H2: Why Rancho Santana?
Homes in Rancho Santana have expansive terraces and pools—with stunning ocean views, of course..
Rancho Santana is a one-of-a-kind escape for those in-the-know; off the beaten path, but not isolated.
Rancho Santana is luxury community that covers 2,700 acres of verdant hills and valleys and two miles of Pacific coastline on Nicaragua’s southwestern Pacific coast—just 60 miles north of Costa Rica.. It boasts five distinct beaches, several of which are virtually private because only residents can get to them.
There is a palpable sense of community here. A sense of camaraderie among those who have found this special place and embraced its understated elegance.
Most of the land—2,700 acres in all—is undeveloped, uncluttered.
The developers here are keen to keep much of the vast community untouched. They don’t want it to lose that sense of space and the natural feel. The jungle here is home to exotic birds, howler monkeys, and more.
Rancho Santana draws the affluent adventurer, the type of person who wants real estate with top level amenities and service, but with an authentic feel.
H3: Praise For Rancho Santana
The world is taking notice of this one-of-a-kind community…
Forbes called it “stunning.”
The New York Times said, “the beaches are among the finest in the Americas, and among the least developed.”
Travel & Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler have named it one of the best resorts in the world for several years running. In the Central America category, which includes tourism powerhouse Costa Rica, it’s a perennial top 10 finisher.
H3: Like Coastal California – At A Fraction Of The Cost
Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast is ruggedly beautiful and still largely undeveloped.
Rancho Santana looks like California. It feels like California. But this is warm weather and sea breezes coastal California living like you get in Santa Barbara, Malibu, or La Jolla for a fraction of the cost.
Rancho Santana is a community with a rugged landscape that invites outdoor expeditions like hiking and wildlife watching in the tropical forest.
As well as howler monkeys, and an array of brightly colored birds, you can even see anteaters. It’s also common to see sea turtles coming ashore to lay eggs on one of the beaches and baby turtles heading the other way after hatching.
Of Rancho Santana’s 2,700 acres, 600 are a nature preserve. You can mountain bike or go horseback riding for miles on the beach, to the local villages and even through the forest.
H3: The Beaches
Boating, fishing, surfing, hiking, mountain biking…you can be as active as you like in Rancho Santana.
Some of the best, most consistent waves in the world are found on Rancho Santana’s beaches, which is what first brought North American surfers here. You can go fishing too, whether it’s from shore or on a charter boat.
Playa Santana is the main beach, with a great surf break and the main clubhouse with bar and restaurant, and The Inn, with its café…the concierge. This is the main hub of activity.
The beaches at Rancho Santana are stunning and you’ll often have them all to yourself
The beaches at Rancho Santana are stunning and you’ll often have them all to yourself
On Playa Rosada, with its pink sand, you have La Boquita, the small plates restaurant. There is also The Pool House, where you can take a swim after a dip in the Pacific. For surfers, it also has a left point reef break. At low tide, you can stroll on the rocks from Rosada all the way to the main clubhouse on Playa Santana.
White-sand Playa Los Perros is the most swimmable and kid-friendly beach in Rancho Santana. It also has the beach club with pool and surf shop with board rentals and surf school for aspiring wave riders. Adjacent surf spots Playa Colorado and Panga Drops are world-famous.
H2: Map Of Rancho Santana
https://goo.gl/maps/i9FJo3uyY8RjexSUA
Rancho Santana is on Nicaragua’s emerging Emerald Coast, a once wild region that is maturing (a small international airport opened in 2015) and increasingly on the radar of the in-the-know and well-heeled. These are folks who want to experience the high-end touches of a typical luxury beach resort but want to do it in shorts and flip-flops.
H2: How To Get To Rancho Santana
Rancho Santana is on Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast, on the southern Pacific side of the country, which is growing and developing.
There are two main ways to arrive at Rancho Santana .
The most popular way is to fly into Costa Rica, landing at Liberia Airport and then get a connecting flight onto the Emerald Coast International Airport, which is just 15 minutes down the road from Rancho Santana.
Sansa Airlines offer twice-daily commercial flights from Thursday-Monday. There is also the option of arranging a private charter flight. The flight time is around 25 minutes.
Another option is to take a flight to Augusto C. Sandino International Airport, in Nicaragua’s capital of Managua. From here you can charter a flight to Emerald Coast International Airport with la Costena Airlines. Flights take between 15-20 minutes and provide spectacular views across the Nicaraguan countryside.
A third option is to hire a car, or speak with the team at Rancho Santana, who can arrange for a driver to collect you. The journey by car takes about two hours from Augusto Sandino and just under three hours from Liberia Airport.
The Emerald Coast airport also accepts private jets. And word from the developer is that boutique charter service NetJets, which offers fractional ownership in private jets, is also interested in making this airport one of their hubs.
In December 2021 it was announced that the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) will grant Nicaragua a loan of $382.6 million for building highways and bridges around the country, including a project to build a modern highway along the southern Pacific coast, right by Rancho Santana.
It will run from Pochomil, a town just west of the capital Managua, to the border with Costa Rica. A special tourism dedicated border crossing will make it easier than ever to fly into Costa Rica’sLiberia airport and then take transport to Rancho Santana.
H2: Rancho Santana Amenities
Rancho Santana has all the mod-cons and comforts you might want. And high-end styling inside and out.
This map of Rancho Santana gives you an idea of the scale of the place. You can also see the list of amenities which all residents have access to.
Rancho Santana has two casual gourmet restaurants for residents to enjoy. There is also the café, which is inside the 17-room boutique hotel, called The Inn, that is next to the clubhouse. The Inn has been named the #4 top hotel in Central America by Travel & Leisure, by the way, and it has consistently been on “best of” lists like this since it opened in 2015.
The main Clubhouse is the gathering place in Rancho Santana
There is no shortage of other things to do in Rancho Santana.
Surfers enjoy year-round good waves thanks to consistent onshore breezes that also keep things comfortable on land as well. There is also tennis, fishing (from shore or hire a charter to go offshore), boating, hiking, bird and wildlife watching, mountain biking, horseback riding along the beach and through the jungle…
You can take a yoga class, get a massage or spa treatment…
The Inn and the main Clubhouse are done in a classic Spanish colonial seaside hacienda style. Old World feel. Barrel tile roof. Wood beam ceilings. Tropical hardwood finishes. Wrought-iron accents. Handmade, brightly colored tiles…local artisan crafts and fine art alike as décor.
You almost feel like you’ve stepped back centuries in time…
There is also a little market, La Tienda, offering bread and treats from the bakery, to-go meals, fresh produce from the on-site organic farm, toiletries, drinks, and more. They can also arrange grocery delivery from a local supermarket to your home.
On the wellness front you can take a yoga class or set up your own fitness routine in the open-air yoga retreat overlooking the water.
El Bosque is a wellness center set among the trees on the hillside, with views of the ocean, where you can have relaxing spa treatments, or a massage, or take a yoga class.
La Finca y El Mar is the premier farm-to-table restaurant, with gourmet…even fusion…takes on Nicaraguan cuisine, as well as craft cocktails. If you prefer it “straight up” you’ll always find aged Flor de Caña rum on offer.
You can sit inside in the tasteful dark wood-accented dining room or dine al fresco on the terrace or by the pool. Try the coffee-rubbed pork chop, with plantain/bean hash and papaya chutney.
Rancho Santana offers a variety of appealing gourmet dining options for every taste.
Like other Rancho Santana restaurants, they source ingredients from the on-site organic farm, as well as local providers, including the fishing co-op. And, by the way, you’ll pay much less than what you’d pay in a similar high-end establishment in the U.S.—even neighboring Costa Rica.
The main Clubhouse has an Old World feel but has the amenities and services you’d expect from a 5-star resort.
You’ll find La Finca y El Mar located at the main Clubhouse on Playa Santana. The Clubhouse has a spacious bar area and plenty of outdoor seating, overlooking the pool area or the beach. If you just want a quiet drink in the afternoon or early morning coffee you’re set.
In the daytime the Clubhouse pool is a gathering place with its loungers. Take a dip in the Pacific or finish off a surf session or horseback ride. Then head to the Clubhouse for a dip in the pool and sunset cocktails, maybe a burger.
Rancho Santana is a free-flowing type of place. No schedules.
La Boquita is an open-air eatery overlooking the water on Playa Rosada (Pink Beach, named for the pink-tint to the sand) with sushi, wood-fire pizza, and other savory small-plate delights. There’s a small clubhouse with a swimming pool here too.
La Taqueria is over on Playa Los Perros. This is open-air, with rustic elegance overlooking the beach. Enjoy Mexican-style tacos, ceviche, and other casual cuisine. There’s a beach club here too.
It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon. The beach is amazing for long walks. Or you can go for a swim after and then lay in a hammock…while waiting for your tacos.
And within the Inn, you have El Café, which has Nicaraguan coffee (cultivated in rich volcanic soil), French-inspired, pastries, smoothies, fruit bowls, sandwiches, and other lighter fare.
If you’d like to find out more about Rancho Santana in Nicaragua, and inquire about real estate opportunities there, you can click here to contact the Smart Money Homes team.
