Pajaro Azul

The lake view is excellent, and kayaking was a lot of fun. Breakfast isn't included, so you can cook for yourself or eat at the restaurant In Vista. This is the last good lodge before the rocky road, which I wouldn't recommend taking farther if your car is small and has a 2 cylinder engine.

The location at Pajaro Azul really is beautiful, which makes what happened at the end of our visit all the more disappointing. We were told checkout was at 2 PM, but that we could stay on the beach until 6 as long as our things were out of the room. When we checked out, I asked the front desk woman to call a taxi for my husband and me for 4:30. We'd arrived by mototaxi from Catarina, while our friends had driven from Leon and had no room in their car. We went to swim for a while. About an hour later, the front desk woman came down with arriving guests and watched us in the water. She seemed unhappy we were still there. The only thing she said was that our friend couldn't use a kayak without a life vest, a rule nobody had mentioned during our stay. When we asked where to get one, she said a worker would bring it, then added that we weren't her problem anymore because she had guests checking in to attend to. The worker never brought the vest, so our friend just swam with us. At 4:40 there was still no taxi. Another worker checked with the front desk and told me the driver hadn't answered, so they weren't going to call again. When I asked what we should do without transport, the woman said it wasn't her problem. She said we could walk 30 minutes to the triangle and catch a bus to Masaya, which was the opposite direction from where we were going. The last bus was leaving right then. If we missed it, that wasn't her problem either. We were stranded at the hotel, and she treated it as none of her concern. We walked next door to Apoyo Resort. They kindly called taxis for us; the first didn't pick up, so they kept trying until a third one answered. We hadn't stayed there or spent money, but they were still glad to help us reach Catarina and catch our bus back to Jinotepe. Some of our friends were returning to Pajaro Azul for the fourth time and had spoken highly of it. They said management had changed since their previous visits, and that room occupancy limits, the cost of extra drinking water, and kitchen provisions had changed too. There were 12 of us, including kids, and I know a group that size can be demanding. The woman was rude about the new rules, but I understood that rules are rules and that management was trying to enforce them. I've lived in Nicaragua for over three years and understand that customer service can be pretty much nonexistent here. I also worked in customer service for over eight years, and know employees have bad days and aren't perfect. Still, the way we were treated means I won't return. The location is lovely, but if management keeps treating customers like dirt, I can't imagine the change was for the better.

A peaceful, laid-back place for a weekend. Getting there is a bit of a headache, though.

A lovely area, almost unreal. It's a great place to stay and rest.