Nekupe Sporting Resort and Retreat, an eight-room property on a 1,300-acre nature reserve in Nandaime, Nicaragua, opened this month as the country’s first luxury countryside resort.
Located 30 minutes from the colonial town of Granada, Nekupe aims to foster a spirit of exploration, adventure and well-being through culturally sensitive design influenced by Feng Shui principles, immersive activities, and indoor-outdoor living.
Experiences for multi-generational families, groups of friends or retreats include exploration, hiking, tennis, horseback riding, sporting clay and target shooting, and more. The resort also offers mountain-top yoga overlooking Mombacho Volcano, outdoor spa treatments utilizing native ingredients, meditation and nature walks.
Nekupe was conceived as a private family retreat by Nicaraguan philanthropists Don Alfredo Pellas and Doña Theresita Pellas, who reforested more than 14,000 trees, built water reservoirs and nurtured local wildlife.
Nekupe means heaven in Chorotega, the language of a Nicaraguan tribe. Each room comes with an ATV to navigate the terrain.
The main residential compound is 24,000 square feet and includes two suites overlooking a deck with an infinity plunge pool, and two smaller suites.
Four villas offer an open terrace and floor-to-ceiling windows.
The lobby, Casa Club, is a communal space with a restaurant, Don Alfredo’s, a gift shop and pool court with views of the landscape and volcano.
Culinary offerings include traditional Nicaraguan dishes with a modern interpretation using native ingredients. Nekupe Spa, using native-based treatments with natural ingredients, will debut in 2017.
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