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Nicaraguan Resort Offers Luxurious Green Living
Situated in the mountains of central Nicaragua, the Hacienda Puerta del Cielo Eco Lodge & Spa is a luxury retreat offering the cutting edge in green design and sustainable tourism.
The idyllic resort, which opened last year, is the creation of Nicaraguan-born Architect and award-winning yacht designer Juan Carlos Espinosa.
Originally intended as a second home for his family, the idea eventually broadened to become a fully operational tourist resort.
Built with renewable woods, local stones, and reclaimed 100-year-old clay tiles, the all green design was completed by using organic farming principles in planting hundreds of fruit trees and vegetable crops for the eco lodge’s restaurant.
The lodge is located in an area called Puerta del Cielo, which translates as ‘doorway to heaven.’ Positioned on the top of a mountain, each room and communal area offer views onto a field of volcanoes and a crater lake surrounded by high cliffs, covered by tropical rain forest.
“It is truly an incredible view”, Mr Espinosa said. “When my two sons first saw the Eco lodge, they said that the only thing missing was seeing the long necks of brontosauruses poking through the forest canopy below, to complete the Jurassic Park feeling.”
Open pavilions and terraces connect all of the resort’s buildings, while a river-pool snakes along the edge of a cliff offering refreshment during the hottest months.
The lodge is the latest of Mr Espinosa’s ventures to include green design. He has used eco-friendy methods in several of his yacht commissions, and recently designed the first all-solar powered cruiser for production.
Nicaragua is Central America's largest country and attracts over 800,000 visitors each year.
"When my two sons first saw the Eco lodge, they said that the only thing missing was seeing the long necks of brontosauruses poking through the forest canopy below, to complete the Jurassic Park feeling.”"