A few years ago, my mom decided to buy herself a house in Nicaragua, near Gigante Bay. Something close to the beach, and close to other expats, where she could go when she wanted to vacation, but also have her own space.
Nicaragua is a country located in Central America.
Gigante Bay
When my mom had first visited Gigante Bay in Nicaragua, there were hostels and hotels open for tourists, and expats were living there year-round. I still hadn’t been there at the time.
During April of 2018, the political protests in Nicaragua began, and tourism declined greatly. The country was broadcasted as unsafe for tourists, due to the way protests were being depicted in the media.
The protests occurred because of changes made by their president, which ultimately increased their taxes, and decreased their benefits. Demonstrators took to city streets in protest of the new policies.
So, when I headed to visit her at the end of 2018, Gigante Bay was relatively empty. We seemed to be the only “tourists” amid the expats and locals.
Horseback Riding
While there weren’t as many people in the area, we still found plenty of things to keep us busy.
One of my mom’s friends, Jamie, took us horseback riding through the mountains.
It’s always so cool to do things in other countries because you realize just how different things are from “home”, and your normal idea of how things are supposed to be done.
Any horseback riding I’d ever done in the past had been in America was with a tour guide, and a group of at least 10 random people. The horse walks you through a flat trail in the woods, and you take some cute family photos at the end. Nothing that spectacular.
This experience was nothing like that. Our horses HIKED us up a mountainside. Like a huge, steep mountainside that I never would have attempted to climb myself.
I was amazed.
Beachin'
I spent a considerable amount of our time on the beach, or hanging out in the water. Walking down the beach was cool, and even found some sand dollars while we were out!
Hotel Brio
My mom is friends with the other expats who live on the island, and some of them own small businesses there.
Hotel Brio is a hotel near the beach in Gigante Bay, with a pool and restaurant on site. You can read reviews for Hotel Brio on TripAdvisor if you are thinking of planning a trip to Nicaragua. They are currently closed for renovations, though.
Here’s a photo of a burger I got from their restaurant!
Gigante Bay is an awesome place for surfing, fishing, and hanging out by the beach. You can find friendly locals, and expats from around the world here in this beach town.
Photos from Nicaragua & Gigante Bay
Scroll through some more photos from my time in Nicaragua!
Have you ever been to Nicaragua? Maybe the next time I go I’ll do a house and beach tour for you guys… Let me know some questions you have in the comments below!
If you liked this post, save it to your Pinterest!
