Los Galeones Club Lodge, Chivirico

We just returned from a weeks vacation at Los Galeones. We loved the resort. It is a small, quiet, 32 room, adult only resort. It was great to get away from a very cold Toronto and away from the typical hussle and bussle. The weather was perfect each day, the temperature got up to about 28 celcius each day without a cloud in the sky. The views from the rooms was spectular. The resort is surrounded by mountains and the Carribean sea. The resort is on a hilltop. The bus ride from the airport to the resort is now about an hour and 40 minutes as the roads are in bad shape in sections, due to the hurricanes washing out roads that were already in need of maintenance. Our room was an ocean view room with a king size bed. There is a small pool at the resort, a games room with a pool table, sauna, and hot tub. There is also a small gift shop that is open each day from about 2 to 3 pm. The beach is about 295 steps down, it is definately not suitable for someone with a heart condition or handicap. The beach is beautiful, and secluded. The beach bar is beautiful. There is a grill lunch everyday at the beach put on by the bartender, with hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, fish and potatoes. The bartender brings vegetables from his garden for garnishes and salad. The beach is very one on one with nature, a lot of seaweed and coral, you definately need water shoes. There is plenty of wildlife to see down at the beach, goats, chickens, roosters, birds and small lizards. The water is so clear and perfect. There is a small diningroom at the resort along with a pool bar next to the diningroom. Each meal is usually sit down, except for their theme nights where there usually is a buffet. Breakfast is sit down with some appetizers, juice and coffee on the buffet, the wait staff will come round and ask you what you would like from the kitchen, the omeletes are awesome. They will do eggs of any type, breakfast sandwiches and french toast as well. We didn't have lunch in the diningroom, we always had it down at the beach, but I heard there were different choices each day like pizza and sandwiches. Dinner was always excellent, 4 course dinners ordered from a menu and a couple of nights were themed. A cuba night with a large buffet dinner and a pig roast on Saturday nights where the tables are put outside around the pool and the food on a buffet. The food was always excellent. Each day at 4 pm they put out snacks by the pool as well, usually fruit, hor deuvres, pizza and sandwiches. There were so many nice people we met both staff and other guests. Some of the other guests have been coming to the resort each year for 4 years or more. It is a great resort for anyone looking for quiet and relaxation. You never have to worry about not finding a lounge chair at the beach or the pool. Also, if you have a suggestion or request, the staff do all they can to accomodate you. We brought some small gifts with us for the maids and wait staff, they are so appreciative to receive things. There is the small town of Chivirico at the bottom of the hill that the resort is on, you can go down and walk around, there are a few shops and it is interesting to take in the culture. You have access to all the facilities at the sister resort called Sierra Mar as well. It is a very large resort and alot busier. There are two shuttles going over there each day, one at 9am, that comes back at 5 pm and another that is at 7 pm and comes back at 11 pm. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to get there. We went there for dinner one evening but it is very loud and crowded. We would recommend Los Galeones to anyone, we are planning to go back again next year around the same time.