By Alex Narracott, Managing Director, Much Better Adventures

Ever wondered what it’s like to take the plunge and set up your own eco-lodge? We talked to Earl, one of the co-owners of El Coco Lodge in northern Nicaragua to discover the reality behind that dream. El Coco Loco was a pipeline dream for three Canadians – Ben, Earl and Jamie – for 3 years, and finally opened its doors in January 2010. The lodge has been fast growing a reputation as one of the new breed adventure choices.

So who are you guys, and how did it all start?

Ben, Jamie and I all went to the University of Ottawa. After graduating Jamie and I were in South Korea where we taught English and enjoyed travelling around Asia whenever possible. Meanwhile Ben was in Guatemala, volunteering at a centre for disabled children. As Ben was nearing the end of his time in Guatemala, Jamie and I returned to Canada and decided to visit Ben and back-pack around Central America. This was when the three of us first put together our ideas and plans for our own place.

What did the plan look like?

We had been staying at many small hostels for weeks. They were all cheap, but not exactly clean and/or inviting and the food was not always great. The ironic thing was that these places were almost always full! So our first idea was to try and buy a place that already existed. We figured that we had all travelled quite a bit, and that just by doing a few extra little things that we could really make a place work.

That plan changed quickly, but some things stayed consistent. We always wanted a place that was quiet and “off the beaten path”, and we wanted to keep things as simple as possible – basic principles like cleanliness, friendly atmosphere, comfort food, and reasonable prices. Sustainability was also a big part of our plans from day one. Making use of grey-water and taking advantage of the seemingly endless sunshine seemed to be no-brainers to us.

The community is also a big priority for us. In Nicaragua there are many people living below the poverty line. We feel that if we are lucky enough to buy a piece of land and start a successful business, it is our responsibility to give back to the community and share anything that we could with the locals.

Why Nicaragua?

We had heard nothing but great things about Nicaragua, and were quickly drawn in by the idea of quiet beaches and great surfing (although none of us had surfed before). Once we got to Nicaragua it took no time at all to realize that that was where we wanted to set up shop. Over the next two months we met numerous real estate agents and worked endlessly at putting together a business plan and figuring out exactly how we could make it work.

How did you go from dream to reality?

Near the end of that first trip, we realized that we were not in a position to start this project right away, so we returned home to work and save the money. After about a year and a half, Ben decided that he could not wait anymore and returned to Nicaragua to resume the search for land. For more than a month he travelled up and down the coast checking out potential spots. When he did find what is now our land, he called Jamie and I and we then went down and camped on it for a night and discussed all the possibilities. The next day we got a lawyer and began the long process of buying it.

That was January 2008, and we started building in the fall of 2008. We currently have five private cabanas which can sleep up to four people each, and two larger dorm style cabanas which can sleep up to right people each. Part of our plan has always been to offer everything that people may want to do. Right now we offer volcano hikes, sand-boarding trips, surf board rentals/lessons, horseback riding, beach volleyball, board games, book exchange, dvd’s, fishing trips, etc.

What is the longer term vision for El Coco Loco?

Our biggest plans are to continue making El Coco Loco exactly like what we had originally dreamed of. Although we have come a long way already, and people have been enjoying our place, there are still many aspects that we have yet to master. Ideally, we’d like to have all three of us down there in order devote more time to various things. We’ve learned that it is very hard work, especially when we’re still trying to complete construction and building. We seem to have an endless list of small things that we’d like to complete in order to make the place a little more comfortable and enjoyable.

More importantly, our Waves of Hope project is becoming just as big as Coco Loco. We have had four or five long-term volunteers, and they have made some incredible progress in our community and surrounding areas. One of our volunteers shared his expertise on surf-board repair with one of the locals, we now take our boards to him when they need work. Great progress has been made at our local school as well where we’ve given away approx. 250 backpack kits which contain a school uniform, and all the necessary supplies to last for a full year of studies.

Some of our future plans include a large community garden, further work at various schools, scholarships for students going to high school and beyond, and possible a census in order to identify all of the families in our area and gage their input on where they would like to see more assistance in the future.

So come on then…..what about the local surf?

Northern Nicaragua is a surfer’s paradise. Although we are mostly still learning ourselves, it’s been easy to recognize great surf breaks, and numerous famous surfers who frequent the area on a regular basis. The beach right outside of El Coco Loco provides beginner waves which are perfect for most of our guests who are just learning or even getting on a board for the first time. About half a kilometre to the north, however, is Nahualapa, a beach break that consistently brings in 6-10 foot swells and rarely sees many surfers. A few miles to the south is “Boom” which is a powerful barrel that regularly attracts some of the best in the world and is steadily growing in popularity.

What other surf areas in Nicaragua do you recommend?

Although there are numerous good breaks along the entire coast, the most popular are definitely farther south, closer to San Juan del Sur. Playa Maderas is likely the busiest wave in Nicaragua, partially because it’s a great break but also because it’s a major tourist area. Other well-known surfing areas include Popoyo, Playa Santana and los Penitas.

More about Much Better Adventures

Much Better Adventures are searching for the world’s local, sustainable and harder to find travel choices for adventure seekers, collecting them in one place. This is a community you can’t buy your way into – those that meet the criteria are offered free membership, so travelers can get in direct contact. Their mission? A wide, fair and independent collection to quench your thirst for adventure, while supporting not-for-profit, community and innovative ecotourism projects who often cannot afford to appear on mainstream travel resources.