Traveling With AllSwell: Maderas Village

Maderas Village is a creative safe haven nestled cozily in the Pacific coastal hills of Nicaragua. What started as an escape from the lull of corporate life swiftly became a hub for writers, artists and other movers and shakers to congregate, recharge and to seek inspiration. They’re even stocking AllSwell Journals. Founding partner Matt “Dickie” Dickinson filled us in on his approach to hospitality, his take on journaling and much more. 

Tell us about the genesis of Maderas Village. Who or what sparked the idea to create this whimsical getaway and who else has been involved since the early stages?

Maderas was conceptualized by a group of four of us that were all in similar places in our lives - we had all come from the corporate world where we were working tirelessly without making much progress, and felt there was a better approach towards life. From the beginning it was always about having a chill, simple hideout where we could just be ourselves, work as hard as we wanted on whatever projects we wanted, and be surrounded by friends.

What were you up to before embarking on this journey?

I was working in Commercial Real Estate.

What makes Nicaragua the perfect vacation destination?

It’s a different pace of life here. Nicaragua offers an environment that’s conducive to slowing down; lying on a hammock and thinking for 2-3 hours, doing yoga each morning, surfing each afternoon, and just generally operating at your own natural rhythm. The fact that it’s only a 6 hour flight from NYC/LA, there’s only a 1-2 hour time difference from EST/PST, and it’s beautiful 12 months a year certainly helps the cause too.

It seems that Maderas Village draws a lot of creatives and entrepreneurs looking to recharge - what makes it an ideal place to facilitate a reborn creative outlook or a newfound inspiration?

The natural environment and feeling of seclusion allows for more focused thought and less distraction. I credit the people for the true inspiration though. It’s easy to get on a creative charge when you’ve just had a 2 hour conversation with someone about the business they started, the album they just put out, or the life that they’ve created for themselves. When you combine inspiring conversations with people that feel relaxed and free to do as they please, the ideation possibilities are endless.

What are some of your favorite local places to visit beyond the resort?

There’s a local restaurant here called Cherranga’s that’s run by a mother and son. The food is so fresh that if they don’t have what you order, they literally run down to the beach, call the fisherman in from the bay and buy it directly from them. It’s a hole in the wall that you would not likely draw you in if you were just walking by, but the food is some of my favorite in the world. I’m a big fan of juxtaposition when it comes to vibe and this place celebrates that perfectly (whether purposely or not).

You’ve partnered with Poolside Collective to curate the onsite concept shop (and luckily, they brought in AllSwell journals) - how did that collaboration come about?

We always seek out talented people doing good things to work with whenever we can. This was an example of a group that was doing something really well that naturally complemented our offering. We have a ton of respect for Poolside and their ability to curate quality products and it’s our hope that we can continue growing our relationship well into the future.  

We at AllSwell believe that journaling brings about a certain clarity and even catharsis, do you journal and if so, how has it enhanced your creative thinking?

Journaling has always played an important role in my life. I find it helps me to clarify vision, address and resolve issues, and bring perspective to challenges that can otherwise seem daunting.

Lastly, are there any upcoming events or exciting Maderas Village related news that you can divulge some details about?

We’re throwing our annual summer party this year from July 30th - August 6th with performances by Jonny Famous, Nick Melons, Shlohmo, Zac Downtown, and DJ Fresh Direct, and a serious cast of characters that will be in attendance. We would seriously suggest the AllSwell team try to make it down to join us. It’s going to be a seriously fun week.

Maderas Village also operates a craft forward, hand-made furniture production facility in Managua, Nicaragua under the moniker Maderas Collective. You can view their sustainable designs here.

Our friends at Poolside Collective are keeping Maderas Village brimming with summertime goodies and that includes AllSwell journals of course. You can find them in their gift shop or on our site, here.