Selvista Guesthouses Bed and Breakfast

Selvista is exactly what we wanted. We wanted somewhere immersed in the nature of the jungle but with all of the creature comforts of home. Greeted by the friendly faces of Chris and Meg and offered thirst quenching coconuts after a long day of travelling. The farm to table breakfasts and abundance of fruit grown on the property which we were encouraged to eat added to the experience. Nothing was too much to ask from the hosts and could not think of anything negative to say if I tried.

We cannot rave about this place enough. The setting is amazing and the eco-friendly farming, plus the education and training of the local people make this a special guesthouse. Megan, the manager, went out her way to make us welcome and comfortable. Don’t miss you her tour and explanation of the plants, trees and animals there. Breakfast is included and served in the communal kitchen, making you feel you are participating in the Nicaraguan way of life. Nemer, Megan’s partner, is also great and helpful. It is only a 20 minute into town and there is lots to do in the area. We had an awesome visit and highly recommend this place to anyone! Joanne and Mark.

Clean and comfortable cabins in a lush jungle setting. Good location, 10 minute walk down the dirt road to Balgue where there are shops and restaurants, although you feel totally immersed in the wilderness. Megan was very helpful in arranging hikes, scooter rentals, and transportation. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for something off the beaten track!

Selvista Guest house is one of the most inspiring visits of my life, situated on a beautiful part of the island, I had the luxury of spending the best part of a week here in several of the houses they have to offer and not one of them disappointed. All of them have spectacular views of the island and real jungle effect. The staff here are brilliant from the Chef to the guy who feeds the dogs, but a special shout out to Megan and Nemar who were the best hosts you could hope for, I was actually there for Christmas day and was a tad poorly, but they seemed more concerned about me rather than enjoying their special day themselves which goes to show what type people they are. If you need anything they will sort it. I really hope to be back one day and I urge anyone to experience this fantastic place.

Unique and awesome place to stay. Guesthouses and an open kitchen scattered throughout the jungle connected by paths. Was very cool, lots of jungle wildlife everywhere. Megan was a terrific host, sorted everything we needed including getting a motorbike delivered to rent, as the location is a little bit away from the closest town. Rooms were so clean, even though it was in the jungle there were no bugs or insects bothering us. Highly recommended.

Selvista Gueshouses is an exquisite paradise in beautiful Ometepe! We were stunned by this luxurious accommodation that offered everything we needed (from breakfasts to ATV rentals) and became our home away from home. We woke up every morning to the sound of wildlife and views of the most epic volcano! Breakfast was made with freshly grown and harvested fruits from the farm and we never felt healthier or more ready to explore after our early morning pow wows with Megan and Chris! Megan is the camp manager and is always available to help with questions or recommendations on adventures and Chris was a gracious host. We can't wait to come back!

Selvista Guesthouse's claim is "barefoot luxury". It turned out to be all barefoot, no luxury and WAY overpriced for that. Would not stay there again! Stay away!
Our room was definitely not equipped to be a guest room (shower and toilet were broken, only one small lamp not strong enough to light the whole room, let alone reading lights), someone's private stuff was all over (canoe paddle, fishing rods, necklaces, rotting books).
There was an open utility closet attached with stacks of toilet paper etc. And the room had a moldy ceiling.
The attached shower and toilet were not working so we had to use a compost toilet and an a rusty outdoor shower with no curtain and only cold water about 30 meters up a steep rocky unlit path from the room.
Mice and birds were coming into the room and went into our luggage at night because the door had huge open areas and no screen at all.

There were dogs running around all over the property and even entering our room.
And that all for 90$ per night — very overpriced for what you are getting there. We had many rooms in Nicaragua for a fraction of that price with much more comfort — even in equally remote areas.
I just came across another critical review about Selvista being illegally-run by expats, who are not paying taxes and exploiting the Nicaraguan staff.
I am quite inclined to believe that is true since
1.

Travelers beware: This B&B is an unregistered business run by a verbally abusive owner and managed by an illegal foreigner who both mistreat local workers and deny them legal benefits. I have witnessed this both as a guest and as a former manager of this project. Behind the seemingly simple and "sustainable" appearance of an isolated farm and rustic accommodations (see photos) is an ugly backstory of dozens of unethical business practices. The American property owner, Christopher Shanks, is well-known for verbally abusing Nicaraguan workers and often cheating employees and contractors out of receiving their fair pay. He has a 10+ year reputation in the local community of Balgüe on Ometepe Island of mistreating workers, denying them benefits to which they are legally entitled, and threatening to replace them if they make any complaints about their job. This has created an abusive relationship of economic dependency with locals having no choice but to subsist off of exploitative wages to put food on the table. Nicaraguan staff at Selvista are consistently under-paid, even less than the already-low legally required minimum wage for the hospitality industry, despite each having 5-10 years of relevant experience and excellent performance. Even today, the employees are paid less than US$1 per hour, which is much less than they deserve and is disgustingly low considering that rooms here often go for US$100+ per night, or even sometimes US$200+ per night.

Travelers beware: This B&B is an unregistered business that is run by a verbally abusive owner and managed by an illegal foreigner who both mistreat local workers and deny them legal benefits. I have witnessed this both as a guest and as a former manager of this project. Behind the seemingly simple and "sustainable" appearance of an isolated farm and rustic accommodations (see photos) is an ugly backstory of dozens of unethical business practices. The American property owner, Christopher Shanks, is well-known for verbally abusing Nicaraguan workers and often cheating employees and contractors out of receiving their fair pay. He has a 10+ year reputation in the local community of Balgüe on Ometepe Island of mistreating workers, denying them benefits to which they are legally entitled, and threatening to replace them if they make any complaints about their job. This has created an abusive relationship of economic dependency with locals having no choice but to subsist off of exploitative wages to put food on the table. Nicaraguan staff at Selvista are consistently under-paid, even less than the already-low legally required minimum wage for the hospitality industry, despite each having 5-10 years of relevant experience and excellent performance. Even today, the employees are paid less than US$1 per hour, which is much less than they deserve and is disgustingly low considering that rooms here often go for US$100+ per night, or even sometimes US$200+ per night.

I stayed here in June with my girlfriend for a few days. We had a great time! Super relaxing and comfortable accommodations. Incomparable volcano and jungle views and vibe. Megan was a great hostess and Nemer her colleague and partner gave us a local's point of view. Highly recommended!

The Selvista Guesthouses are unique and thoughtful homes set high in the jungle above Balague on Ometepe Island. We found the staff went above and beyond to help us during our stay, and we enjoyed getting to have such a close interaction with the locals during our time there. The guesthouse we stayed in was Jackfruit House, which had a view of the volcano from the upper lounge area. This is a more authentic location, so bring a flashlight and bug spray! But even with the couple of bites, we would happily return!

Hidden in the hills is this great place! Beautiful finishes with local wood. Recently upgraded with sound systems and local Nicaraguan art! We enjoyed delivery from nearby restaurants that used local, homegrown ingredients. Wake up to a home cooked breakfast and then enjoy your day on Ometepe.

Between the accommodation and the staff, this place is a real gem! We stayed in Jackfruit House. Views are awesome! Comfortable place to make a home away from home. Should have stayed for weeks. Our host was very accommodating and super helpful. Breakfast was top notch. Sit and be served. Food was fresh, local, filling, unique and an excellent day starter. We traveled to much on our ATV and found ourselves low on fuel to get to a gas station. Our host reached out and had fuel delivered to us at a very competitive price. An indispensible service that made our experience so amazing. We undoubtedly recommend staying here! More importantly we look forward to returning.

Great place for a rustic vacation! Barefoot luxury at its finest. Friendly staff and dogs.

The property is a gorgeous and a permaculture farm that offers tours. There are incredible views of the volcano and lake, and sweet dogs on the property. Megan is so helpful and is always useful for arranging transit or rentals, and offering advice. The breakfast is delicious and our whole stay here was so lovely!

This place was incredible. We stayed in Mango House and had a perfect view of Concepcion as the sun set beside it. If you're looking for something unique, this is the spot. The staff are amazing as well!

Beautiful cabins in a private setting. Surrounded by fruit trees and forest. Knowledgeable and friendly host. Great place to unwind for a few days with the amenities of Balgue nearby.

WOW! Such an amazing setting, staff are amazing and the surrounding areas are enchanting. Massively recommend, would give more stars if I could!

I went to visit Ometepe in Nicargua and stayed at the Homestead of Chris's Selvista Guest Houses in Balgue, Ometepe. It was a great experience and having Missy and Erwing who manage the guesthouses made the difference in my stay as they were excellent hosts. The Homestead is the more rustic of the two guesthouses on the property and sits atop a rise that overlooks Mount Concepcion. The comfortable hammock at the entrance has a perfect view of the breautiful scenery. Having breakfast with the other guests reminded me of the B&Bs of England with a friendly atmosphere where you can share stories and plan your day. Though I speak no Spanish, I had no problem getting around. Having Missy there was helpful because she is fluent in Spanish and knows the locals very well. I highly recommend staying at the Homestead on Ometepe! If it is a little rustic for you, the Selvista Jungle House is very modern and has equally outstanding views. Either way, they are both fantastic! Highly recommended home base for your adventures on Ometepe!