Boutique hotels in Matagalpa

Matagalpa sits in Nicaragua's northern highlands, where the air is cooler and the hillsides are planted with coffee. The town is the commercial heart of the coffee region, and the surrounding mountains hold cloud forest, waterfalls and family-run farms that welcome overnight guests.

Where to stay

In town, the best address is a renovated Art Déco mansion with a garden near the center. In the hills, the Selva Negra estate, a family-run organic coffee farm with forest trails and a lake, offers cabins and a rural stay that is a world away from the beach.

Good to know

The drive from Managua takes about two and a half hours on a winding road. Coffee harvests run roughly November to February, when farm tours are most lively. Nights can be cool, so pack a layer, and the rainy season from May to October turns the hills green.