Our Story began when a group of four individuals were bowled over by the vision of the SPACE’s founder. We listened intently as she told us of tales abroad in far-flung lands and all the good, the bad and the ugly that came with them. She told us about Nicaragua and it’s indescribable natural beauty, the warmth of her people and their strong community values. We were inspired by the possibility of creating an experience that encompasses all of these characteristics and more.
The vision began to gain momentum as an opportunity presented itself in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. The idyllic, tropical surf town with its amazing year round surf and unique blend of cultures seemed like the perfect place to start. So we left Cape Town, South Africa, and set off on what was simultaneously the most challenging and rewarding adventure of our lives.
The vision is to create a boutique lifestyle experience for the modern traveller. Every detail was meticulously attended to so that we could give you, our guest, a premium experience on a backpacker budget.
Our belief centers around a more conscious form of capitalism that strives to achieve a harmonious balance between profitability, environmental sustainability and community development.
With its origins as a mid 18th Century port town, San Juan del Sur was the region's most important trading hub as ships from around the world docked at its harbor as a gateway to Nicaragua. As trade continued to increase, a railroad was constructed to carry goods throughout the country which greatly increased the amount of visitors.
As marine travel became more commonplace, San Juan del Sur developed a popular route and fishing port which was enjoyed by famous visitors such as legendary author Mark Twain, who proclaimed San Juan as one of the most beautiful places he’d ever seen.
These days, San Juan is fast becoming the world’s next ‘it destination’. With its rolling green hills and jungle, postcard perfect bay, colorful town streets and warm, friendly people this idyllic seaside village continue to attract people from all over the world.
While most just pass through, many fell in love with the town and decided to stay. As a result, San Juan has now become a fascinating melting pot of cultural diversity that somehow still retains an authentically Nicaraguan way of life. We call it tranquillo and it’s a word that fully encapsulates the lifestyle - a gentler pace with time taken to enjoy family, friends, food and the beauty of the natural environment.
Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie out for the biggest waves, a free-spirited yogi busting out asanas in the jungle, a remote-working nomad, or just a passing tourist trying to experience the best of life, you’ll find what you’re looking for in San Juan. With a cosmopolitan mix of both local and foreign restaurants and shops, a thriving nightlife and beautiful beaches left, right and centre, it's the perfect place to make some lifelong memories.
The SPACE has environmental sustainability as one of it's core values. We implement a number of measures to preserve the natural beauty of the environment:
Another of our core values is responsible community development. We work hand-in-hand with the local community leaders to tackle long, medium and short term problems wherever possible, with a helping hand from our staff and visiting volunteers.
Although it’s a start, there’s still much more we can do and we encourage you to send us your ideas on how we can improve.
We also have grand plans to build a new community centre for the people that live in our neighborhood. Chat to one of us about how you can help us make that happen!