Is Treehouse Nicaragua Worth Visiting?
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The Treehouse, often referred to as “Treehouse Nicaragua” is a hostel in the jungles of western Nicaragua, lying at the foot of Volcan Mombacho. Is it worth staying here? Well that depends on a lot of factors. If you’re into the whole hippie/party/yoga scene or love immersing yourself in nature, you will love it here. If you’re a creature of comfort, then The Treehouse may not be the best place for you.
I fall into the nature-loving category. For a night it was lovely to chill out surrounded by the jungle sounds, and monkeys swinging through the trees. Although now they only allow 3-night stays.
Let’s have a look below at what this hostel is all about, why the hostel itself is an attraction for tourists, and whether you will enjoy visiting.
What Is Treehouse Nicaragua?
It’s a hostel in Nicaragua located in the jungle. As the name suggests, it is up high amongst the trees. However this doesn’t tell the full story. The two-story reception and communal areas are up high amongst the canopy, making up the “treehouse” element of this hostel. However the rooms are a few minutes away, tucked into the jungle.
The hostel hosts a series of activities which we’ll get into later, but the main draw here is the nature immersion element. You can see many cool animals such as monkeys swinging through the trees, and some not-so-cool ones such as the many bugs crawling through the jungle.
Central America has a ton of bucket list activities you should experience, but I could easily write a top ten Nicaragua bucket list too, and this place would be on it.
Is Treehouse A Party Hostel?
Not really. But it does host a massive electronic jungle rave every Friday night.
The party runs from 4pm-3am and it costs US$32.21 for a ticket including shuttle transport from Granada if you are not a guest. It only costs US$21 for Nicaraguans. This includes a 3.9% transaction fee, which explains the oddly specific price.
You can purchase tickets online from 10am on Sunday and can return them for a full refund up to 48 hours before the party begins (4pm on Wednesday).
I didn’t go here for the party, and arrived on Saturday, the day after guests had spent the night raving away in the jungle. The atmosphere was pretty subdued, with most people nursing a sore head. They all told me the party was amazing though. I didn’t hear a single bad word about it.
The Treehouse party is one of the biggest in Nicaragua, right up there alongside San Juan del Sur’s “Sunday Funday“.
What Can I Do Here?
This hostel is mostly about relaxation and enjoying nature. In terms of things to do in the local area, there isn’t much going on. You don’t come to Treehouse for attractions, Treehouse is the attraction, and one worth putting on your itinerary.
They have several hammocks up on the decking where you can just close your eyes and let the world pass by. The problem with these hammocks is that they’re almost a little too relaxing, I struggled to get up after having a nap in one of these.
They used to have opportunities to make chocolate, join in with quizzes, perform karaoke, or even visit a local Nicaraguan community at Poste Rojo and play football with them. Unfortunately they have rebranded as a predominantly music-based venue these days, and don’t host the same events that were on during my trip.
How Do I Get Here?
There is a free shuttle for guests, leaving from Hostal de Boca en Boca in Granada. The shuttle leaves at midday on Thursdays.
If you’re going to the Friday party, there are multiple shuttles leaving at 4pm, 5pm and 6pm.
If you miss the shuttle, don’t worry, you can always take a tuk tuk from Granada for around US$7. A little steep by Nicaraguan standards, but they are available at all times of day and night. Although at night I’d advise asking someone in Granada or Treehouse themselves for reputable drivers, especially if travelling alone.
Another option is to catch a chicken bus heading between Granada and Rivas. You can then hop off as you approach The Treehouse and arrange a tuk tuk from there.
It takes 20 minutes to reach The Treehouse from Granada.
When you arrive, there is a tough hike to get up to the reception area. It takes around 15 minutes and you will be ascending over a lot of rocky terrain in the humid Nicaraguan jungle. Although you will see several colonies of leaf-cutter ants marching across the path along the way, and that’s a pretty cool thing to see during your Central America adventures!
When Can I Stay Here?
You can stay here every week from Thursday to Sunday only. They only accept 3-night bookings now, so you cannot spend just a night here as I did when I first went.
You need to be okay with a bit of discomfort here, as it’s a nature spot with all sorts of bugs around, not a fancy 5* hostel.
What Are The Rooms Like?
There are three types of room available.
I stayed in a dorm room here and they are pretty big. Although this is a hostel for adventurers, therefore don’t expect comfort. The dorms are 16-bed rooms with ropey bunk beds and some lockers which can handle a small backpack or two, but not a massive 80l backpacking rucksack. Although if you’re an experienced traveller, you will probably know by now that such a large bag isn’t necessary…
The main drawback of the rooms here are the bugs. Many of them will slip through the wooden walls and invite themselves to spend the night with you. I also saw some lizards running around the room. It can be fun to stay here, but don’t expect the Hilton. The dorm rooms do NOT have mosquito nets, despite what you may hear online.
They also have private rooms, which do come with a mosquito net and a double bed. Only really suitable for couples, or solo travellers who don’t mind paying double for a bit of privacy.
Lastly, the luxury option is to stay in an actual treehouse! These private rooms are perfect if you want the full experience here. Sleep high above the trees watching the stunning sunsets and listening to the howling of the monkeys and the screeching of the birds. This is the perfect option to experience life just like Tarzan would.
How Much Does It Cost?
Nicaragua is one of the cheapest countries in Latin America, if not the world, therefore prices are low here. And The Treehouse is no exception:
Dorm rooms: £9.50 (US$13) per night, or £28.50 (US$38) for 3 nights.
Private rooms: £23.15 (US$31) per night, or £69.45 (US$94) for 3 nights.
Treehouse rooms: £35.35 (US$48) per night, or £106.05 (US$143) for 3 nights.
Party tickets: £24 (US$32.21)
Meals: £5.50 (US$7.50)
Can I Eat Here?
They cook three meals per day which you can choose to eat at an additional cost. All the food is vegetarian and vegan however so there isn’t much variety here and it’s just not very good…
They also have a bar where you can grab a beer and a few snacks. Prices are marginally above average, mostly due to the difficulties involved with transporting a load of food and drinks into the middle of the jungle and lugging it up a steep walkway, so that’s fair enough.
In all honesty the bar snacks are a better option than the “family meals” which you eat alongside other guests. Sure, you might enjoy the community aspect of that. But the food itself… that’s one area where they can do a lot better here.
Is Treehouse Nicaragua Worth Visiting? (Honest Opinions)
The Treehouse is a cool place to stay, there’s no doubt about that. It’s a unique experience and far more memorable than another generic hostel in X city that looks just like the other few hundred places you’ve stayed, and will be forgotten about within weeks. In fact it was so memorable that it helped shape my opinion of Nicaragua being the best country in Central America.
My previous night in the jungle was spent in Lanquin, Guatemala. Therefore that would be my point of comparison, and this place is far better. The views alone are breathtaking and the sounds of the howler monkeys in the distance make this a truly magical experience.
I’d say it’s gone downhill, as it has restricted stays to fixed 3-night blocks, and turned more into a music/party hub than the chilled nature and activities base it was before. But the nature element is still there, and that’s a big plus point.
On the negative side, the food seriously sucks, the rooms are full of bugs and you’re pretty isolated out here.
And that leads us to the main question, is it really worth visiting?
There’s a strong hippie vibe to this place. If that’s your kind of thing you will LOVE it here, I have no doubt.
If not, it’s a fun place to spend one night, although not much more than that. You will need to have some form of tolerance for discomfort to enjoy it here, it is after all more for adventurers than people coming to relax in luxury.
This is an ideal stopping point between adrenaline-filled adventures volcano boarding down Cerro Negro, and a chilled Charco Verde wildlife adventure on Ometepe.
A few nights in The Treehouse are certainly worth considering.
