Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There are no dedicated restaurants on San Fernando. If your accommodation does not of-
fer meals, you'll need to order in advance at one of the other hotels.
Albergue Celentiname
( 8893-1977, in Costa Rica 506-8500-2119;
hotelcelentiname.blogspot.com
; r per person incl 3
meals US$35)
Tucked into a flowering garden that feels like something out of a tropical
utopia is this secluded guesthouse, a gorgeous 10-minute walk from the main dock on the
extreme northern end of the west -coast trail. Basic but neat wooden
cabañas
(cabins)
come with two beds and a terrace with lake and garden views. Some rooms are better than
others, so ask to look around - the larger
cabaña
familiar is the one you want.
GUESTHOUSE
$$
Hospedaje Mire Estrellas
( 8561-4943; r per person with/without bathroom US$12/10)
With tidy wooden rooms right by
the water's edge, this simple
hospedaje
is a fine budget choice. The laid-back owner of-
fers cheap tours around the islands in his small boat.
GUESTHOUSE
$$
Hostal Vanessa
( 8680-8423; jose.sequeirapineda@gmail.com; Muelle, 10m O; r per person with/without bathroom
US$15/10)
The wooden rooms with shared bathrooms by the path are a little cramped and
noisy but the spacious new rooms with private bathrooms up on the hill offer fantastic
views and are a great deal.
GUESTHOUSE
$$
Hotel Cabañas Paraíso
( 8894-7331;
hcp.nicaragua-info.com
; s/d/tr US$30/45/60, r per person incl meals US$45)
These
modern, concrete rooms have wooden shutters and new shower tiles but are a little basic
considering the price. And while the dining area is lovely with 180-degree lake views, the
food does not measure up to the magnificent setting.
HOTEL
$$
Isla Mancarroncito
Across a narrow strait from Mancarrón's western shore is this small, rocky jewel thick
with the last stands of primary forest in the archipelago.
Loma San Antonio
, a 15m
boulder, protrudes from a hill on the eastern shore. Local legend has it that
brujas
(witches - not the good kind) once lived in the caves at the top of the cliff, which may ex-
plain why the island is still so wild. You can come for the day and explore the trails, or
you can stay the night at the
Estación Biológica
, a biological research station that offers ba-
