Victoria Hotel
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.

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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.
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