Planning the penultimate trip in The World A to Z series took some doing as there simply are not that many places that start with “Y” — Yemen was out for some obvious reasons and Yellowknife was just too Canadian. A Google search revealed a gem in the Caribbean Ocean that looked right up our alley — Yemaya Reefs Resort. We’ve just returned and there are so many great things to say about this trip: It’s worth the effort to get there; there’s almost nothing, which made it truly MAGIC; and simply relaxing is easier than I expected.
Yemaya Reefs is a Small Luxury Hotels of the World property. SLH is in partnership with the Hilton family of brands, making booking easy and giving us Hilton Honors points! It’s located on tiny Little Corn Island off the east coast of Nicaragua. Getting there is a challenge: First, you have to get to Managua, then fly a small turboprop on local carrier La Costeña to Big Corn Island, then take a panga — a smallish open boat — to the resort. Due to a little airline rescheduling, our trip getting there took almost three days!
We had arranged the transportation on the panga through the concierge. We were pleasantly surprised to be greeted at the airport and taken to the dock. Mark even told the boat captain to seat us in the back for a smoother ride … although it was, as advertised, an exciting and WET 30 minutes across the open water.
Iliana, one of the concierges, met us at the boat and walked us to the restaurant for a refreshing welcome drink and small bite while we waited for our casita to be ready. It was only 10:30 in the morning, so we ordered breakfast off the menu and enjoyed the warm sunshine and tropical breezes al fresco.
By the time we’d finished our meal, the casita was ready. WOW! Everything about it was perfect! Cushioned, comfy chairs beckon from the deck. The plunge pool’s blue blends perfectly with the tropical ocean blues. A pile of pillows evoke thoughts of a lazy afternoon in the breeze. Inside, the bed looks out onto the ocean. I can’t help but imagine the sunrise view.
We’d met a couple at the restaurant who’d laughingly “warned” us that while snorkeling was an option, there’s really nothing to do … and, Tessa swooned, the nothingness will suck you in. It was their seventh visit to Yemaya Reefs in as many years. She was right. We unpacked our minimal belongings and felt the overwhelming urge to slip into the pool and just stare at the water.
By mid-afternoon, we realized we’d need lunch at some point. We slipped on flip flops and strolled to the restaurant along the grassy path between our casita and the golden sand-covered beach.
With a single exception, that’s the way our whole stay went. Wake up, relax in the sunshine and breezes, go to breakfast, read and relax more, lunch, relax more, dinner … repeat daily. The exception, though, just added to the stay. We signed up for the couples “Chocolate Bliss” experience at the spa. The description laid out a three-hour experience beginning with a raw sugar, coconut oil and cacao scrub, a chocolate body wrap, a relaxing massage and a floral body soak. It was a delicious experience!
As we sat outside watching the sun set on our last night at Yemaya Reefs, we joked about staying longer. “What if we just don’t meet the boat in the morning for the ride back to Big Corn Island?” I pondered. Would they eventually kick us out of the casita? While we decided not to take that risk, we both marveled at the unexpected realization that after three days in a location, we are normally ready to move on. This time, we were fully prepared to do the opposite — just settle in for more dolce far niente.
Sadly, reality drove us inside to pack for the early panga back to “Big Corn” for our flights home.
We’re so very happy we made this choice for our Y trip, but it’s time to look ahead. The “Z” trip planning is underway — unlike Y, there are HUNDREDS of possibilities. Thoughts of Yemaya Reefs seem to be influencing our plans at this stage. There’s a whole world out there waiting to be explored, but there’s something enchanting about finding a place in the middle of nowhere that forces you to stop and linger for a while!
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