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We’ve left the Island today and I’ve got to admit we’re both very sad to do so, we’ve been lucky enough to travel and visit many Island breaks but nothing quite gives you the Rustic feeling as CALALA does, its an amazing beautiful Island and very unspoilt. There’s a maximum of 6 Cabanas so 12 guests but we never shared our Island with anymore than 4 other people the whole time we were there. There are activities to do if you choose but we only went line fishing and used the Spa as we just decided we wanted to sit back and chill, the therapist Jackie is incredible and worth the visit for sure. The food was great from breakfast, lunch and dinner which is a set menu but we didn’t have a bad meal once. The staff can’t do enough for you and are very friendly and very professional. Claudia & Leon the hosts are so welcoming and you can see all the hard work they’ve put in to make this experience a vacation you will never forget. If you want to switch off and relax this is the place for you, the atmosphere is so relaxing and very grounding. Kick off your shoes and indulge yourself in this paradise. I couldn’t recommend it enough, something my wife and I will never forget ❤️ Thank you CALALA Island ️

Calala Island was simply a dream. I’m not sure you could curate a more beautiful and relaxing experience if you tried. Every single aspect of the island, and our experience, was beyond our extremely high expectations. The staff was incredible as well. They were kind, good-humored, joyful, and ready to take care of any need or want you could possibly think of. Claudia and Leon do an amazing job of running a seemingly flawless operation. We loved talking to Claudia and Leon about their interesting lives and their passion for the island that they care for so well. The food was incredible as well. Every meal was delicious and made with fresh, high quality ingredients. From bread made there on the island, to fish caught from the surrounding turquoise waters, every meal had us thinking about the next great meal to come. Breakfasts were amazing, lunches were delicious, but the dinners were on a whole other level. Each night was a different theme, and each one was stunning. I am running out of superlatives to describe our stay here, but it deserves them all. The only regret we had the entire time was that we don’t book more nights there. We were truly sad to leave the last day, and we still are days later. I don’t want this place to be discovered and overrun with visitors, but Claudia, Leon, and their incredible staff deserve all the praises given and the more people that experience the bliss of this place, the happier the world will be.

I feel the need to write a review for Calala Island in service to future travelers to help them make an informed decision about whether to book this hotel based on certain aspects of the experience not measuring up to how the hotel is marketed and not being appropriate for those seeking a luxurious experience. Calala Island markets itself as a luxury destination; an island paradise with unparalleled service and gastronomic food/fine dining using only seafood caught the same day. Our experience was far from luxurious. We became friends with many of the guests who also agreed with the struggle of staying here - the sentiment seems to be unanimous with everyone we met. The rooms: The rooms are charming but definitely feel more like camping than an island paradise. There is no AC which we, along with the other guests we met, found problematic. There were fans in the room but the lack of AC and a breeze from outside made the room incredibly hot and humid. Obviously we can appreciate how difficult it would be set up this entire island with all of the amenities that we are used to - my point is that anyone who cannot sleep in a hot room should not book this hotel. Furthermore, the humidity and heat in the room exacerbated the issue of bug bites and only made the bugs more unbearable, with constantly hot and sticky skin and greater propensity to feel itchy. The insects and rodents: There are several issues with the bugs and rodents which caused a lot of issues for us. Again, we can understand how these creatures exist in these types of remote, tropical destinations, but my point is that anyone who is squeamish towards these creatures would not have an enjoyable stay. First of all, the noseeum flies are brutal - our entire trip was oriented around covering ourselves with bug spray. Even after showering off all of the sweat and sunscreen of the day, we’d have to put on more bug spray to survive the evening at dinner. There was never a time during which we felt clean, comfortable, and at ease. We left our vacation each with bug bites all over our body - from our feet to even our neck and face. Beyond the flies, there is a rat problem. Everyday we saw rats scurrying around the dinner area. It became a running joke with the other guests where we would all look for and call out the rats like it was a game. The rats would often scurry across the trails near the rooms as well which created a jarring experience in this so-called barefoot paradise. I never felt at ease walking to my room at night as the rats would scurry past me. Beyond the noseeums and the rats, the room itself was uncomfortable given the number of pests. Every night when we came back to our room, it was a game of chasing/catching/killing the pests. Examples include: geckos and cockroaches on the bed, gecko poop all over the room, fly nests in the bed canopy, small millipedes on the curtains and room floors. The food: The brochure on the Calala Island website markets the dining experience as

I've just returned from a much-anticipated holiday on Calala Island, and it exceeded my expectations at every turn. This island paradise is the benchmark for all tropical destinations. Beginning with the journey, you will be met from your international flight into the Managua airport by Nestor, Calala's Managua-based representative, who will take you to your hotel and provide any information you need about your overnight in Managua. Nestor also provides excellent tours that you can book directly with him if you're interested in seeing Managua, Leon, Lake Nicaragua, Granada, and Masaya volcano. We did an all-day tour with Nestor after our stay on Calala, and it was outstanding. But back to Calala: Claudia, one of the island-based managers of the Calala property, will give you a call that night to explain your journey to Calala the next morning. This call will answer all your questions and will take some time, so set aside 30-45 minutes when you will be in a quiet place and are able to focus on the information. Nestor will pick you up early the next morning and take you to the small domestic flight terminal at Managua Airport. He will speak to the La Costena airline representatives, help check any larger luggage, and obtain your baggage tags for any carry-on luggage. He will stick around to help with any communication barriers while you clear security, and then he will be on his way as you wait in a small area with other passengers for various outbound flights. The waiting area has restrooms and a small snack shop. When it's time for your flight, an airline representative will get you and escort you to the tarmac, where you will board first. If you're in the smaller plane (holds about 12-15 passengers), I'd recommend sitting up front behind the pilots for the best view. We had the smaller plane both times, and the flight took about an hour. When you land in Bluefields, you will be greeted by a Calala representative who will assist you with your baggage and travel by taxi with you to the dock, where you will board Calala 1, the island's boat transport. This portion of the journey passes several fishing villages, and you will stop at Pearl Lagoon for a quick breakfast and bathroom break before reboarding Calala 1 for the final leg to the island. You will have a brief stop at a military checkpoint, where one of the Calala employees will show papers to the officers, before you enter open waters for the final few minutes on open sea to the island. We were fortunate to have calm waters both going to and returning from the island, and we had no issues with uncomfortable transportation or sea sickness. When you arrive at the Calala dock, you will disembark to be greeted by Claudia and Leon, the island's resident managers, musicians, and other employees. Claudia will give you a quick tour of the island and orientation to the island life. Then it's off to your cabana, where your luggage will be waiting for you to unpack and begin your

Beautiful Island but this was not five star luxury. The island is in need of maintenance. The staff were all wonderful, the food good but not outstanding. The room was beautiful, spacious and comfortable. The boat trip to get to the island was absolutely terrifying as the sea was extremely rough, our experience was not a good one and I feared for our safety. Luckily our return trip was a lot smoother. It was certainly an adventure. Please be aware there really is absolutely nothing to do on the island other than relax by the pool. Most of the activities on the dated activity list are not available. The sloths were nowhere to be seen. We met some wonderful people on the Island and it was an experience I will forever be grateful for.

Heaven on Earth! Claudia and Leon made sure everything was perfect. The island is so beautiful and breezy — the sunrises and sunsets were truly magical. The staff were very attentive and spontaneous, and the food was absolutely delicious. A dreamy island indeed!