You have successfully joined our subscriber list. ManaguaBluefieldsCorn IslandsBluefieldsManagua, A traditional NiCaribbean buffet on the first night, Calala Islands signature seven-course tasting menu on the second night, Transfer MR points to Aeroplan and other frequent flyer programs for premium flights, Unlimited airport lounge access for you and one guest at Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, Centurion, and other lounges, Credits and rebates for business expenses throughout the year with Amex Offers, Bonus MR points for referring family and friends, Qualify for the card as a sole proprietor. Immediately after Pearl Lagoon, we pulled up at a Nicaraguan Navy checkpoint, which was no more than a single dock on the shoreline with a few young officers stationed there. Yeah cant wait for photo of the actual island! I much prefer three hours of Omg! I would be seriously pissed off if I spent $2800 cash/ night And have to endure that kind of transfer to come to this resort. The TL;DR version is as follows: we had a lovely time during the day, a less than stellar experience at night, and separate medical issues for both of us as soon as we left. Helicopter flights between Catalina Island and Long Beach can be booked online, while all other itineraries can . For now, though, we were headed to the countrys less-travelled Caribbean coast. Not only are three meals per day included at Calala Island, but so too are unlimited drinks at the bar or indeed anywhere, since the staff is happy to serve you drinks no matter which corner of the island you find yourself. Instead, youll most likely be taking advantage of the resorts complimentary round-trip transfers, which includes a flight from Managua to the city of Bluefields, a taxi ride through Bluefields, and then a 90-minute boat ride to the island. World of Hyatt members can therefore redeem 40,000 Hyatt points per night for a highly aspirational stay at Calala Island. before navigating through the lush mangroves along the coastline which serve as key waterways that connect several small communities by boat in this part of the country for about an hour. Indeed, I thought that our interactions with the staff and fellow guests added a very welcome layer of friendship and bonding to our experience at Calala. The new terminal will make traveling to and from Saint Hubert Airport much more efficient and convenient. Anyone paying $$ can afford the helicopter transfer and surely will rather than endure that. Enduring this is the cost of admission to Calala Island, I guess. According to Calala Island's website. This reminded me of the boat ride from Gateway of India to Elephanta Island on a speed boat. Bluefields is the capital of Nicaraguas South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region. Nestor met us there at 5:30AM sharp, and he escorted us right to the front of the line, which was almost awkward, since they even have a special Calala Island VIP counter. The island lies in the Pearl Cays of the Caribbean Sea, just off the coast of Nicaragua; the area is known locally as the NiCaribbean. We can also arrange, at an additional cost, helicopter transfers direct to the Island, Copyright 2023 Calala Island. While there are certain times of day and locations that breakfast, lunch, and dinner are usuallyserved, the staff is happy to tailor the dining experience to your exact liking, including offering private dining at your villa if you so request. In exchange for those points, you'll enjoy a two-bedroom villa covering nearly 5,000 square feet. However, I would gladly do them over again than take your open water journey that had me bracing with every bump at the seat of my computer. During pre-COVID times, La Costea also offered a second daily service on the ManaguaBluefields route closer to midday, meaning that Calala Island guests could choose from two times for both their departure and return journeys. I can only imagine dreaming of a romantic vacation at a luxury hotel then finding yourself bobbing up and down on a fishing boat. Calala Island places you 2 mi (3.3 km) from Culture House. Showing: All Year Climate & Weather Averages in Calala Island. Whether it was curling up with a good book, watching the sunset, or simply sneaking in afternoon nap, our hammock was our happy place. Calala Island. I actually bit my tongue for most of the ride because I figured Id I didnt then the hard crashes on the waves might make my teeth crack as they slammed together. Loved this, thank you. This resort is one of Hyatt's category 8 properties where the average nightly rate is $2,300 making it a great redemption. Our representatives will accompany you throughout the journey. When I mention Calala Island, Im guessing some regular readers will immediately know what Im talking about, while everyone else will be saying eh? Calala Island is a private island on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua (or the NiCaribbean, as the hotel calls it). This is one of the best! Luxury, private island resort with a beautiful Caribbean setting To be perfectly clear, I felt totally safe, and didnt feel like it was dangerous at all. Sicily Private Spot is known for the high quality of its air travel services. Your experience of the boat ride is accurate, but my family probably just laughed the whole way there thinking we were on a big roller coaster ride with oh and ahs when we got air! We discovered 3 nights of availability over Labor Day weekend almost exactly 13 months in advance. Still, I was determined to go on at least one activity out on the water, so I asked the staff if we could at least go for a quick round of island-hopping on the third day, even though it was still exceptionally stormy. Can't help you with the bad back other than suggesting you do your stretching exercises daily. Your stay will also include complimentary breakfast, use of an . My friends who have been there all described getting there by boat from Bluefields with about the same experience. I would note that the bathroom door wouldnt close and the light in there wouldnt turn on, but otherwise the experience was fine. 5-gwiazdkowy obiekt Calala Island usytuowany jest przy play w miejscowoci Set Net i oferuje odkryty basen, ogrd oraz taras. Tucked away in a little-known corner of the Caribbean (off the coast of Nicaragua), Calala Island is a hidden gem featuring just four suites on the entire island, accommodating a maximum of eight guests (suites can be rented individually or the entire Island booked exclusively). No doubt about it our crab won the race at a canter and bestowed upon Jessy a complimentary spa treatment the following day. Lastly, I should note that the wifi on the island was quite impressive, considering the remoteness of the place. Start off the morning with a refreshing mimosa. You get there in much the same way. Welcome to Calala Island, a luxury, private Island resort nestled in an undiscovered part of the Caribbean, just off the coast of Nicaragua. Across more than 300 kilometres and three separate modes of transportation, the journey from Managua to Calala Island takes about four hours from start to finish. So the business model seems to be; set a very high rate and then sell it at deep discount to resellers that can claim you are getting a deal of lifetime. The lead officer spoke to Shorvin for a bit, glanced at the passengers, and waved us through into Nicaraguas territorial waters without detecting anything suspicious. After dozing off for the second half of the one-hour flight, I watched with avid interest as our pilots made a smooth landing at Bluefields Airport. Thats an emotion that I hadnt encountered at any other luxury resort thus far. Shorvin guided us expertly through the crowd and to our Calala-bound motorboat. We were staying March 7-10, 2020, and for our dates we were advised of two options for our transfers: To get from Managua Airport to Calala Island, we either had to be at the airport at 5:45AM or 1PM (And a lot less expensive than $2800/night.). Calala Island is a private island located in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of an archipelago of islands known as the Pearl Cays, off the coast of Nicaragua. Cond Nast Traveler does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. With its turquoise blue waters and ubiquitous overwater bungalows, the Maldives are undoubtedly one of the most romantic island getaways in the world. However, it was the changing of the seasons when we had visited in November, with persistent wind on the northern coast. you can splurge on an 80-minute helicopter flight. The Maldives. In addition to the weather playing a role, some of the other activities were also affected by the ongoing pandemic. Typically, guests are invited to gather at the main bar anytime from 5:30pm onwards for a few rounds of drinks to start the night. Anyway, given our early-morning departure from Managua, I planned our inbound flight from San Salvador to arrive at 10:30pm. Below youll find a map of the resort: As you can see, the southwestern corner plays host to the four guest villas. The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered. Given the logistics of travelling to and from the island, the resort imposes a three-night minimum stay. On the second night, it was time for a decidedly different kind of activity: a crab race! I do wish we couldve made more use of the swim-up bar in the pool, although the windy weather on that side of the island made it hard to spend any quality time there. La Costeas domestic operations in Nicaragua are a little moreflexiblethan what youd typically expect from an airline. Book Calala Island, Calala Island on Tripadvisor: See 53 traveler reviews, 268 candid photos, and great deals for Calala Island, ranked #1 of 1 hotel in Calala Island and rated 5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. @ Mitch Cumstein -- Yep, it's my understanding that they're happy to book you the flight earlier or later so you can have a stopover there before continuing to the resort. Anyway, the flight was about 90% full, and within five minutes boarding was completed. Calala Island offers transfers from the airport. (If we had booked a hotel in the city of Managua, Nestor would arrange a licensed taxi to bring us to the hotel. The reason this suddenly became relevant in our world was because Calala Island belongs to Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and they have a partnership with Hyatt. After waiting for about an hour, the airport staff indicated that the plane was ready for boarding. As longtime readers will know, Jessy and I are passionate purveyors of seafood. This part of the Caribbean is still an undiscovered place in the world and Calala is the only luxury resort. FOR BEING THE BLOGGER WHO -- IN TRYING TIMES -- KEEPS THE SPIRIT OF TRAVEL ADVENTURE ALIVE AND MANAGES TO TAKE US ALONG FOR A CRAZY BOAT RIDE. An exclusive luxury private island rental Calala Island is nestled on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. Calala Island team member, Shorvin, greeted us at Bluefields Airport, his shirt soaking wet from the boat ride that brought him over here a harbinger of things to come. Breakfast is generally served at the main pavilion from 7am to 11am. Approximate internal flight time is 50 minutes followed by a 90 minute boat ride. They have a small fleet of just seven planes, including two ATR42s and five Cessna Grand Caravans. The resort's four Matthew Falkiner-designed suites . 53 reviews. Flight time is 85 minutes. The breakfast menu reads as follows. Please contact the property at the number on the booking confirmation with your arrival details prior to travel. This site is for information and entertainment purposes only. Is availability based on the regular BA award chart? The king-sized bed is covered with a net, although its not to keep mosquitoes out. For everyone else, stay tuned for the review of the actual resort before deciding whether or not Calala Island is worth visiting, in spite of the transfer. Because as Ford described it to me while we were on our way there, this is the most ridiculous thing Ive ever voluntarily put myself through. Below is what that sentiment looks like in a facial expression. Calala Island, at a glance. Id certainly loved to have stayed on the island for longer during our last day and taken advantage of the midday flight, so Id recommend planning your visit to Calala Island once La Costea hopefully restores full services in the near future. Did you have to do this in the dark coming back???? Enjoy four beautiful suites which were carefully designed with guests in mind. [Calala Island $2,300 @ 40K Hyatt Points] I just booked 3 nights at Calala Island in Nicaragua for 120,000 Hyatt Points. Dining on Calala Island is exceedingly flexible and customizable. Once we had our bags Shorvin brought us to a taxi that was waiting to take us to the port the drive took about 10 minutes. As hopeless coffee addicts, we were delighted that there was an entire menu of Nicaraguan coffee beans to choose from: We were asked for our coffee orders the night prior, which would then be delivered at the specified time in a French press, along with a few biscuits. Wed fly through the air, crash into the ocean with a loud bang, get splashed all over by the water, before doing it all again and again as we inched our way towards the promised land in the distance. In hindsight, Im glad that Claudia gave Jessy a heads-up about what to expect, as I dont think Jessy wouldve been a very happy boat passenger otherwise. When we arrived a few days ago we were informed that we are the very first Americans to visit the resort. You spend the first hour going through mangroves and lagoons, which sounds nice, except: When you get out of the mangroves area you arrive at a military checkpoint, where armed military officers check your boat very carefully to make sure youre not bringing anything you shouldnt be. THANKS, LUCKY [AND FORD!] Its worth noting that our bags were taken from us at this point, and we never had to worry about them from this point onwards, until we arrived at our villa on Calala Island. I recently had the pleasure of staying at Calala Island, a private island resort located off the coast of Nicaragua. 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