Firstly, this hostel is quite difficult to reach. After taking a public "chicken" bus from the ferry port I hopped on the bus and had to walk roughly 10 minutes down a dirt road where chickens and horses roamed freely. I was worried I was going the wrong way 5 minutes into my walk but persevered. I decided to stay at this hostel based on the write up in my Lonely Planet guidebook - and I now question if the author ever visited this location. Upon arrival I was greeted by a woman. She did not speak English (only Spanish) however being in a Spanish speaking country I do not expect people to speak English. She proceeded to show me EVERY room in the hostel, asking which one I preferred. It become very obvious very quickly that there was no one else staying at this hostel. Being a solo female traveller and the location being so remote I did not feel comfortable staying in this hostel. There was also no wifi which made it difficult and the restaurant was a 5 minute walk from the rooms with a limited and expensive menu. I decided to leave and find another place to stay. Getting back to the main area of Moyogalpa (where the ferry is) was difficult. I waited 30 minutes for a bus and tried to flag down several tuk-tuks with no luck. In the end I was very lucky that a friendly local offered me a free ride into town. I ended up staying at the Hospedaje Soma where I had a lovely experience. Personally I would not recommend staying here and would suggest staying on another part of the island in a more populated area. However if you want to switch off and be isolated this might be the place for you!…
We felt somewhat disappointed by this place after reading about it in Lonely Planet and booking it on their recommendation. It is very isolated unless you have your own transport, yes they do rent bikes but you have to get there first! And not cheap to rent from them. It's a farm down a dirt track which has some rooms, our room was fairly grubby with stained sheets and dirty towels, and broken bug netting on the window. The water was variable and we suspect they turn it off as when we asked (so we could have a shower....for 25USD/night not unreasonable) it would magically turn back on again. This happened every day. As previous reviewer said- had to ask to use the kitchen despite it suggesting it on their website. On site cafe for meals and drinks, really tasty food but not cheap at all, and not sure would call it vegan friendly particularly either. The positives are the views are stunning, the garden is nice with hammocks and places to sit and relax. If you have your own transport and speak good Spanish things may be a little different but we wouldn't recommend it !…
There was nothing enjoyable about our stay in Finca Samaria. Our room was dirty, seemingly the bathroom hadn't been cleaned. It was also crawling with hundreds of mosquitoes, without any mosquito net, meaning we had to sleep cocooned in our sheet sleeping bags. Although a lot of people seem to have had positive experiences with the family running the farm, this was not the case for us. Firstly, the water in our room was off at 7 o clock in the evening. When I asked why, the lady in charge said that the water on the whole island goes off at 7 and only comes back on in the morning. Having stayed elsewhere on the island we knew that this wasn't the case. On arrival we wanted to check that we could use the kitchen facilities, as advertised on the internet, to cook our breakfast in the morning. The lady in charge said that it wouldn't be a problem. However, the next day she was quite hostile when we asked if we could use the kitchen, and said that we could only use the kitchen if we paid an additional charge. When we told her that the cooking facilities were advertised as part of the price of our stay she directed us to a dilapidated outside stove with no lit fire and said that we could cook there if we wanted. We declined to pay the extra and left, having not eaten. We paid and she didn't say thank you. It was also one of the more expensive places we stayed in Central America. We would advise to avoid at all costs.…
Having read positive reviews of this place , our high expectations were quickly dashed upon arrival. The room was far from clean, the plumbing was faulty, the food was unremarkable, but the hosts were indeed very friendly. The best aspect was the incredible view of the lake and windmills on the opposite shore. Unfortunately, the peaceful ambiance was frequently shattered by blasting music from the nearby beach bar.
My girlfriend an I stayed for 3 nights in a double privat room in the finca samira. From the first second on, we felt us very warm welcome and the hosts treated us like kings. We rented a motorbike and discovered the island, getting good advices from the familiy before. They ask you if you wanna have fresh dinner. We did that all night and got some catch of the day fish served with rice, salad and vegetables. We could really recomend this nice place with a great view of the lake!
The food here is delicious. We had bread right out of the oven and fresh vegetables in a beautiful setting. It is right on the lake and is really quiet. The owners are really nice! Definitely would recommend stopping by!
After a grueling bike ride where I thought I was going to pass out due to the heat, my wife and I stumbled upon this amazing place. The rice and vegetables with tofu we had was huge and out of this world, and the place is completely eco-friendly. Would definitely recommend it. :o)
We didn't stay at the hotel but we did have a really wonderful stir fry with rice and tofu (they make their own tofu too!), it was all a surprise because we were just on a bike ride around the Ometepe island, but then we suddenly we found this sign on the road saying "beach" and we went that way, and suddenly found the Finca Samaria. They took care of the bikes while we were down at the beach and having lunch, and we would have got a couple of loaves of the bread they make, but it was getting late and almost night, but we did try some and it was wonderful.
This place if absolutely outstanding. We just wanted to spend two days in Samaria and got stuck for ten days. The rooms are basic but very clean and you will get the best gallo pinto on the island by Doña Norma, the owner of the finca. Don't miss the sunsets with a "Flor de caña" rum and a peaceful atmosphere in the neighboring restaurant-bar "Samaritano". They also prepare good and fresh food mostly with homegrown ingredients and have a big, beautiful beach. The yard at the finca and the beach at the bar has been recently renewed and given a new inviting face. If you try to get in touch with the owners Doña Norma and Toño, try the following numbers: (505) 88 24 22 10 and (505) 86 36 48 86
Staying at Finca Samaria was a great experience! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was welcoming, and Xavi was very helpful in securing us a guide for our hike up the volcano. I definitely recommend spending your time here in Ometepe!
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing