Rancho Santana

Review for the stable / horseback riding Janvar and the cowboys are excellent! They created the perfect horseback riding experience for our family - through the woods and to Escondido Beach (which is exceptionally beautiful). The team selects the perfect horse for each rider - with consideration of size, temperament and energy and ensures that you have the best ride and experience. We would highly recommend this to any/all with an interest in horseback riding at Rancho Santana.

My girlfriend and I spent a long weekend at Rancho Santana earlier this year and had a fantastic experience from beginning to end. Resort staff picked us up at the airport and the drive to the property was safe and pleasant. The house we rented was beautiful and impeccably clean, with incredible views of the ocean and countryside. Overall, the resort facilities and restaurant options are top-notch, with friendly, attentive staff and great food. For a few of our meals we opted to have the resort send staff up to the house to cook and we were so pleased that we did that. My girlfriend went for a horseback ride and loved it. We did a few hikes together and spent a lot of time down at the different beaches. We are not surfers but the waves looked great for that. The house was very private, and the pool/patio area was perfect for enjoying the beautiful sunsets. Our time there was so relaxing and we returned home with many great memories. Neither of us had been to Nicaragua before and I am so happy that we picked Rancho Santana for our first experience there. I think the resort offers great value and I hope we can find the time to return soon.

Although I don't know that Rancho Santana can truly be understood through words,I will attempt to share a few of the countless special parts about this place, its accommodations, its people, and its land that spoke to me. Rancho Santana is uniquely special because of a secret sauce of luxurious (yet comfortable and not overstated) accommodations, an environment that even at its peak of busy season feels like you are at a very small boutique resort, one-to-one attentive and kind service, diverse and high quality food that is healthy, tasty, and sourced locally, and a simplicity of getting there that was unexpectedly smooth. Additionally the simplicity of access/transportation; and the safety of this part of Nicaragua and my travels to Nicaragua in general also are important to note. Candidly, my first trip to Nicaragua was in 2016 and I stayed at one of the only other luxury resorts at the recommendation of a friend who had stayed at both Rancho Santana and Mukul. He thought my partner would prefer Mukul and the accommodations. That trip was very memorable and I enjoyed my time at Mukul but the next time I went back to Nicaragua in 2022 I decided to go to Rancho Santana instead and have chosen it as my spot each of my trips since with trips every year since 2022. I have been pleasantly surprised about how fast the flight is from Miami, and how easy the customs process is. The road that takes you to the Pacific Coast and towards Rancho Santana and Mukul has gotten so much better since my trip in 2016, now about 90% of the road is paved which has cut the drive time in half, or less. Once I arrive at Rancho and enter their gates its like entering a Nicaraguan Narnia, where things just feel a little different. Narnia is a magic wonderland and thats kind of how Rancho feels to me. It feels very secluded, the views of the ocean are stunning, the hiking trails are endless, and each meal brings flavors that are almost as endless as the colors in the days sunset. I have stayed at The Inn (hotel style rooms), The Residences (3 Bedroom condos), and rented one of the private homes. Each are special accommodations and really just depend on the needs of who is traveling. When it was just me and my partner for a long weekend we stayed at The Inn and the rooms are very large, have a nice large balcony with views of the ocean and sunset, and have super comfy beds. When bringing some other family members it was nice to stay in one of the 3 bedroom residences that is right off the pool and also has great ocean views and comfy beds. That stay was longer, and it was nice to have the kitchen for when we wanted to eat in the condo....and even was nice to have them cook a private meal for us in the condo. On this trip in early 2024 we did a couples trip with four couples and we rented a 5 BR house that was simply stunning. The privacy of the home, and private pool, and theatre room, and large indoor and outdoor spaces made for lifelong memories wi

Rancho Santana is as close to paradise as this world can get. I was completely astonished by the beauty of this place. With some fiends, we rented one of their villas, and spent a long weekend here. simply put it was a weekend of sheer bliss. the vistas were stunning, the weather spectacular, and the people incredibly accommodating and kind. Rancho Santana is now on my yearly vacation rotation, and a spot I truly look forward to re-visiting. I don't know how more people do not know about this spot, as it is utterly stunning. and for those who have not been to Nicaragua, know that arrival and transport is extremely safe.

The grounds and facilities are beautiful, so I had high expectations. However, service was extremely disappointing. After 2 difficult days of travel to arrive, I was not able to check in to my room until late that evening, forcing me to spend hundreds of dollars for use of the spa so that I could shower. The bathroom sink in the villa dislocated from the counter during my stay, with no excessive pressure. The number of towels was not sufficient. Requests to housekeeping for the packages of coffee that had been promised went unheeded.

We had a reservation at the Rosada restaurant and we were treated very poorly at the front gate. Even after making all the arrangements with the concierge "Elvis" and sending copies of our passport prior to getting there. They didn't want to let us in. After about 10 minutes of just sitting there trying to explain we had a reservation, we just turned around and give our business to another restaurant .