Parque Marítimo el Coco

Overview

Description

Just 11 miles (18 km) from the southern tip of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, you will find El Coco Marine Park, an ideal place to visit with your family or loved one. Our calm coast allows a safe and pleasant swim. We offer several lodging options: seaside, ocean view, and among the trees. We rent out bungalows, apartments, and houses equipped with kitchens and the necessary tools for your cooking and dining needs.

During your stay you can enjoy a number of activities on the beach or in the surroundings of the hotel, including: soccer, volleyball, Frisbee, horseback rides, bicycle rides to neighboring villages, or you can even venture into the mountains and watch families of howler monkeys, diverse types of birds, butterflies and other forest inhabitants. At night you can visit La Flor Beach, where sea turtles in danger of extinction dwell; during nesting season, it’s possible to see up to 20,000 Olive Ridley sea turtles in as little as four days. We also recommend a trip to Bolaños Island in Costa Rica, a marine bird sanctuary where you may witness the parents’ initial contact with their baby birds after they are hatched.

Rooms

19 cabañas that can sleep 102 persons in total

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 44

Percentage of local employees: 90%

The Marine Park helps to protect and conserve sea turtles. Since the beach is public, there are no authorities from the Environmental Ministry to help protect the turtles. At the hotel, we are responsible for incubating the turtle eggs in artificial nests and letting the newborns go free on the beach once they are hatched. The hotel does not build high-rise buildings or cement sidewalks. Nor do we tear down trees or allow vehicles, motorcycles, or quad-bikes to drive on the beach. We recycle trash and take it to a processing plant.

The hotel provides a public school for the employees and neighbors’ children. Education is free and meets standards established by the Ministry of Education. Furthermore, the children receive uniforms and notebooks for their studies in addition to breakfast daily.

The majority of hotel personnel are residents of the surrounding countryside. They lack know-how regarding customer service and, as a result, the hotel provides constant training so they may improve their skills and better perform their tasks.

Getting There

Nearest international airport: Managua (MGA).

Distance, by land, to the nearest airport: 93 miles (150 km).

During rainy season, double-traction vehicles are necessary - you will have to drive along 11 miles (18 km) of dirt roads before arriving to the hotel.

Additional Information

Additional Web sites

• www.hotelesdenicaragua.net/es/directorio_det.php?idhotel=1248400280 (available in Spanish). Hotel profile in the Webpage for the Small Hotel Association of Nicaragua, whose main goal is to provide the necessary training to its members about problems with tourist development.
• www.vianica.com/hotels/197/parque-maritimo-el-coco (available in English and Spanish). Hotel information at ViaNica, a webpage dedicated to gathering information about all the Hotels, Restaurants, Tour Operators, etc. It provides tourist information about Nicaragua.
• www.mundoventura.travel/hotel/32 (available in Spanish). Information about this business can be found on MUNDOVENTURA's webpage - a travel wholesaler and tour operator with 11 years of experience that is considered one of the best customer service organizations in the Nicaraguan tourist industry.

Date This Information Was Provided

October 2009.

Photos courtesy of Parque Marítimo el Coco, Nicaragua, for SustainableTrip.org.