Businesses and Services
Restaurants
San Gigante – Located about 400 yards south of the town entrance right next to the Giant’s Foot Surf Lodge. Currently operated by an American/Spanish couple and serves Mediterranean dishes, pizza and snacks like nachos and hummus with bread. The restaurant has open seating area under the trees and a full bar. San Gigante is a gathering place North Americans to enjoy food and company. Meals are in the $10-12 range.
La Gaviota – This restaurant is located on the beach close to the entrance to Gigante. La Gaviota is Nicaraguan owned and operated and specializes in Nicaraguan dishes. Fried fish in traditional tomato and onion sauce (Salsa Criolla), fried plantains, gallo pinto (rice & beans)and other Nicaraguan dishes. The restaurant has open seating overlooking the beach and a bar. Full meals are in the $10-12 range.
Chele Palmado’s – Restaurant is located about 100 yards north of the entrance to Gigante adjacent to the Pink Acopyo house. Currently operated by an American and serves casual foods like hamburgers and wraps. Seating is on the beach with a roof for shade and bar service. The restaurant is a gathering place for North Americans in the area to enjoy company and food. Meals are in the $10 range.
Margarita’s – Restaurant is located just north of La Gaviota on the beach. Nicaragua owners serve typical Nicaraguan food much like La Gaviota. Prices are about the same as the rest of the restaurants in Gigante. The seating area overlooks the beach and has a bar.
Charter Fishing
All Boats Are Located in the Gigante Bay
Peche Sportive – Offers full service fishing tours by the week provided by Vincent Maubourguet with transportation and full meal service. Vincent operates two well equipped pangas with side sounding sonar, GPS and other fish finding electronics. Peche Sportive targets the French Sport Fishing community and the operation has been featured in several French Sport Fishing magazines. Accommodations for Peche Sportive clients during their stay are provided in Casa Amarilla. Vincent offers weekly rates for fishermen and their non-fishing companions. Vincent is an avid fisherman who captains his boats and he has tremendous passion for catching fish. For further information on booking a trip see:
http://www.nicaragua-peche-sportive.com
Pastora Tours – Offers day fishing trips, snorkeling trips, dive trips, trips to surf spots and coastline tours in three well equipped pangas. Minimum fishing trip is 3 hours with all equipment and beverages provided. Pastora uses local fishermen as captains for their boats. For further information see:
http://pastoratours.com/
Fidel & Sons Charter Fishing – Don Fidel operates three well equipped pangas and offers fishing trips, surf trips and coastline tours. Fishing rates are $40/hr with a four person limit. Surf trips are $100 with a 6 person limit. Don Fidel operates out of his well stocked pulperia in the middle of town. Fidel is an avid fisherman who uses local fishermen to captain his boats. For further information on booking a trip see:
http://gigantenicaraguafishing.com/
Places to Stay
Casa Amarilla – offers three bedroom accomodations when the owners are in the US and two bedroom accomodations when the owners are in Nicaragua. The 2 bedroom main house which is located on the upper floor can be rented separately from the “Owner’s Suite” year round. The Owner’s Suite has a bedroom with a king bed convertible to two twins, full bath and a sitting area. The Owner’s Suite can be rented separately when the owner’s are not in Nicaragua. All bedrooms are air conditioned. See the “Accomodations” page on this site for more information and rates.
Pie de Gigante – located right next to Casa Amarilla. Small house with two air conditioned bedrooms and full bath. One bedroom is equipped with a queen size bed and a twin bed and the other bedroom has two twin beds. Rental rates are $35 per night per room and $200/week. The home is the former Pie de Gigante Restaurant and has ample outside area for sitting and laying in hammocks in the former dining area. Rental arrangements can be made with the on site Casa Amarilla Manager.
Casa de Tabla – Located next to Pie de Gigante. Two bedroom house with bathroom, living room and kitchen. Bedrooms have ceiling fans and large windows. One bedroom has a queen size bed and the other has a full size bed. Sleeps up to 4 people. Rental rates for the house are $50 per night, $200 per week and $600 per month. Rental arrangements can be made with the on site Casa Amarilla Manager.
Hotel Brio – Offers six rooms and a restaurant located on a hill located about 0.5 KM from Playa Gigante. The restaurant has a deck that offers great views of the sunset. Room rates start at $25 for an un-air conditioned single and run up to $50 for a large room with 4 people. Air conditioning is $15 per night. You can see more about Hotel Brio at:
www.hotelbrio.com/
San Gigante Hostel (Formally known as The Swell) – Offers low cost rooms starting at $10 without a private bathroom. Located right next to the Giant’s Foot Surf Camp at the far south end of town on the beach. The hostel is run by the couple who operate the San Gigante Restaurant. You can stop by the restaurant and ask about availability.
Other Places – There are two surf camps in Gigante who are willing to rent rooms when they are not full of surf clients. Giant’s Foot and Dale Dagger’s offer rooms with air conditioning when they are not full. Ben and Cassidy run the Dale Dagger surf camp and Bryce and Elisa run the Giant’s Foot camp. The owners of Dale Dagger’s Surf camp also offer two small houses for rent. You can contact these surf camps at:
Bryce & Elisa – http://www.giantsfoot.com/
or
Ben & Cassidy -http://www.playagigante.com/
GROCERIES & SUPPLIES
There are at least 2 pulperias (small stores) in Gigante where you can buy basic foods. We say “at least 2” because family owned pulperias open and close all of the time in Nicaragua. The most permanent and best supplied pulperia is Don Fidel’s pulperia located in the middle of town. Don Fidel stocks beer, rum, sodas, water and milk to drink and he has basic foods such as beans, rice, bread, eggs, sweets and some vegetables. Fresh fish and lobster is available from Don Fidel and from Don Alejandro who is located right across the street at his acopio. There are at least two vegetable and fruit vendors who drive their trucks into Gigante to sell their goods from the trucks.
The closest grocery store is in Rivas and is called Pali where you can buy most meats and other food items. The store carries mostly Nica items and caters to the local population. Pork and chicken at the Plai are pretty good but the beef is local and very tough. Don’t buy your fish here… stick with the locals in Gigante. If you are looking for a modern grocery store carrying good beef and lots of items that you can buy at your hometown grocery, then your best bet is to stop at one of the La Colonia grocery stores in Managua on your way to Gigante. The La Colonia stores are very modern and clean and carry many items not available in Gigante or Rivas.
You can buy most over-the-counter medicines at the Farmacias in Rivas, but you should bring any prescription medicines that you take with you from home. Sunscreen and bug sprays are also hard to find in Nicaragua. Clothing, sunglasses and sandals that you forgot can be purchased at the Rivas market, but good quality items are hard to impossible to find. Gator Aid and other hydrating fluids are available at most pulperias.
