Our Discovery of Hostel Iguana Azul

The hostel Iguana Azul in Copí¡n Ruinas is a calm oasis with the most comfort we have come across in weeks (apart perhaps for the Hotel Spa Granada in Granada, Nicaragua behind the chocolate museum). After our reservations at Via Via Copí¡n Ruinas were unsuccessful, we toured the town and visited a few other accommodations: Don Udo ´s, a beautiful hotel a little on the expensive side, Posada de Belsy, with a warm staff but no room, and La Casa Cafe, definitely out of our budget league. We were very fortunate to knock on Iguana Azul ´s door and find a beautifully painted and spacious private bedroom.

This morning as we left I witnessed a cleaning session and it is no surprise that the place is spotless. From the shades in each of the 3 private rooms, to behind the couch in the common room and the floors in both dorms, nothing was left unturned by the attendant. She also had the laundry going in the backyard, some soap and a lot of huile de coude as we had experienced ourselves at La Finca Magdalena in Ometepe when trying to remove volcanic ash mud from our hiking clothes. It is obvious that the owner tends carefully to Iguana Azul.

Amenities at Iguana Azul

The backyard is also where you will find the shared toilets, showers and sinks. We usually have a bathroom en suite in most of the rooms we rent but in all honesty, the setup is perfectly fine and in a state of cleanliness encountered nowhere else than at Jess ´ parents ´maybe. Did I mention the hot water?

We were actually welcomed by a couple traveling with a 2 year old boy. They had just begun their year long adventure and spent a week at Iguana Azul, finding it extremely cozy and relaxing. They also took us to Comedor Mary around the corner for some pupusas, deliciously stuffed fried pancakes. If they dispatched us this piece of advice, they may have found it on the walls of the hostel, which has lots of information including a list of the ten best things to do in Copí¡n Ruinas. The Internet wifi is free but there is no computer. For this you may have to head over to T-shirt.net for the cheapest service in town: 30 lempiras an hour. The hostel has free filtered water as well; there is an obvious environmental concern in the management of the place, which can be met in other places in and around Copí¡n Ruinas as well, such as the Finca La Cisne.

Location of Hostal Iguana Azul

The location of Hostal Iguana Azul is great, it ´s a 5 minute walk from central park, which makes it less prone to the noisy weekend nights we have been promised in Copí¡n Ruinas. Take a corner and you will also benefit from a majestic view of the surrounding hills.

Jess agrees with me when I say that for only 270 lempiras (about 14 USD) , this is one of the best of hostels we have stayed in. If you are not searching for comfort but instead need more atmosphere (and loud music) you might need to head over to Via Via Copí¡n Ruinas. Be careful; they seem to fill their rooms pretty quickly!