Yemaya Reefs, a Small Luxury Hotel

Yemaya it’s a hidden gem! The staff were very friendly and respectful! Gordon, Donella and Omar made sure I had the best experience, everything was perfect , the food was delicious and the drinks were extraordinary. Sunsets are magical! Definitely recommend

We were unlucky that it was unusually windy during our stay. Because of this, we could only travel from BC to LC in the late afternoon. The crossing was terrible! We sat on wooden crates on the back deck of a fishing boat. Due to the huge waves, we moved forward very slowly, and it took 1.5 hours. Several people got sick, and everyone was scared. We arrived around 6:30 PM (completely dark). Upon arrival, the luggage was loaded onto wheelbarrows and transported across the island at a brisk pace. At Yemaya, we were welcomed by manager Carlos and yoga teacher Tara. On Saturday and Sunday, the wind was so strong that there wasn’t much to do. We walked to the village a few times and made the best of it. On Monday, the wind died down a bit but there were tropical rain showers. We found a local who was willing to take us on a snorkeling trip that afternoon. It was difficult because of the strong current, but we were happy we got to see part of the reef. Unfortunately, the coral is mostly dead and there weren’t that many fish. Luckily, we saw a nurse shark, a ray, and two small turtles. It was a special experience to be out on the water during a rainstorm so heavy you couldn’t see a thing. Tuesday was bright and sunny. We had breakfast outside and enjoyed the pool (a large amount of seaweed had washed up on the beach). The crossing this time was smooth and took less than 30 minutes. The food at Yemaya is expensive but good. We shared a room with our teenagers, which worked out fine. The resort is beautiful but a bit boring, especially when the weather is bad. The walk to the village is manageable, takes about 30 minutes one way, and is mostly unlit (we used headlamps).

Beautiful property, however i recommend bringing food & snacks & beverages. There is no where close to purchase. The dinning staf was extremely slow, we had to beg for water they would take our glass we would sit forever waiting & waiter would not return. The menu was small and they were out of most of the main dishes. We where served the wrong dinners that took over hour to get, while its beautiful there no good or water and only alchol available at a hefty cost. Makes for a unpleasant time.

I paid $1,669.80 for a trip to Yemaya on 1/29/25 for my best friend in Argentina and Myself to meet there 2/23/25 to 3/6. I had to prepay the entire amount. My best friend was hospitalized in Argentina on 2/11/25 and had to receive blood transfusions and terminally ill. I notified Yemaya about this on 2/11/25, I provided them the certificate of hospitalization from Buenos Aires showing she was hospitalized and they gave me the run around and kept passing me on to other "managers". I spoke to a Connie, who was nice, but ultimately ignored me. I had to leave Nicaragua because I was alone there and crying about my best friend's illness. Their website states they give full refund 14 days before trip, but this is a lie. I do not write bad reviews often, but I lost a large amount of money. I am so upset still. Book elsewhere. :(

I would love to give this hotel a 5 star but unfortunately, I cannot and I will explain below. I reached out prior to our trip if we can have a plunge pool and pay extra since we are celebrating our anniversary. Crickets…until I followed up twice and was informed that they are full. I knew that arriving to the island would be rough as per the comments I was reading from previous travelers. So it’s a given, especially we were in a small boat for 6 people. Upon arrival, we were greeted and welcomed with a signature drink. The check in was a breeze. The room was quite spacious and we have a daybed as well, which we obviously didn’t use. The shower feels like you’re with nature. The French doors open to a small patio overlooking the beach. It really is a beachfront property. Everything is going great as we have hoped. The island is secluded, and it’s ideal for couples who would like to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The sunset was marvelous. They had a cultural dance on our first night. Since the property is small, you’ll see the same familiar guests and we even get to know a German couple who visited them twice. Monique (I hope I remembered her name right), helped us with all our needs. She is such a delight. I even tried their Aloe Vera spa and my partner had the massage. On our second day, the fridge was not working. So my partner transferred it by the door since we found out that it was the outlet. We informed the housekeeping guy that was inside the room before they left. Unfortunately, my partner lo had $300 taken from his envelope where he had his cash. He would t have known if he did not prepare how much he was going to pay for his scuba diving the following morning. We had cordobas, my Apple Watch, my iPhone on the table but those were not taken away. I reported it immediately. I was not sure if I also lost cash since I don’t have the habit of counting my cash. The operations manager had security investigate the event and I was informed that the they had to let go of one of their employees, which was not our intention, though I do understand their reasoning behind it. I informed him that we still have 4 more days in the island and I don’t feel safe leaving our valuables behind so I had to take my little waterproof beach bag to put all of our valuables the entire time we stayed. Their service recovery is minimal. I do expect them to give us a credit of $300 to be deducted from our bill, and an apology. That was all we had. I was not asking for anything else but as I said, that’s the minimal service recovery I was expecting. The hotel’s pool is small but you rarely share it with someone since most of the guests are at the beach or exploring the jungle. The food is good. The waiter Jordan is very attentive and even knows our names. In fact, most of them do and they know which room you are staying. Overall, for a small luxury hotel, the overall experience is above average (minus the missing money incident), the servi

Il viaggio è faticoso ma all'arrivo sarete pienamente ripagati...l'isola è quella che nell'immaginario collettivo rappresenta l'isoletta tropicale per eccellenza, mentre il resort (il nome Yemanya- la dea del mare per le popolazioni afroindigine- non potrebbe essere più azzeccato) fa parte, a pieni voti, degli "Smal Leading Hotel of the World ": le camere sono spaziose, confortevoli ed arredate con stile, il ristorante offre una cucina variegata e gustosa, mentre il personale è molto gentile e attento. Il must è la barriera corallina proprio difronte al resort raggiungibile a nuoto. Insomma tanta voglia di tornare.