Casa Ariki Upstairs Hallway

Casa Ariki: San Juan del Sur Beach House!

In Nicaragua by Erik @ DIY Travel HQ17 Comments

Casa Ariki is a great place to call home when in San Juan del Sur. It feels like your own beach house only a few blocks from the ocean. Find out what is on offer inside & around.

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Casa Ariki Location

Casa Ariki is located in San Juan del Sur, one of the most popular places to visit in Nicaragua.

The beach house is located three blocks from the ocean & right next to Parque Central.

For us here at DIY Travel HQ this was the perfect base from which to explore as transportation is also just a few blocks away on the same road.

Bars are located one block away, which allows you easy access but a quiet night when you are ready to relax & sleep.

The cheapest lunch special is also a couple houses down, which has a set meal for 50 Cordoba!

Casa Ariki Street View

Casa Ariki is a short distance from the beach, bars, restaurants, park, & transportation!

Casa Ariki Meaning

Ariki is a Polynesian term that designates a tribal leader.

An Ariki house is where regional tribal leaders congregate to discuss important matters.

Perhaps your next stay will entail getting the leaders of your family together for some much needed rest & relaxation!

Casa Ariki San Juan del Sur Beach House

Casa Ariki is a stepping stone for the owners to one day make it to Polynesia for real.

Casa Ariki Rooms

One of the reasons families & large groups choose to patron Casa Ariki is the range of room configurations.

All five rooms come with air conditioning, fan, & cable TV. Shared bathrooms cost $40 & only $5 more gets you a private bathroom.

There is an additional charge of $10/person after double occupancy. Here are the different room configurations that you can choose from:

  • One Queen Bed & Two Bunk beds with Private Bathroom
  • One King Bed with Shared Bathroom
  • One Queen Bed & One Single Bed with Shared Bathroom
  • One Queen Bed & One Bunk bed with Shared Bathroom
  • One Queen Bed with Private Bathroom
Casa Ariki King Room

We could have probably fit another two people in the massive king size bed!

The shared bathroom is clean & located on the 2nd level near the corresponding rooms.

There are tiles from the floor all the way to the ceiling with a hand towel & floor mat to keep things tidy.

Casa Ariki Shared Bathroom

The little touches make a huge difference for Casa Ariki’s shared bathroom.

Casa Ariki Common Areas

What’s a beach house without spacious common areas?

They include a kitchen, dining room, living room, & 2nd story balcony at Casa Ariki.

Casa Ariki Book Exchange & Surfboards

Make yourself at home when staying at Casa Ariki.

Kitchen

Casa Ariki has a great kitchen if you don’t want to eat out every meal, or just use the fridge for drinks.

You can stock up on items at Pali (1 km just outside town), or at some of the local tiendas for more convenience.

There is everything you need in the kitchen for cooking at Casa Ariki, including free drinking water & coffee. It really is like having your own beach house!

Casa Ariki Kitchen

The kitchen at Casa Ariki is a nice bonus whether you are just grabbing a free coffee in the morning, or making a feast for dinner!

Dining Room

Whether you are traveling in a large group, or by yourself, there is ample space to sit at the traditional dining room table.

Make yourself comfortable & enjoy your coffee that comes from the owner’s small farm in Jinotega, & is available for purchase at $10/lb if you fancy the flavor.

During our stay, we also saw one Nicaraguan family enjoying a feast that they cooked up.

Casa Ariki Dining Room

Take a seat and replenish your H2O with the free drinking water available at Casa Ariki.

Living Room

Another great place to unwind and sip on a coffee or read a book are the seats located in the living room.

Their arrangement is conducive to sparking conversation with friends, family, or other guests.

There is also a book exchange underneath the stairs in case you finish your book while on the beach.

Casa Ariki Living Room

Grab a book to unwind, or a drink before starting up a conversation.

Balcony

At night time, there is no better place than the 2nd story balcony to enjoy a gentle breeze, sip on a glass of wine, & gaze at the stars.

You can also see if anything is going on at Parque Central before visiting.

Casa Ariki 2nd Story Balcony

Soak up the sea air on the 2nd story balcony as you overlook the town or stargaze.

What to See & Do in San Juan del Sur

San Juan del Sur is the best & most popular beach destination in Nicaragua within easy striking distance from Granada.

The area is known for surfing, which can be found on nearby beaches.

What we loved as non-surfers was the calm water at both Playa San Juan del Sur & El Coco.

In both cases, the beach gradient was very gradual & the waves gently lapped on the shoreline.

San Juan del Sur Beach

San Juan del Sur beach is perfect for families. It is wide, long, & has gentle waves.

All the beaches are best visited at low tide when they rapidly grow in width, but there are still patches of fine sand at all times.

Another attractive component to the beaches are the cliffs that tend to line both sides.

Playa El Coco Nicaragua

Most of the beaches around San Juan del Sur are marked by cliffs at their ends such as Playa El Coco.

It is possible to walk up to the Christ of the Mercy statue from town within Β½-1 hour depending on your pace, which affords great views of the bay.

Alternatively, you can arrange a tour.

Admission is $2, but there is also the old lookout just below for free with similar views.

Christ of the Mercy Lookout San Juan del Sur

Christ of the Mercy beckons everyone visiting San Juan del Sur to hike to the lookout.

In a Nutshell

  • Location: 2.5 blocks south of the Municipal Market in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
  • Prices: Shared Bathroom – $40, Private Bathroom – $45, $10 per person after double occupancy
  • Amenities: Free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, TV, drinking water, coffee, & book exchange
  • Contact Information:

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Casa Ariki is a great place to call home when in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. It feels like your own beach house only a few blocks from the ocean. Find out what is on offer inside & around. Rooms start at $40 & include Wi-Fi, air conditioning, cable TV, drinking water, coffee, & fully functional kitchen!

***The Final Word – Casa Ariki has a great atmosphere that differentiates it from competitors in San Juan del Sur.***

What experiences have you had at beach houses before?

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* Thank you to Sarah & Casa Ariki for hosting us!

Visited in December 2016

Comments

  1. This looks like a really cute place. And the price is hard to beat. Lovely!

    1. We really enjoyed our stay there. It is nice to have the beach just a few blocks away! The air conditioning is also very strong in between sunning/surfing sessions. πŸ™‚

  2. Love there is a communal living space. Great way to meet other travelers. Curious what time of year you visited.

    1. We went just a few days before Christmas last month. I’m not sure if it is usual, but there were some sporadic showers during our stay. However, this wasn’t enough to damper our visit. If anything, it made it a lot cooler!

      The common space in Casa Ariki is really nice considering it is not a hostel, which I usually associate with large communal areas. It is nice to know you have access to virtually the entire house as if you rented the whole thing.

  3. Looks like a truly beautiful place to stay, both in terms of the place itself and the surroundings! I hear nothing but great things about Nicaragua, and seeing pictures like this gets me seriously thinking that I should book a trip here sooner rather than later πŸ™‚

    1. You are right on all accounts. Nicaragua has really taken off the last 5 years & you might have to hurry before it becomes like Costa Rica. Everyday of the week is great to visit San Juan del Sur, but if you like to drink then Sunday Funday can’t be missed. Casa Ariki is just a few blocks away from the beach & bars/restaurants, but the sound doesn’t carry over if you want a quiet place to retreat at night.

  4. I would pay the $5 for private bathroom. Love the towel art! Now I just need to get to Nicaragua….

    1. The extra $5 is well spent…just like having someone carry your volcano surfing board on Cerro Negro. The swans were a nice touch. There was a cruise I went on where they made monkeys with towels. It’s crazy what good hospitality staff can do.

  5. three blocks from the beach? Sounds perfect! Love the bright colours of the interior and the surfboard decor- very fun and beachy!

    1. I keep telling myself I will try surfing, but never get the motivation to get out on the water. The funny part is we have been to many surfing destinations & Sheena is from Australia! For us, we just enjoyed the beach nearby. πŸ™‚

  6. Looks like a fun place to be, quiet, reasonably priced, and with a great beach!!!

  7. The surroundings – wow!
    I love the view. Must have been awesome to sit on the cute balcony and enjoy the area.
    The price is hard to beat, great find.

    1. Shhh, don’t let the secret out. πŸ™‚

      We actually got to enjoy the balcony when the power in San Juan del Sur went out. We were surprised to find out that Casa Ariki had an emergency light until the power went back on. The stars were amazing!

  8. If you are looking for something to do on a rainy day…Towel Swans

    Casa Ariki is very centrally located. Everything you need is within easy walking distance! The views take a bit more work though, but still walkable.

  9. Doesn’t seem so bad and thanks for the introduction! Maybe I will try it out if I evet visit the lovely San Juan πŸ™‚ @ knycxjourneying.com

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