Daily Life / Travel & Transportation

It’s been one month since we said adiós to our beloved three bedroom, two bathroom home in San Juan del Sur and said hello to our new digs in Marsella Valley. 

Making a Move to Marsella Valley
– Rustic modern living in Nicaragua

Located just 15 minutes from the center of San Juan our new rental home sits on a 1/2 acre parcel of land. Our current living space includes an open concept kitchen and living room, one spacious bedroom and one bathroom with a kick ass shower. 

Making a Move to Marsella Valley
– We love the polished concrete floors and countertops and the modern lighting
Making a Move to Marsella Valley
– The living room and kitchen area (as well as the bedroom) is equipped with air conditioning
Making a Move to Marsella Valley
– The living room sofa doubles as a bed
Making a Move to Marsella Valley
– After a year and a half of sharing a double bed, it sure is nice to sleep in a queen again
Making a Move to Playa Marsella
– The hot water showers are heavenly

The second floor open-air thatch roof rancho is one of our favorite features of the house. It’s the perfect place to visit with friends during the day or evening.

Making a Move to Marsella Valley
– A second living room
Making a Move to Marsella Valley
– A fine place for an afternoon nap

An alternate and equally enticing option for outdoor lounging are the hammock chairs that hang on the front of the house. We love the abundance of outdoor living space our new abode offers.

Making a Move to Marsella Valley
– A great place to enjoy morning coffee and a good book

On the property, a few steps from the main house, sits this cute little casita. 

Making a Move to Marsella Valley
– The perfect place for guests

In addition to the casita we also have a private bedroom and bathroom which is located right under the rancho. 

Moving out of town was something we discussed for awhile before actually doing it. Did we want to give up the convenience of walking to our favorite hang outs, the central market and San Juan Bay? Well, we’re happy to report that thirty nights in we have absolutely no regrets with our decision to move to Marsella Valley.

An 8 minute walk puts us at Playa Marsella, where sunsets with a bottle of wine are tough to beat.  A three minute drive up the hill takes us to Playa Maderas surf beach. Although we don’t actually surf we definitely enjoy watching those that do.

Making a Move to Marsella Valley
– A magical sunset at Playa Marsella

Gone are the days of bombas (firecrackers), bad karaoke and constant barking dogs and crowing roosters.  At our new home in Marsella Valley we enjoy the sounds of birds chirping happily in the trees and a distant growl from a howler monkey now and then. 

I’m discovering my green thumb and Gordon has plans to plant a little vegetable garden.

Making a Move to Marsella Valley

Our miniature schnauzer Maggie is equally content here. She loves to wander around the property sniffing, digging and exploring. She is gradually getting used to the horses that sometimes wander near the house.

Making a Move to Marsella Valley
– Hey there horsie!

Life here in the campo, as it’s called, is pretty sweet and we can’t wait to share these surroundings. Who wants to be our first official guests? 

18 Comments

  2. Wow – I love the new place & am glad to hear that you are enjoying it. That Private Casita looks like the perfect little spot for me & the boys – bunk beds & all. Hope to visit you someday soon. Love Sista Sal xo

    Sally Cowan

  3. I am excited to see your lovely place! When we get to Nica full time we will definetly look you up on the b & b! Locating to Poneloya 🙂

    Beth Coffman

  9. My husband and I love your blog and are planning to come to Nicaragua this winter. Your blog has been so helpful in our planning! Any chance you will be doing a monthly expense report for Marsella Valley like you did for the other cities? We would love to see it!

    Veronica Urbaniak

    1. Hi Veronica,

      The budget posts take a great deal of time and effort. I imagine that our SJDS budget and Marsella Valley budget will be very similar. We will most likely do a less detailed version though, to see if there are any major changes.

      Cheers,
      Gordon

      In Nica Now

  10. I noticed no reference to the cost of your Marsella place. Could you quickly comment?

    Love your blog. It’s so neat and organized, much like your new place. The effort you put into it is greatly appreciated. The photos help a ton.

    From,
    Somebody who met you (without knowing) at the park in San Juan del Sur while my son played with the kids in “kids club” you were involved with in 2012.

    Zen

  11. A suggestion. You should integrate a small cooking area in the casita, then you’d really be set up for a private rental. I find that in most places, cooking/food preparation is taken for granted. Eating out is much more convenient, but it does come with risks, especially for the newly arrived.

    Zen

  12. We are now in Ecuador but are sorta still looking for the right place. We will be taking a trip to see what boots on the ground will be like. I really enjoy reading your blog, we are paying $300.00 for a two bedroom two bath in Mitad Del Mundo (center of the world) about 45 minutes outside of Quito, we were hoping that rent would be similar. Where we are they run from $150.00 for a three bedroom townhouse to $3,000.00 for an estate. I know that it all depends on your style of living. We are two people and a few furbabies that are looking for a house a little outside of town that we can just relax and enjoy.

    Denise Toepel

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