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Jicaro Island Lodge − A Member of the Cayuga Collection
A serene and peaceful all-inclusive luxury eco-retreat on Lake Nicaragua.
Location: Granada, Nicaragua
Review Date – August 2024
Jicaro Island Lodge: Overall Rating Summary
Accommodations
Exceptional waterfront casitas with plenty of space to relax.
Food
Food was moderately good, a bit hit and miss but I never went to bed hungry.
Location
Stunning private island location on Lake Nicaragua. Truly off the beaten path destination and just a short drive from Granada.
Service
The service was overall excellent. The staff were very accommodating and worked hard to please.
Jicaro Island Lodge – Know Before You Go
A vacation to Nicaragua is not on many people’s short list, but that’s why I decided to do it. I much prefer off-the-beaten path, undiscovered destinations as long as I will be safe and have upscale accommodations to retreat to at night. Jicaro Island Lodge was absolutely lovely and exceeded my expectations in many ways. That said, due to it’s location in Nicaragua, it is not for everyone.
I gave Jicaro Island Lodge 4 out of 5 stars. I truly enjoyed my stay here, and the main reason I wouldn’t go back has nothing to do with Jicaro Lodge. Traveling as a solo female in Nicaragua is a bit risky, and I feel fortunate that I returned unscathed. That said, as of the writing of this review, Nicaragua has a Level 3 advisory from the U.S. Department of State. I would recommend that you put Jicaro Island Lodge on your list as soon as it drops back to Level 2 or below.
Read on for a full review.
A Cayuga Collection Hotel
Jicaro Island Lodge is a boutique property in the Cayuga Hotel Collection which includes several luxury but sustainable properties in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. This collection of hotels hit my radar when I was staying at an upscale hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica a few years ago. The brochure was in the lobby and a quick browse got my attention. I put several of their properties on my future travel list.
There are just a handful of properties in the group, and each one is distinctively unique. They are dedicated to both sustainability and luxury so I was happy to support them. Some of their other highly-rated properties are Hotel Aguas Claras in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica and Isla Palenque in Panama. Each property’s website has the story about how it came into the collection and what materials were used to build it.
Jicaro Island Lodge – Getting There
In terms of luxury eco-lodges, Jicaro Island Lodge is easier to get to than many of the other places I’ve traveled. I flew into Managua, Nicaragua, cleared customs and walked outside. A driver from Jicaro was waiting for me. He drove me the hour or so south to Granada, then just past it to a local boat dock. From there, I was whisked out to my private island on the enormous Lake Nicaragua.
I knew nothing about Granada or Lake Nicaragua prior to this trip so I decided to see what books I could find. First, you’ll want to Google the history of Lake Nicaragua as it is quite interesting. It’s the largest freshwater lake in North America. They have tarpon. Yes, you read that right. Tarpon.
I also HIGHLY recommend reading The Country Under My Skin by Gioconda Belli. Absolutely wonderful book that gave both history and a sense of the people and place. I adored every page of the book. Nicaragua has a very intense political history, and this book is told from the perspective of an educated woman who lived and participated in it. Must read!
Jicaro Island Lodge – Arrival
A visit to Jicaro Island Lodge gets off to a great start because you will arrive by boat. Lake Nicaragua is massive, but it is also dotted with tons of tiny little private islands that the locals seem to use like a South Louisiana family would use a fishing camp. Jicaro is on its own private island, just a postage stamp sized property yet they made the most of every square inch.
Always nice to get a cold drink upon arrival, especially when it’s made with the local rum, Flor de Cana. I realized I had been a little on edge between arriving in Managua, facing customs in a country that can be questionable to U.S. tourists and then driving alone with a stranger for an hour into a strange land. I did a shot before I sipped my cocktail.
Jicaro Island Lodge – Accommodations ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
The property has 9 waterfront casitas, all made from wood that was reclaimed after Hurricane Felix. They are each 2-stories with a living area, full indoor bathroom and shower, vanity area, dining table and closet space downstairs, and a large 4-poster bed upstairs with full mosquito netting and a ceiling fan. Each casita also has its own small deck overlooking the water. They set it up as a morning coffee space, but later in the day it miraculously converts to a nap hammock.
The casita was immaculate. I loved it. Comfortable sofa with coffee table for lounging or reading, plenty of space to hang up clothes. The shower was almost like an outdoor shower but with plexiglass walls. They thought of many details and provided little bespoke surprises around every corner.
Pro-Tip: I made the decision to stay at Jicaro Island Lodge at the end of August. I probably would rethink that next time. It was very, very hot. I have no problem with that during the day but at night it was a bit brutal. The casita typically relies on lake breezes to cool you off, but in August there is no breeze. The ceiling fan was all I had. A nice cold shower before bed was key to surviving. I would recommend going during a different time of year when it is a little less ripe. I bet it’s perfect in the winter time.
Pro-Tip #2: Mosquito net. Just do it. Why? Because even one mosquito at night is too many. Plus, this is the kind of place that makes me want to sleep naked (yes, I just said that) so that’s a lot of advertisement. I fell in love with the romance of mosquito netting long ago. It feels so exotic sleeping under one.
Warning: The staff leaves the island at night. They leave one staff member on the island for an emergency. I am pretty brave, but that did make me a little nervous since the island is essentially wide open for anyone boating by. Obviously the locals know it is an upscale resort, so that could be a target. Just good to know as I’ve stayed in many places like this before and it can be a bit unnerving as a solo female traveler.
Jicaro Island Lodge Room Highlight: A late afternoon nap on the porch hammock is divine.
Jicaro Island − The Island
As mentioned above, the island itself is just a postage stamp yet it was thoughtfully laid out to make it feel larger than it is. In addition to the casitas, there is a lovely pool, and open-air dining area, a massage hut, and a small patio overlooking Lake Nicaragua and their private dock.
In my opinion, this resort would be good for a long weekend. Anything much beyond that and one might begin to get cabin fever.
During the majority of my 5-day stay, I was the only guest at the resort. There was a local couple who came for one night (their anniversary) but other than that I had the place to myself. Again, may have been due to the time of year. But it was nice to see that local people were visiting Jicaro Island Lodge for special occasions.
The sunsets were just amazing. I also enjoyed just sitting by the pool with a book and a cold cocktail.
Jicaro Island Lodge – Food ⋆⋆⋆
Welcome to all of you who skipped the rest and scrolled right to the review of the food. You’re my people 😉
The main dining room is open-air and just lovely. The views at sunset are absolutely spectacular. There were plenty of fans to keep it comfortable while dining.
I only gave Jicaro Island Lodge 3 stars for food. There was a small menu that stayed the same throughout my stay with a decent selection. That said, there were some winners and losers.
I had a shrimp and rice dish that was excellent, but then got served something that was just toasted bagel halves. I don’t think I ate breakfast except for some fruit though full breakfast was available. I believe on my final night I ended up with hot spaghetti. Such a shame to not have more fish dishes or cold options considering the climate.
Due to the obvious limitations of their location and the low guest count, they try to get your breakfast, lunch and dinner order in advance so they can prepare. I was happy to obilge, but that can also be problematic. There were some days where I just wasn’t hungry for lunch, so I ended up skipping it and felt bad that I had wasted food that they had prepared. I wasn’t going to NOT order lunch because who knew if I’d be hungry?
There were always cocktails and wine available, and no matter where I went on the property a cold glass of ice water followed me.
Granada ⋆⋆⋆⋆
I did the excursion into Granada and very much enjoyed it. Huge help that I had read The Country Under My Skin (mentioned above) because it gave a great history and context for where this city stands today.
The architecture was lovely. My guide took me to several beautiful churches and other sites of historical significance. I had the option to go to the local market, which I normally would have done, but it was so hot and crowded that I opted not to.
Jicaro Island Lodge – Other Excursions ⋆⋆⋆⋆
One of the excursions offered was a farm tour. We took a short boat ride across the lake to a private plantain farm and were able to walk the extensive grounds. My guide gave me some wonderful information about agriculture in the area and I also took pictures of birds.
We finished the tour with a dip into a hot spring. Not that I needed anything else hot, but it felt good to go in and then get out to feel like I’d cooled down. There were butterflies everywhere and it was just magical.
At the end, I realized we were being watched by a puma from the woods while we took my dip…..don’t have the pictures to prove it but the guys from the farm all pulled out their machetes and started backing up…..
I also took advantage of the artisanal net fishing excursion. My guide was a lovely gentleman who didn’t speak a word of English. Despite my decent Spanish, we could only communicate by hand gestures and smiles.
He spent a very patient 2 hours with me trying to teach me how to throw the net. I tried very hard but we never caught a thing. It’s much harder than it looks!!
He then took some extra time to take me out at dusk to photographs birds and I got some really fantastic photos. Very grateful for that.
There were SUPs and kayaks available for use and I took full advantage. You can paddle for quite a while without getting too far out of site of the island (but be careful on this as it can be deceiving). I recommend doing an afternoon lake tour first to get your bearings, I stay in sight of the dock.
I’m very squeamish about swimming in a lake. But I did it. I swam out to the dock and lounged on my first day. But that was all I could do. I stuck to the pool after that.
Jicaro Island Lodge − Final Thoughts
I loved this little resort. The views were amazing as the clouds and mist rolled over the volcano in the distance, and the sunsets were magnificent. I would definitely go back here, just not in August.
Food was just okay, but I certainly didn’t go hungry. They did very well considering the difficulty of providing upscale food in these conditions. That said, I’m a foodie so I think they have opportunity for improvement here. More ceviche, less spaghetti.
The staff were really wonderful. They have to bring a certain number of staff over from the mainland everyday regardless of whether they have 1 guest or a full house. It’s a long, hot day for them as there is no air conditioning in their workspaces.
I would definitely stay with Cayuga Collection again and look forward to reviewing other properties. If you like off the beaten path eco-lodges, this is a special place.
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