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Victoria Hotel

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A friendly family hotel and restaurant on the banks of the Rio San Juan and below the fort in folksy, vehicle-free El Castillo.

This family-owned property, Hotel Victoria, is situated on the banks of the jungle-fringed Rio San Juan, a short stroll from the centre of the village. Folksy El Castillo itself - accessible only by river although a new road to Costa Rica passes nearby - consists of a huddle of wooden houses, some on stilts, crouching below the monumental hilltop stone fort built by the Spanish colonists.

The old building has a lovely veranda with river views, warm hospitality and one of only four private generators in town - handy in one of the power cuts which afflict this remote, vehicle-free community. The hotel was refurbished in 2013 and the 15 rooms - some with river views - are in very good condition with gleaming wooden walls. There is also a very pleasant al fresco restaurant with river views and a pond with turtles.

What our clients say

Overall we had an absolutely fabulous time and would recommend anyone to visit Nicaragua and visit using JLA - we felt it was a great mix of culture and wildlife…
OW, Arsenal Feb 2013
Most memorable experiences: “Nicaragua as a whole including Ometepe island and Granada. Bocas del Toro”
MT, Birmingham Mar 2013
'"Overall we had an absolutely fabulous time and would recommend anyone to visit Nicaragua and visit using JLA - we felt it was a great mix of culture and wildlife…
OW, Arsenal Jun 2013
Local cultures were well recognised and customs observed, especially on Ometepe where the local population were trying to maintain a traditional lifestyle while moving into the21st century.
AK, Wantage Mar 2012
“El Castillo is remote and absolutely rewarding . Our guides took us kayaking and made us a picnic from local produce and treated us like family. Owners of Victoria Hotel…
SF, Reading Jan 2011
“Great trip, very varied and not yet catering to the masses. Beauty everywhere, lots of wildlife to be seen and very welcoming people. Would go back in a heartbeat.”
JK, Polegate Mar 2012

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Our Expert's Opinion

Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

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Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.
Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.
Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.
Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.
Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.
Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!