We take pride in being the “tranquilo” traveler's choice in León - as you might have guessed, this implies that we are NOT a party hostel. What we are, though, is a home base from which you head out to discover our town, its beaches and volcanoes. A place to return to with lots of impressions after a day out. A place where we treat each other like family.
10 good reasons to stay at La Tortuga Booluda
Rooms
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This room features a queensize bed, a bunk and an ensuite bathroom. It is the perfect room for a family or a group of friends. The high ceiling and fans help you to cool down in hot León. All our mattresses are new!
1 Person: $25
2 People: $40
3 People: $40
4 People: $40
Prices include bedsheets, towels, taxes, served breakfast (3 options available), coffee all day, filtered water and use of all our facilities!
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This is an economy private room with a bunk bed and an ensuite bathroom. It is ideal for two friends traveling together. Our high ceilings and fans help you cool down during these hot León nights. All our mattresses are new!
1 Person: $ 18
2 People: $ 24
Prices include bedsheets, towels, taxes, served breakfast (3 options available), coffee all day, filtered water and use of all our facilities!
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This is our newly renovated economy double room. It's basic but its rate is unbeatable. For solo travelers or couples who do not want to forego the comfort of a spacious private bathroom. Needless to say, there is a fan to cool you down during these hot León nights. All mattresses are new!
1 Person: $ 18
2 People: $ 24
Prices include bedsheets, towels, taxes, served breakfast (3 options available), coffee all day, filtered water and use of all our facilities!
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Each of the beds in our 8-bed dorm features a small reading lamp and a shelf. There are new facilities just outside. Needless to say, lockers and fans are provided. All mattresses are new.
Dorm bed: $ 10
Prices include bedsheets, towels on request, taxes, served breakfast (3 options available), coffee all day, filtered water and use of all our facilities!
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This is our big private room with a queensize bed and a bunk bed, an ensuite bathroom and fans. It is typically booked by families or groups of friends and occasionally by couples who enjoy some extra space. All mattresses are new!
1 Person: 27 $
2 People: 40 $
3 People: 40 $
4 People: 40 $
Prices include bedsheets, towels, taxes, served breakfast (3 options available), coffee all day, filtered water and use of all our facilities!
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This one is our traveling couples' favourite. It features a queensize bed, fans and ensuite bathroom. The mattress is brand new!
1 Person: $ 23
2 People: $ 31
Prices include bedsheets, towels, taxes, served breakfast (3 options available), coffee all day, filtered water and use of all our facilities!
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Our brandnew upstairs double room offers a unique blend of colonial and industrial styles. It comes with A/C, a ceiling fan and lots of terrace space just outside. The mattress is brand new!
1 Person: $ 34
2 People: $ 37
Prices include bedsheets, towels, taxes, served breakfast (3 options available), coffee all day, filtered water and use of all our facilities!
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This is a newly built double room with an additional bunk. It's ideal for a family or group of friends who do not want to forego a certain level of comfort; the room features A/C, a ceiling fan and a terrace area just outside. All mattresses are new!
1 Person: $ 37
2 People: $ 48
3 People: $ 48
4 People: $ 48
Prices include bedsheets, towels, taxes, served breakfast (3 options available), coffee all day, filtered water and use of all our facilities!
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This newly built upstairs room will cast a spell on you with its colonial tiles and the customised furniture. There is ample terrace space outside for you to enjoy a drink or read a book. The room has A/C and a ceiling fan. The mattress is brand new!
1 Person: $ 32
2 People: $ 35
Prices include bedsheets, towels, taxes, served breakfast (3 options available), coffee all day, filtered water and use of all our facilities!
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Our "penthouse" has just received a complete make-over! It features two queensize beds, a spacious private terrace, A/C and lots of space for two couples or a small family. All mattresses are new!
1 Person: $ 38
2 People: $ 50
3 People: $ 50
4 People: $ 50
Prices include bedsheets, towels, taxes, served breakfast (3 options available), coffee all day, filtered water and use of all our facilities!
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What to do
Private Spanish Class
Whether you’re an absolute beginner or want to brush up your school Spanish for the trip – our teachers are happy to come and teach you at the hostel.
$ 6 per hour
Volcano Boarding
In case you were wondering...yes, this activity involves sliding down an active (and one of the continent's youngest) volcanoes on a board that resembles a toboggan. The place is worth it for the scenery alone!
Includes: shirt and drink
35 $ per person
Volcano hikes
There is a wide variety of hikes available around León. Most involve volcanoes in one way or another. Options include:
- Telica sunset (you drive to the middle of the volcano and walk the last 40 min).
- El Hoyo and Asososca (beautiful hike with great views and a refreshing swim in a crater lake)
- San Cristobal (highest volcano in Nicaragua)
...and combinations of the above. Contact us for more information or read the brochure once you get here!
Free Walking Tour
Unarguably the best way to get to know our charming colonial city is a free walking tour. The knowledgeable local guides take you around the center of town. Got any burning questions you have been wanting to ask a local? Challenge them!
Takes: approx. 2 h
Price: tip-based
Time: 9 a.m./4 p.m.
Gallery
About Us
Tito Tortuga
Dear guest,
My name is Tito and I have lived at La Tortuga Booluda for as long as I can think. I love this place because I can wander around and discover new things every day. The hostel has just been remodeled - I'm sure you'll like it!
Zaida
Zaida is in charge of cleaning. And the pancake recipe. Shy at first, she warms up quickly.
Carolina
Carolina is our daytime receptionist. She has a soft spot for interior design and enjoys practicing her English with guests!
Maria Elena
Maria Elena has been with us for several years now. Not only is she our cleanliness specialist, she has also taken up her university studies. You'll hardly ever see her without a smile.
Erick
Erick, our afternoon and night receptionist, is a biologist by training and interested in everything that creeps and flies. Sometimes we catch him watching rooster videos on the reception laptop.
Milton
Milton is our conscientious night guard. He never sleeps until he knows everyone is back safe. He holds the reputation of being the man to beat at pool, and as a computer engineer is the most tech savvy of us all!
Travel Info
Land and People
Nicaragua is an unbelievably special place with its own magic. One has to take a moment to adjust to the slow rhythm of life here. But mind you, slow does not mean lazy. Most people are early risers and work extremely hard to make a living. Yet most of them will smile at you and enjoy any interaction with a "chele", as tourists are called rather affectionately.
Nicaragua's colonial cities are full of charm, which is why we chose to open La Tortuga Booluda in León, the city that is home to Central America's biggest cathedral. The landscapes around the city, dominated by the Maribios chain of volcanoes are simply spectacular.
Yet we believe that the country's greatest asset are its people. We can only encourage you to get to know the authentic Nicaragua off the beaten track. Where people are hard-working, modest and warm. The “popular” education that was born before and during the revolution has left its mark. Take the time to talk to people, practice your Spanish and mingle and you’ll soon feel at home here, especially at our beloved Tortuga. Come with low expectations, slow down, soak up the human kindness, drink lots of rum, and we think you’ll love it too.
Best Time to Come
If warm weather is what you’re looking for, there’s not really a bad time to come. The rainy season (or winter, as Nicaraguans call it) is off and on from July to November but it will stay dry for entire days, especially along the Pacific coast. The hottest months here are February to May with peaks around 37 °C. If that’s too hot for you, you should envisage an escape to the ocean (30 minutes away) or to the Northern towns of Matagalpa or Estelí, both about 2 hours from León by bus.
From the moment rainy season ends in November, it gets hotter and drier, so a great time to come is from late November through February when it is not rainy or too hot, but still green and lush. Nicaragua is in the northern hemisphere, but they call their seasons opposite of ours because of the rain.
Currency
Nicaragua’s official currency is the cordoba. However, US dollars are also widely accepted. Smaller bills are recommended! You can change dollars into cordobas and vice versa in every larger town.
Language
You can get by without much Spanish at all, but that doesn’t mean you should try to speak English or plan on it. In the very least, you should learn a few basic phrases, and start interactions by asking in Spanish if you can speak English.
Where Should I Go?
Leon and nearby beaches and volcanoes could easily be enough to fill a week-long trip. After that, the obvious stops on the small but growing tourist trail would be Granada (beautiful colonial city) and San Juan del Sur (beach town and epicenter of coastal tourism).
Other good stops are Laguna de Apoyo (super chill volcanic lake with great swimming), Ometepe Island (more rustic; in the middle of the giant lake; cool hikes), or, for the more adventurous with more time, the higher altitude coffee and cigar lands up North – interesting cities and a few farms/natural reserves well worth a visit!
If you’re looking to enjoy the even more relaxed vibe of the Caribbean coast, the easiest option is to fly there with La Costeña. The trip to Bluefields can be done by land/river – for those who have the time and patience.
Nicaragua is one the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, but you wouldn’t know it unless you got off the beaten path. You can have a very rugged or a very luxurious trip – the choice is yours.
Arriving/Departing
You need to pay a US$10 visa fee at airport immigration (visa is valid for 90 days).
There is only one small baggage claim room. In an emergency, the pharmacy just after the exit has a phone that you can ask to use, and they will let you pay in US dollars. There are also ATMs in the central atrium of the airport where you can withdraw cordobas with your debit or credit card.
Getting Here
Airport pick-up
Our driver can come and pick you up and drop you off at the airport in Managua at any time of the day. We charge you 70 $ for the journey. Please contact us for more information!
Shuttles
There is a daily shuttle service to Managua airport, Granada, Rivas and San Juan del Sur, leaving from the hostel at 9 am. You can book it through us the day before your departure.
Blog
Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua
You have tried every single activity from bungee jumping to snowkiting and are convinced there is nothing left in this world that can get your adrenaline pumping? Then volcano boarding in Nicaragua might just be your sort of thing!
continue reading ...Hiking Volcanoes - Telica, the Steaming Monster
Telica has to be one of Nicaragua’s most spectacular volcanoes. Standing at the edge of its crater you can hear it grumbling and hissing while clouds of smoke billow into the air above you.
continue reading ...Special Guests
Greta from Knoxville, TN, doesn‘t like to talk about her age. Estoy tan vieja como el pinol she says, quoting a Nicaraguan saying.
continue reading ...Of Giants and Midgets - THE Cultural Event in Nicaragua
Giants and midgets? That's not the politically correct nomeclature!, you might exlaim with indignation. Well, maybe in our case it is. If you've been to Nicaragua in late November or early December, you'll understand. Here's an introduction to THE cultural event of the year in Nicaragua.
continue reading ...Booking & Contact
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