Inside Nicaragua's Sexy New Rural Retreat

Not that you needed another excuse to book a Central American getaway, but here's one anyway: this 17-room palace in Nicaragua, where you'll be more than happy to burn through your vacation days. 

We got a sneak peek at the Inn at Rancho Santana, a small, soon-to-open, rural resort on the coast, two hours from Managua. It's the peaceful, tropical antidote to winter everyone deserves. And it's well worth a look.

The crown jewel to a 2,700 acre luxury home development on the country's Pacific coast, the two-story villa-style spread sits right next to the water, with incredible panoramic views of the sea and lush mountain terrain.

The 17 guest rooms and suites, which range from 350 to 850 square feet apiece, are well appointed with custom woodwork and cushy furnishings. (Not that you'll be inclined to hole up in here with the gorgeous surroundings beckoning you to explore.)

The inn itself is closest to Playa Santana, one of the property's five stunning beaches. The two miles of coastline, paired with the isthmus breeze and warm climate, are said to create some of the most ideal surfing conditions in the Northern hemisphere. You'll probably want to thoroughly investigate such claims for yourself, though.

Once you've exhausted yourself out on the water, it's on to more adventure via mountain bike, on horseback, or through a guided ecology tour. 

Or rather, catch a breather by the sprawling pool, kick back in the open air courtyard and lounge, or scope out the indoor art gallery.

Once you're ready to feast, the inn's own restaurant, La Finca y El Mar, has you covered with a selection of seasonal cuisine, sourced almost entirely from the property's sustainable farm and livestock programs.

You'll want to prepare yourself for some totally-mediocre sunsets and stargazing, too.

The ranch doesn't open to the public for a few more months so you have some time to mull things over. But, uh, what's there to think about?


Joe McGauley is a senior editor at Supercompressor and would gladly relocate to the equator for the months of January, February, and March.