Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hacienda Mérida
OFFLINE MAP
HOTEL
$
( 8868-8973;
www.hmerida.com
; campsites or hammocks per person US$3, dm US$7, r down-
stairs/upstairs US$23/32; )
On the south side of Mérida, this is by far the lushest budget
option around (with some very nice midrange rooms thrown in), offering every activity
you could possibly want - volcano hikes, kayaking, excellent mountain bikes, sailing,
swimming etc. Dorms and 'standard' rooms are a good deal, but the superstars here are
upstairs, with awesome lake views from a shared balcony featuring king-sized hammocks.
Albergue Ecológico El Porvenir
OFFLINE MAP
LODGE
$
( 2569-4420;
www.hotelkabanas.com/bienvenidosp
orvenir.html; r per person US$8; )
A kilo-
meter past where the road splits is the entrance to this sunny hilltop lodge and restaurant
that has it all - great volcano views and petroglyphs amid attractive gardens, a restaurant
serving good-value meals, plus excellent, spacious rooms with funky, river
stone-embedded bathrooms. Check here for nearby trails.
Caballito's Mar
OFFLINE MAP
( 8842-6120;
www.caballitosmar.com
; dm US$5)
About 1km before Mérida, look for a sign
to a simple little Spanish-Nica-run place right on the beach, with great lake views from
the waterfront bar-restaurant. Dorms are simple brick constructions with corrugated-iron
roofs, but the beds are good and the vibe is mellow. This is the best place to start kayak
tours of the Río Istiam (US$15 per person) or DIY trips to nearby Isla del Congo.
HOSTEL
$
Getting There & Away
Buses leave Mérida for Altagracia (US$1, 1½ hours) at 4am, 8:45am, 10:30am, 2pm, 3pm
and 5pm, and San Ramón for Altagracia (US$1.50, 2½ hours) at 1pm and 2pm.
If you have got the cash, and a bit of a group together, by far the most romantic option
for traveling to or from the island is on the 8m sailboat belonging to Hacienda Mérida.
You'll need a minimum of four (and a maximum of six) people for the following prices:
San Jorge (US$25 per person, one hour), San Carlos (US$80 per person, nine to 11 hours)
and Granada (US$60 per person, eight to nine hours).
