a massage with Luna Belle, an Italian masseuse by way of LA. You can get one of her excellent massages for a quarter of the price she charged there.
What Could Be Improved at Pelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
Some signage along the steps of Pelican Eyes giving directions, and some to identify the many plantings and birds, would be helpful.
A tribute to nature would underscore the management’s commitment to the area.
The hotel parking area doubles as delivery entrance. It is an odd eyesore compared to the well-thought-out design of the rest of the property.
Pelican Eyes also could promote its use of local fruits and vegetables.
Its suppliers are almost all organic, I was told, certainly worth mentioning on their menu.
Latin music at the bar, bottled water in the fridge, a Jacuzzi, and some better tasting smoothies would enhance Pelican Eyes. And the chef would do well to reconsider the tortilla chips at the bar. They won’t kill you, but with one look at them, you will think they might.
Nicaragua is safe as far as Latin American countries go, and the Nicaraguans are friendly and warm. Pelican Eyes is not a pamper parlor, though massage and pamperings are available; you just have to ask.
This property is for those who are eager to see the Third World from a comfortable perch with hot running water and insect screens. It is a western haven only a membrane away from the differences and challenges of Third World life.
Pelican Eyes will hold your hand through all your forays outside of the complex and make your visit to Nicaragua a rich cultural experience.
Pelican Eyes is referred to as “a hiking property” because you have to go up or down its stairs to get anywhere. The steps are even and not steep. Pelican Eyes is probably not a good idea for the weak-hearted. But if you consider the steps as a replacement for the gym that is not yet built, you can get a work-out that way.
Stay here if you want your privacy, but enjoy talking to others as well. The staff is friendly and eager to please, and apt to befriend you over your stay.
And the fact that profits from your visit fund the A. Jean Brugger Foundation that helps local children get schooling, might satisfy the socially conscious traveler.
Check Rates Now
Hotel Pelican Eyes... Piedras y Olas
De la Parroquia 1 1/2 cuadras al este
San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua
Toll-free Reservations in the U.S.: 866-350-0555
Hotel Web Site
Check Rates Now
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation and meals for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
Expect a lot of steps! Piedras y Olas, also known as Pelican Eyes after the sailboat this hotel owns, is a hotel overlooking San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean.
Contemporary haciendas of white adobe and red clay roofs dot a hillside and are connected by an intricate web of brick steps. Exquisite tropical landscaping includes palms that sway in the breeze and lavender, purple, and white bougainvillea.
San Juan’s harbor is visible from nearly every part of the hotel as are views of dramatic sunsets that are often the main attraction of the day.
The clientele is mainly North American with wealthy Nicaraguans apt to visit on weekends, Christmas, and Easter.
Of the three swimming pools at Pelican Eyes, two are infinity pools that offer the sensation of swimming into sky. Not recommended for the fear-of-heights crowd, but quite an experience. The pool areas are moderate but adequate in size as are the pools. One is a lap pool; another, a social magnet.
Pelican Eyes has wireless Internet access, but expect some blind spots. Internet access in Nicaragua is generally good.
The almost entirely Nicaraguan staff is notably welcoming, and the resort is gay-friendly. The hotel's open-air reception area is frequented by well-cared-for resident cats and dogs. The hotel profits go to fund educations for local kids as well as a veterinary clinic on the premises that takes in injured and abused animals, including monkeys.
Warm morning breezes dissolve into midday heat. Between noon and 3:30, it is very hot. By margarita time, the air cools down.
Check Rates Now
Guest Rooms atPelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
Pelican Eyes guests have a choice of casa, casita, or habiticiones accommodations.
Casas are houses with two bedrooms, two baths, and a full kitchen and terrace. Casitas are the same, with a single bedroom and bath. Habiticiones are single bedrooms and baths with no kitchen.
All rooms offer terraces or decks or balconies. Most have a king-size bed, but some have two queens. Décor is hacienda style with tile counters, white stucco walls, natural wood beams, and cedar furniture.
Wood ceiling fans with high ceilings, air conditioners in every room, and plenty of windows keep lodgings spacious and airy. Lush plants are everywhere, indoors and out.
Though you can comfortably brush your teeth with water from the tap, all rooms are equipped with tanks of purified drinking water. Hot water (rare for Nicaragua, which is all but the poorest economy in the western hemisphere) is readily available at Pelican Eyes.
The large tiled shower area will accommodate two under its daisy showerhead. Satellite TV, DVD, and stereo are in the rooms. Mobile phones and laptops are available from the desk.
Check Rates Now
Dining at Pelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
Pelican Eyes' two-tiered poolside La Cascada Restaurant and its gracefully curved tile bar are as welcoming as the friendly Nica staff.
The hotel boasts good quality food and Pelican Eyes' US-trained chef knows what to do with it. The menu (written in Spanish and English) caters to a North American palate and features steak, rack of lamb, chicken, salads, and fish.
Tuna was cooked to absolute medium rare perfection.
Steaks are juicy and large. Appetizers include a dreamy hot artichoke/shrimp dip and a mediocre ceviche. Thick tortilla chips that look loaded with grease are a heavy local variety not compatible with the rest of the menu. They are not greasy to the touch, but they are unappetizing.
Nicaragua does not have a dessert tradition, but La Cascada will satisfy your sweet tooth. A full dessert menu includes chocolate cake, cheesecake, apple crisp, and even cranberry sorbet.
The wine list leans to Chilean wines, though French and Spanish are available. Water and ice throughout Pelican Eyes is purified and safe. The outdoor restaurant is bug-free but not exactly animal free. Expect one or two of the house dogs or cats to drop in. They are rescued animals brought to the non-profit veterinary facility on the property.
Prices are reasonable and include a 10% tip, but not the startling 15% tax.
Weddings at Pelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
If getting married in the Third World sounds exciting, you can buy out the whole place for your destination wedding party (120 people maximum). Do book in advance.
The bride and groom may take their vows before a flaming sunset that seems to drift on for a long time. A priest from town is on call to officiate.
The wedding package includes the rehearsal dinner at a nearby restaurant, a group outing, and a wedding ceremony and reception with flowers floating in the pool and lots of romantic lights.
Pelican Eyes is accommodating and will work with couples on special menus and needs.
The choice of outings includes a day sail on the hotel’s namesake sloop; a motorboat “panga” ride to a secluded beach; and a canopy tour of breathtaking views from a zip line high above the trees.
Check Rates Now
Honeymoon Package at Pelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
Planning to visit Nicaragua on your honeymoon? With its many active and inactive volcanoes, large lakes, ocean, warm climate, and warm people, Nicaragua has much to offer honeymoon couples.
The three-night honeymoon package at Pelican Eyes provides ocean-view casita lodging, airport pick-up, a bottle of chilled champagne upon arrival, a candle-lit dinner on your private terrace, and a full gourmet breakfast.
The private setting and the luxurious sunsets over the Pacific in the distance are romantic enough, but added to this package is a one-hour massage for both bride and groom and a one-day sail on the hotel's own 42’ sloop, Pelican Eyes.
The sailboat ride can be replaced with one of several different tours, if sailing is not preferred.
Options include the zip-line canopy tour. Strapped into a harness, you “zip” from platform to platform and see breathtaking views of the lush valley and large lakes of the area.
Another option is a day at Majagual Beach, a bumpy twenty minutes by car from the hotel. Majagual is a stunning and quiet beach not popular amongst the surfers who surf Maderas Beach in the adjacent cove. This excursion includes a picnic lunch and bottle of wine, most likely Chilean.
Check Rates Now
What’s Nearby Pelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
Guests of the hotel can sign up for excursions at the front desk. There are distant secluded beaches to explore, the zip line canopy tour, a nighttime tour of big turtles laying their eggs in the sand, and a day cruise on the 42’ Pelican Eyes sailboat.
San Juan is known for surfing and you can learn how to balance on a board here.
At the bottom of the steps that lead up to Pelican Eyes, there is the unforgettable town of San Juan del Sur.
This casual beach community is a treasure. Colorful houses are lived in by Spanish descendants who pour out onto the streets at the end of the day.
Check out the small market and don’t hesitate to order a “licuado” sometimes called a “batido," a local fresh fruit shake.
Stop in at El Gato Negro — a bookstore/café reminiscent of what you might expect in a New England town. The U.S.-born owner will regale you with political musings. Her co-owner husband is quietly thinking of his commodity trades while he brews shade-grown coffee behind the bar.
The beach in town is a working harbor. Swim off to the North for a more secluded swim or hang with “la gente’ (the people) in front of the many thatched-roof bars along the sand. Settle down in one to catch the long sunset.
Back at the hotel, have a massage with Luna Belle, an Italian masseuse by way of LA. You can get one of her excellent massages for a quarter of the price she charged there.
What Could Be Improved at Pelican Eyes Hotel & Resort
Some signage along the steps of Pelican Eyes giving directions, and some to identify the many plantings and birds, would be helpful.
A tribute to nature would underscore the management’s commitment to the area.
The hotel parking area doubles as delivery entrance. It is an odd eyesore compared to the well-thought-out design of the rest of the property.
Pelican Eyes also could promote its use of local fruits and vegetables.
Its suppliers are almost all organic, I was told, certainly worth mentioning on their menu.
Latin music at the bar, bottled water in the fridge, a Jacuzzi, and some better tasting smoothies would enhance Pelican Eyes. And the chef would do well to reconsider the tortilla chips at the bar. They won’t kill you, but with one look at them, you will think they might.
Nicaragua is safe as far as Latin American countries go, and the Nicaraguans are friendly and warm. Pelican Eyes is not a pamper parlor, though massage and pamperings are available; you just have to ask.
This property is for those who are eager to see the Third World from a comfortable perch with hot running water and insect screens. It is a western haven only a membrane away from the differences and challenges of Third World life.
Pelican Eyes will hold your hand through all your forays outside of the complex and make your visit to Nicaragua a rich cultural experience.
Pelican Eyes is referred to as “a hiking property” because you have to go up or down its stairs to get anywhere. The steps are even and not steep. Pelican Eyes is probably not a good idea for the weak-hearted. But if you consider the steps as a replacement for the gym that is not yet built, you can get a work-out that way.
Stay here if you want your privacy, but enjoy talking to others as well. The staff is friendly and eager to please, and apt to befriend you over your stay.
And the fact that profits from your visit fund the A. Jean Brugger Foundation that helps local children get schooling, might satisfy the socially conscious traveler.
Check Rates Now
Hotel Pelican Eyes... Piedras y Olas
De la Parroquia 1 1/2 cuadras al este
San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua
Toll-free Reservations in the U.S.: 866-350-0555
Hotel Web Site
Check Rates Now
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation and meals for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.