Nicaragua: Where Costa Dulce is the Ultimate Host to Female Solo Travelers!

Written and photographed by Lisa Saper-Bloom

Additional photo contributions: Nooch Saeedi; full moon, sloth, jungle walk and van ride to jungle walk

Staff information and contributions: Samantha Lawrence (Marketing/Sales Director, Costa Dulce)

From the moment I started contemplating Nicaragua in June of 2024, I KNEW Costa Dulce was the right destination for me! Perusing their website, it is obvious how they serve up the right combination of wellness, adventure, beauty, and local experiences. I could immediately envision the magic it would bring into my life!

Choose from a variety of packages!

Once I started communicating with Costa Dulce, I could feel I was in the most capable hands of Ronnie and Willy, two caring and passionate people in regards to the customer experience. Costa Dulce is ALL ABOUT the customer experience! They start with email, answering any and all questions you may have. If you are a Solo Female Traveler such as myself, they reassure you that safety is one of their top priorities. Not only that, if you are also like me and traveling from the US, they help you debunk the government myths on Nicaragua being high-risk travel.

Although I enjoy challenging myself to speak Spanish the best I can without Google or other apps, there is no need. Both Ronnie and Willy speak perfect English.  

Two weeks before your Adventure at Costa Dulce begins, you will begin to receive follow-up emails. Airport transportation is solidified, along with any dietary restrictions. 

You want to come in via Managua, no problem. 

You want to come in via Liberia (Costa Rica), no problem. 

You can’t do gluten, no problem. 

You are vegetarian or vegan, no problem. 

For me, traveling can be very challenging, as I get migraines from onion and garlic. I know, imagine! My migraines last 48 hours, are nauseating, and there is NOTHING I can do about it! This can absolutely RUIN a trip if I am not careful!!! 

At Costa Dulce there is no need to worry! Their staff coordinates with the kitchen staff who go above and beyond to make food specific to YOUR needs. After spending a week with them, I am convinced there is nothing they can’t handle!

The guest experience is truly at the very core of Costa Dulce. Once I landed in Managua, I received a call from Ronnie. He was calling because he thought I may have a problem with some broken tile in my room. There was a cancellation in an upgraded room, and Ronnie wanted to offer that to me at no extra charge. 

The upgraded room, he said, was one of the rooms with the BEST ocean views. What’s funny is, I was excited about the room I booked as I wanted to hear the jungle calls throughout the night (of course you can hear the ocean as well)! I asked if I could see both rooms and whether or not the tile can be pushed back a week. Ronnie’s response was that he did not expect to hear that from me (haha!), but because it is all about the customer experience, he would be willing to do whatever I wanted. I will say, I got some FANTASTIC audio of Howler Monkeys throughout my time there, and have NO REGRETS in not accepting the upgrade!

My call at the airport was not the only unexpected and exceptional service upon arriving! I entered the property two hours later than lunch but three hours earlier than dinner. I was handed a “welcome drink” upon my arrival. And my lunch, no cebolla y no ajo (no onion and no garlic) was fresh and waiting for me.

Of course all of this was after a car ride with an EFFICIENT and TRUSTED driver! Martin was my man, to the extent that I requested he take me back to the airport on my last day! 

Martin does not speak any English, but he will communicate with you if you make the attempt like I do with broken Spanish! Smiles and laughter get you through and your effort is entirely appreciated.

Whenever you arrive at Costa Dulce, you will be given a tour of the grounds and your package (I went for the Full Body Nourishment package) and daily activities (should you want to partake) are explained to you in detail. You understand exactly what you signed up for, you get to know additional options, and how to navigate any activities being offered. One of the luxuries of being a Solo Traveler is that you can enjoy options with no obligations to anyone but yourself! You do not have to justify your decision making to anyone! Thank you Costa Dulce for making it all easy and accessible, with no judgement!

Working with women who have the desire to travel solo, but have a variety of fears around it, I hear some women say you need to be introverted to enjoy Solo Travel, while the others say you need to be extroverted. Introverted, extroverted, or an ambivert like myself, it doesn’t matter. When you sit down to your first communal meal at Costa Dulce, the conversation flows naturally. Other guests will notice you are new and will simply ask if you just arrived and where you are from. They will ask if you are there to surf or what package you are doing. You will QUICKLY and ORGANICALLY get to know people without any effort on your part.

You will also notice that the owners, managers, and yoga instructors sit among you. Without ever having to bring it up, I overheard Zach Dobosh, the Assistant General Manager, tell one of the guests that Solo Travelers are his top priority when it comes to connecting with guests. The reason they are Zach’s priority is that he wants to make sure solo women feel safe and comfortable.

Solo Travelers are not alone at Costa Dulce!

After overhearing this from Zach, I made it a point to share with him what it is I do as a Solo Travel Coach. With that, I was invited to meet with him, the Co-Founder Tyson, and Samantha, Director of Marketing and Sales. I sat at the table with these amazing people discussing the importance of ensuring female Solo Travelers feel safe and how we can collaborate with one another to achieve that! I LOVE sharing GREAT opportunities with my clients and getting the word out about Costa Dulce is now extremely important to me! 

Costa Dulce is more than surfing, yoga, and bodywork. They are OPEN to hearing ideas from their guests. When I heard that they make all of their own shampoos, conditioners, bug sprays, etc., the Certified Aromatherapist in me was interested in taking a tour of their “Nica Naturals” on site. A tour was offered while I was there.

There are also excursions beyond the property that they are more than happy to assist their guests with. The last full day I was in Nicaragua, I was out on a boat fishing and snorkeling. I also had the BEST, FRESH ceviche in my life!!!

Traveling to Costa Dulce in Nicaragua is an experience. It is an adventure. It feels like a DREAM. It is safe. It is authentic. It is embedding yourself in a human and natural experience that is a rare find in this world. The guests there glow in body and soul. They transform in front of your eyes.

There are sixty-one-year-old women learning to surf for the first time. There are younger women that transform through spirituality. There are recurring guests of all ages, gender, and backgrounds. It is about celebrating life milestones and manifesting dreams. For me, there are no words to describe the experience. Simply being immersed in the high-frequency, wave-crashing, monkey-howling environment shifted my soul.

As always, I am happy to come home to my husband and cat and the life that we have created. I love the comforts of home. That being said, a piece of me remains at Costa Dulce and always will. 

If this sounds like something you want to do, but you still have either fear or questions about, please reach out to me. You can schedule a FREE, fifteen minute consultation. Between myself and the staff at Costa Dulce, you will be in for a solo experience and transformation of a lifetime!

A few suggested items for your trip you can find on Amazon:

Chaco Women's Z/1 Classic Sandal: This sandal has been with me for 13 years, on multiple continents, in lakes, streams, and oceans. They are perfect for hiking/kayaking/waterfall excursions. They were the ONLY pair of shoes I brought with me for 30 days in Uganda! I wore these down to the beach, throughout the property, and on the jungle walk in Nicaragua. 

HEETA Dry Bag Waterproof: This dry bag has been with me while kayaking in La Jolla on a quest to find whales, on a whale watching boat excursion, and in the jungle during rainy season in Nicaragua. 

TDC Head Lamp Led Rechargeable: This is not the exact headlamp I have as I believe mine has been discontinued. But it is the CLOSEST one to the one I have! While on retreat in Costa Rica, I was laughed at for how obnoxious it looks! Haha! But a few days in, people were asking to borrow mine as it can be DARK in the jungle, especially if the lights happen to go out! My headlamp was with me in Nicaragua. No one made fun, but a few were envious! For me, this is a MUST HAVE!

Proof of suggested Amazon products; both the dry bag and Chaco sandals on the jungle walk in Nicaragua!