i didn`t rest at casa blanca, but i had the oportunity to try the local food by the hands of Mrs Dell, the owner. She is the best in the local kitchen! i recomend the "tostones", "bread fruit" and shrip with tomato sauce and fried chicken, also, if you decide to rest, the dorms looks clear, confortable.
We didn't stay in Casa Blanca, but went on a trip to the pearl keys with tour guide and fisherman Brady who is associated to the hotel. The trip was a great experience, especially if you are adventurous. Brady is a fun guy with a great spirit who clearly loves his job. He took us to the pearl keys in his speedboat, and took us fishing for snapper. He knows a lot about the area and we caught a lot! Brady is also very trustworthy and highly recommended by other reputable hotel owners in the lagoon. If you want to go on an excursion in the pearl lagoon area, I recommend going with Brady.
Pearl Lagoon is off the Grid. But it is so nice to find a place where people are treated well. Mrs. Dell,who owes the place is Great! Food is excellent ! Rooms are clean and cool! So happy to find air-conditioning... Will be returning in June ... Definitely would recommend this place.
To find yourself in this part of the world, you would either have to drive down a dirt road for about 6 hours from Rama (perhaps more if the road is flooded out). Or you could arrive by a lengthy boat ride. So, the actual fact that there is a hotel here is somewhat surprising. And there is more than one. Expect that there could be a lack of electricity or water sometimes. What you will find here is Ms. Dell and her wonderful food. She is a perfect ray of sunshine which is proven by the flowers blooming around her simple place. We have a date at sometime in the future for a cooking lesson. We will be both teachers and students.
After having spent a horrible night in Bluefields, our expectations weren't high and we didn't know what we were going to find in Pearl Lagoon.
The first weeks of November is still low season in Pearl Lagoon were closed. Therefore, we had no many options and we decided to stay here.
Casa Blanca is owned by a Dane who married a local. Quite close to the main harbour (it's easy to get there, just follow the directions), it offers spacious rooms with a big window. It might get a bit warm during the afternoon but, at night, the breeze makes the whole place much cooler.
We got one of the rooms with a king-sized bed and TV but no private bathroom. Actually that wasn't any problem at all, since we seemed to be the only guests in that place and there were not big queues to use the shower/toilet.
Our main concern with the place is the completely lack of consideration for customers. The first morning, a couple who was staying at the hotel had to scream in order to get the main door opened, as they were about to lose the boat back to Bluefields. The woman in charge 'forgot' to unlock the gate, even though they reminded her the night before that they were leaving so early.
This same lady told us that the price of the room was 15US$, and then she changed her mind and charged us 20$.
However, our main complain was being waken up at 5 a.m. with loud music played downstairs (if you stay here, you'll see the humongous speakers they've got close to the kitchen!). They 'forgot' that there were some people sleeping at that time of the morning upstairs and kept on playing music for two hours.
I know that the Caribbean way of life is completely different from ours, and one is supposed to go with the flow and try to blend in, but there are some things which are simply too much.
If staying in Pearl Lagoon, try to go to Casa Ulrich or the Green Lodge. They've got a much better reputation among the people of the town.
