Salty Familia in Nicaragua
Meet the team that makes Still Salty Possible! We strive to create a warm, nourishing, and accepting space for each guest who comes our way.
Kayla Nielsen
Owner
Kayla has over 1000 hours of training from a variety of yoga schools around the world. She has been teaching for 7 years, and started GLOW Yoga Retreats in 2015 where she led international retreats across Africa, Asia, Europe & Mexico year around. Currently, she leads retreats & teaches online for her own app, kaylala.app!
She’s spent the last decade living out of a backpack (on and off), while running around the world either teaching or implementing solar projects from her first nonprofit Go Light Our World (GLOW).
Her experience living and teaching around the world sparked an interest in one day starting her own oasis in a little pocket of paradise.
The second she stepped foot on the land that is now Still Salty Escape, she knew this would be the place she’d watch that dream come to life.
With a passion for movement, nature, food & service- Kayla heads our yoga offerings, farms, garden, kitchen & community initiatives.
Alix Tucker
Owner
Alix has spent the last 10+ years working in the corporate world running Finance and Strategy organizations.
Her dream has always been to open up a B&B experience in a remote part of the world and Still Salty is a dream come true. For Alix, Still Salty is all about creating a magical environment through lending a hand to the community, providing a space to relax, enjoy life and adventure, and sharing an organic farm-to-table food experience with friends.
With Still Salty Escape now a reality, Alix is thriving from being in the ocean, enjoying the experiences Nica has to offer, and sharing laughs and stories with those around her.
Manuela Arango
Manager
Manu is a 200 certified Hatha/Vinyasa teacher and has a Bachelor’s degree in Natural and Applied Sciences as well as a certificate in Studies of Spirituality. She has spent most of her adult life working in the service industry and backpacking every chance she gets. She is passionate about the natural world and constantly trying to learn as much as she can. Holding space and fostering connections are two qualities she prides herself in.
Coming from a Colombian family & growing up in Miami, she is fluent in both Spanish and English. She has always had a passion for travel & relationships and aspires to live in many different places among many different people.
Manu is a Pisces and naturally appreciates all things art. She enjoys singing and painting for personal pleasure. She is a lover of nature and adventure, and if she’s not on her mat you can probably find her attempting to nose-ride on her longboard or nestled in la hamaca grande reading a book. Look for Manu if you’re in need of a good hug!
Jossue
Maintenance
Jossue is our go-to guy for all things maintenance, taking care of our facilities, grounds and gardens.
A seasoned member of the Salty Familia, he was here when the first stake was put in the ground!
His cheery face will be one of the first to greet you when you arrive at Still Salty Escape.
Karla
Head of Housekeeping
Our housekeeping manager and Salty Familia Mama, Karla is loved by every member of the Still Salty team.
Her big smile and cheeky laugh brighten up our mornings, and she’s always eager to help out with anything you might need.
Alondra
Kitchen
A pleasure to have on-site, sweet Alondra is part of our fabulous kitchen team.
On her days off, she spends her time at university where she’s currently studying to be a nurse!
Alicia
Housekeeping
The lovely Alicia is not just a treasured member of our housekeeping team, but also a budding artist - her beautiful handwriting features on almost all of the signs around our property!
A big animal lover, you’ll often catch her snuggling or playing with any one of the many beloved animals we have on site.
Norwing
Head Chef
Our wonderful head chef Norwing is the busiest bee in the kitchen, chopping at the speed of light and seasoning and plating to perfection.
He’s always keen to learn new things, from recipes to languages, so be sure to give him a little “hello!” or “how are you?” as he whizzes past you!
Porfirio
Head Chef
The cheekiest member of our kitchen family, you can find Porfirio dancing around the kitchen to groovy tunes while cooking up a storm.
He’s worked in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico and Nicaragua, and brings 23 years of experience to our kitchen!
Gustavo
RIGHT HAND MAN
Gustavo is our right hand man. You might not see him around the property a whole lot, but that’s only because he’s doing everything needed behind the scenes to keep Still Salty Escape afloat!
He handles everything from taxi service, legal paperwork, taxes, HR, payroll, staffing, grocery runs, mechanics, farm management, and more.
We don’t know what we’d do without him.
Make sure you say hello when you see him popping in & out!
Mr. Melvin
Mr. Melvin is the green thumb behind our Salty Farm. Prior to our purchase of the farm, he was tending to the area himself simply out of pleasure for working with the land.
He has a way with understanding the earth that can’t quite be described. We gave him full reign of the farm, and he’s taken off with it.
Melvin is a joyous, heartfelt man who’s incredibly connected to nature’s rhythms and cycles.
Although he spends majority of his time at the Salty Farm, you’ll also see him around Still Salty Escape maintaining our gardens and training with our permaculture expert on site.
Rebeka
Housekeeping
Lovely Rebeka is never found without a smile on her face, even as early as 6 in the morning!
Elber
Maintenance
Elber is our go to green thumb on the property! Anytime we have gardening projects on site he is our go to guy!
His love for living things does not stop at plants! He can also be found caring for the animals as well!