Pelican Eyes Hotel, Nicaragua

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Pelican Eyes Hotel in Nicaragua was constructed using Straw Bales by a local workforce under the direction of Harvest Homes.

Piedras y Olas is dubbed Pelican Eyes in English. Indeed, perched up high on this hilltop, it offers a wonderful bird’s eye view of the valley and Pacific Ocean below and provides visitors with a cool, comforting, and quiet environment in which to rest and relax.

We worked intimately with local tradespeople and labourers on this hotel complex’s first accommodations.

Our goal was to steep them in our knowledge of straw bale tools and techniques together with the related rationale for each. Simultaneously they were encouraged to consider and suggest substitutes to fill the same roles and needs as we were teaching but were locally available and culturally relevant. In this way, we were part of a true, collaborative technology transfer – the local team was so inspired by this alternate means by which to apply their formidable talents that several additional hotel structures and some workers homes were later independently built with straw.

If you should find yourself in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, we hope that you wend your way to the top of the hill and see these stunning pieces of architectural art. And should there be a vacancy, perhaps you can to lay your head on one of the sculpted (plastered!) straw bale beds replete with a decorated wall niche as a headboard. Buenas noches!