Gran Pacifica Beach and Golf Resort

We have stayed at Gran Pacifica twice now, the resort is very clean and well maintained. The staff was always helpful and friendly, not to mention the food was wonderful! We surfed, sat by the pool, did horseback riding, and got a massage! Very nice place to stay.

Nicaragua has become a dubious destination for travelers from the United States, but if you decide to visit the Gran Pacifica beach resort there are a few important things to remember. After you get through the very unpleasant Managua airport experience where the government officials will hand search your luggage upon arrival—they say they are “searching for food and drugs”—you will need to rent a car OR use a taxi to get to this resort. There are no UBER or LYFT drivers. From the Crowne Plaza hotel in Managua we had to pay $90 because I was not—am not—going to rent a car in this country. The return trip to Managua cost us $105, cash only accepted. I booked my Christmas Eve resort reservation in January of this year [2022] and upon arrival our condo did NOT match my reservation; it was a different condo with 2 beds instead of three. When I pointed out that fact to the reservation agents they acted like all the rooms for my reservation description were the same; they were not. After showing my reservation to the manager he confirmed that they had made a mistake and because my original room was occupied he apologized and offered a free dinner for the three of us. I was happy with his solution. The bedrooms and main living room in our first floor condo were very nice. The restaurant food, service and ambience were excellent, except for several dogs running around the tables off-leash. Ironically the restaurant rules state, “no mascotas” [pets]. So much for the rules. Some of the restaurant guests behaved rudely, playing their loud music at the table or using a speaker next to the pool so ALL the people could hear their music choices, not thinking that maybe other guests don’t want to hear their music….tacky, tacky, tacky. The pool itself was very small, not an exercise pool, but more of a cosmetic one where children could play or adults get wet only. With signs posted “no swimming” there was no ocean access IN FRONT of this resort—probably because of the dangerous exposed rocks—and for those of us who wanted to swim in the ocean it was necessary to walk a few hundred meters to the right or about one kilometer to the left at the San Diego public beach. The main reason why this resort has earned only 2 stars is because AFTER we left I got a What’s App text message, accusing us of stealing 2 room towels. I was also asked if the resort could charge my credit card for the alleged stolen towels. I have visited my Nica friends for more than 12 years, beginning in 2009 when Nicaragua was a much nicer, happier place to visit. After checking with my humble friends, I knew that they did not take any towels nor did I. What the housekeeping accusers did not realize was that my friend had taken a videotape before we left, showing the placement of a towel ON the bed and the other one on a chair. I sent that video to my accuser—maybe it was the manager, I don’t know because he/she never identified themselves. After I sent that video there was no mo