Hotel Casa de Pacifico Masachapa Playa

Once we stepped through the walled gate at Hotel Casa de Pacifico, we found a lovely tropical garden, colorful bungalows, a comfortable patio and inviting pool, with palm trees framing the Pacific beyond. From the road, the hotel hadn’t looked like anything special. Our friendly hosts and their two well-behaved dogs made us feel at home right away. They brought us refreshing cervezas, showed us to a clean, comfortable room, explained activities they could arrange and shared local restaurant tips before leaving us to relax. The room was just steps from the clean pool, and the beach was just beyond that. The constant sound of the ocean was calming. We arrived during New Year’s week, when Nicas traditionally take a holiday and head to the beach. As a gringo, I enjoyed sharing the waves with local people instead of a crowd of other gringo tourists. We took long beach walks and watched incredible sunsets. For New Year's Eve, our generous host arranged a shuttle for guests who wanted to go to one of the village’s big parties, either a disco with live bands or a more traditional celebration. We stayed at Hotel Casa de Pacifico instead. After a beautifully presented fresh lobster dinner, cooked beautifully and served with an ice-cold bottle of white wine, we went to the beach with our hosts and their dogs to watch the fireworks. The display stretched as far as we could see, with masses of stars overhead. One of our best vacations.