One of my favorite things to do is to arrive to a magical place under the dark of night, not quite sure where you are going but most especially what you will see in the morning when you open your eyes! (I arrived years ago into the Maldives at 2 am after 24 hours of traveling and that was also a magnificent wake up call!).

So this time, closer to home, Delta flights arrive into Managua after dark and a driver from Mukul was ready to take us on the 3.5 hour drive to Southern Nicaragua just before the Costa Rican border to a wonderful place called Guacalito de la Isla.

Mukul is the new resort developed by the billionaire Pellas family which is literally transforming the luxury offerings and tourism in the country. Nicaragua is a bit like Costa Rica was 30 years ago – still raw, authentic, natural, lush and beautiful.

My blog readers (and anyone that knows me even a little bit) know that I don’t bother going anywhere that the food won’t be delicious and Mukul has an incredible cuisine that they like to call NiKul cooking – I say it is a modern take on Nicaraguan basic cooking. They keep all that is wonderful about the Nicaraguan produce – fresh, healthy, organic and local – lobster, crab, fish, yucca, platanos, coconut, cilantro, fruits of all variety and sweet as can be! All served with what else? Flor de Cana!

Take a look at some of the images to get a feel for Mukul and let me know when I can help you plan your escape at this very special retreat.

My recent visit to Nicaragua was to celebrate my husband’s 50th birthday and Mukul was an easy choice:

Great proximity for many family members to reach via non-stop flight and the laid back, comfortable, hospitable yet luxurious nature of the property.

Mukul is quaint and private yet offers so much.  I can’t decide which day was more fun:

• Watching the world cup finals at the beach club
• Lounging and walking on the expansive private beach
• Playing the 18 hole Kidd ocean course
• Trying out each of the truly incredible spa suites (from rainforest, to hammam, to ayurvedic)
• Hiking up some massive Central American mountains
• Fishing on the “Big Sugar”
• Sipping the many vintages of incredibly smooth Flor De Cana Rum (also produced by the Pellas family!)

 A Morning Hiking with our Naturalist

Playing the 18 hole Kidd ocean course

The Beach club was the place to hang out and enjoy the world cup soccer at the outdoor beach bar.

Surfing, lounging and walking on the expansive private beach

Each night was a fantastic rum tasting of multiple vintages of Flor de Cana

The best day may have been out on the 55 foot ‘Big Sugar’ – we caught 29 massive fish that afternoon, a few of which the chef cooked up for dinner.

Guests of Resort to Laura Madrid always receive the following amenities with compliments:

• Daily full breakfast, for up to two in room guests
• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• For stays in a Bohio:
  • One US $100 resort credit to be utilized during stay
• For stays in a Villa:
  • One US $200 resort credit to be utilized during stay

Let us know when you are ready to discover Nicaragua!