House & Hotel Magazine features this luxury nature resort in Las Isletas, the wonderful place is located near Granada in Lake Nicaragua.
A short boat ride from the colonial town of Granada, Jicaro Island Ecolodge is set in Lake Nicaragua, the largest fresh water lake in Central America. Limited to no more than 20 guests, nine private casitas have been hand crafted using indigenous wood, with windowed walls that open up to the lake breezes, and spectacular sunrises and sunsets. The large yoga decks, patios, pool and lounge area, offer inspiring views of Mombacho Volcano across the lake. A full service open kitchen and restaurant serves dishes using local ingredients matched with regional recipes. Wellness and relaxation treatments are available upon request.
Each guest stays in their own little house, a “casita”. Every casita on the island comes with lake views and are all within a short walk from the pool, restaurant, and wellness center. The casitas are two stories, with a private bedroom and a king size bed on the second floor; and on the first floor, a spacious living area that connects to an outside deck overlooking the lake. The casitas and the furniture are made locally from Rainforest Alliance certified wood. Each casita is equipped with mosquito netting and ceiling fans, and the large doors and windows can all be opened for cross ventilation. Most notably, the oversized hammock and comfy furniture of the deck will invite the guest to relax and feel the peace of this magical lake. Jicaro’s two-story casitas are just as striking. They’re composed of clean, modern lines, with sliding doors and wood everywhere, including the slat floors of the shower. Private decks include hammocks overlooking the lake.
That’s one of the key draws of Jicaro Island Ecolodge: privacy. A yoga deck encourages solo meditation, or wellness sessions led by an instructor. An onsite spa completes any peace-seeking package.
The food at Jicaro Island Ecolodge is fantastic. Fresh snapper ceviche with homemade plantain chips, shrimp tacos, chickpea curry, coconut milk french toast, and much more. One evening we enjoyed a special comida tipico meal, featuring local Nicaraguan cuisine like indo viejo served buffet-style. Beverages feature fresh local fruit, and are often made with jicaro liquor. In front of the restaurant, a cenote (populated by turtles!) gauges the level of the lake as it rises and falls. Couples interested in a little extra romance can opt for a dinner on a floating dock anchored a few yards offshore. Diners ring a bell for service – brought to the dock by canoe!
House & Hote Magazine takes sustainability seriously.
The Jicaro ecological efforts include solar-heated water, the absence of air-conditioners, cross ventilation and fans cooled our room just fine – the use of biodegradable and organic soaps and cleaning materials, sustainable wastewater treatment, energy-efficient lighting, and more. The lodge also hires locally, and is very involved in the nearby community, funding the construction of a new school for kids who live in Las Isletas.
What’s a Jicaro, Anyway?
The jicaro is a small tree in the trumpet flower family, native to Central America. Its fruits are encased in rock-hard shells, thought to be evolved as a defense against seed predation. But it’s what Wikipedia calls “a counter-productive strategy”, since the seeds can’t germinate unless the fruits are broken into – and nothing can break them open except humans and horses. Jicaro Island Ecolodge uses the fruit juice in beverages, and the sturdy shells as drink containers.
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