The author stayed as an invited guest of Jicaro Island Lodge. All opinions are the author’s own, and neither Jicaro Island Lodge nor its parent company had input in any part of this article.
Latin America is my happy place. So much so that I recently decided to make Rio de Janeiro my home.
Despite having traveled extensively throughout the region over the last 2 years, I still had not explored most of Central America, except Costa Rica and Guatemala. So, when I got an invitation to visit some Cayuga Collection hotels in Nicaragua and Panama, I jumped at the chance.
After a bit of planning, Jicaro (pronounced: hi-ca-ro) Island Lodge on Lake Nicaragua was confirmed as my first visit. The resort, about 90 minutes from the country’s capital city, Managua (MGA), and a short 15-minute boat ride from the colonial lake town of Granada, was a sanctuary of tranquility.
I was hosted by the hotel for 3 nights in April 2026, and brought Ollie — my mate of over 10 years — along for the ride.
Booking a Stay at Jicaro Island Lodge
Despite belonging to a small Central American hotel chain, Jicaro Island Lodge is bookable with points. The small private island resort is part of the Mr & Mrs Smith portfolio of hotels, which was bought by Hyatt a few years ago.
You can redeem around 80,000 World of Hyatt points per night at Jicaro Island Lodge instead of paying cash. If you’re low on points or would rather pay cash, then the nightly rate is typically under $900 before taxes and fees.
When you consider that the round-trip boat transfer from Granada and all meals and nonalcoholic drinks are included, that’s a pretty good deal — especially for 2 people.
If paying cash, then we’d recommend using a travel rewards credit card to maximize the value of your spending. For example, paying with The World of Hyatt Credit Card could earn up to 9 points per $1 spent.
The 9-Casita Layout Felt Exclusive
As much as Nicaragua doesn’t really have a high or low season, I was told that Jicaro Island Lodge’s occupancy ebbs and flows like the tide. When Ollie and I arrived on the island on our first day, we were the only guests.
Aside from at meal times, we rarely saw another guest. With only 9 casitas, most with a capacity of just 2 people, the island would likely not feel overcrowded even at full capacity.
On the ground floor were a living area and a bathroom, both built almost entirely of wood, reminiscent of the traditional natural design you’d expect in Japan, not Central America.
The sofa turned into a (very comfortable) bed, which is where I slept. After dinner each night, we came back to the room, and my sofa bed had been protected fully from flying insects.
Ollie slept upstairs in the spacious, minimalist primary bedroom. The bed, which I’m told was comfy, was the only piece of furniture in the room, except for 2 bedside tables, each topped with a lamp.
Though they were few in number, the additional amenities were thoughtfully selected. The samples of local rum and ingredients for an interesting coffee skin care routine were greatly appreciated. At Jicaro Island Lodge, less is certainly more when it comes to “things.” Value is placed on soaking up the island’s exclusivity and abundant nature rather than materialistic superfluity.
We loved the casita’s cute little veranda, which was mostly taken up by the huge hammock.
Being Sustainable Is a Core Value
Jicaro Island Lodge is exactly what you’d hope a sustainable eco-lodge would be.
The resort is built entirely from trees that fell when Hurricane Felix hit in 2007. They weren’t exaggerating when they said they moved neither a boulder nor a tree during construction — you almost can’t tell there’s a resort when looking from the water.
The only plastic use I can recall was the plastic pool cups used for safety reasons. Straws were made out of a reusable material.
To my surprise, there was no air conditioning on the entire island. As I tend to run hot, especially at night, I worried this would be a problem. Thankfully, the temperature dropped significantly in the evening, and I managed to sleep well with only a ceiling fan.
To reduce waste, lunch and dinner orders were taken at the end of previous meals — and mealtimes were a delight.
Delicious Dining From Morning ‘Til Night
Having stayed at Cayuga’s Costa Rican property, Kurà, last year, my dining expectations were high.
All dining at Jicaro Island Lodge is included. Dining couldn’t have been further from the mass-produced buffet you might expect from a large all-inclusive property in Cancun. Instead, we could choose from refined 3-course menus featuring dishes from around the world for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
All meals were served à la carte from the rustic, open-air restaurant with sweeping views over the lake.
Breakfast started each morning with a bread (and cake) basket, followed by a choice from the à la carte menu.
I was content with a healthy helping of egg white omelet, avocado, and potatoes.
Other breakfast dishes on the menu included:
- Eggs any style with rice and beans, cheese, plantain, and sour cream
- Avocado toast
- French toast in coconut milk batter and pineapple syrup
The focus, and rightly so, was on local, Nicaraguan, and Central American dishes. Between us, we tried probably around a third of the lunch and dinner menu. Our lunchtime favorites were the ceviche to start and the sandwiches for the main course. Mine was the crispy chicken, and Ollie’s was the pulled pork.
Dinner was an equally delicious affair. Ollie’s favorite dinner dish was the steak, while mine was the Latin American staple of chicken and rice.
There were enough options on the menu that it would be tough to make it through everything, even for a longer stay than ours.
We made our way through pretty much the entire dessert menu between us.
When we couldn’t decide, there was a dessert assortment.
We didn’t drink alcohol during our stay, but could have propped ourselves up at the bar if we’d fancied a drink. Alcohol was an extra charge, but it wasn’t once forced on us as an attempt to upsell.
Jicaro Island Lodge Is a Haven for Nature Lovers
I never imagined I’d consider birdwatching a hobby. It was when I caught myself flicking through a bird-watching book in our casita to check which birds were in the pictures I’d taken that I knew that day might have actually arrived.
The first bird I spotted was a species of heron on the boat transfer to the island. White-throated magpie-jays were a common sight.
Unlike the annoyance I’d feel if I could hear a crow yapping outside my bedroom in London, the chorus of Nicaraguan birds was a welcome background sound from dusk until dawn.
Aside from birds, the property was built into nature, rather than sacrificing nature for the build. Walking around the island was more like walking through a jungle than a luxury resort.
Even the pool was designed to blend in with its surroundings. The rocks made it feel more like getting into a natural rock pool at the bottom of a waterfall.
The spa was also enveloped by nature. I’ve had a lot of massages in my time, but this was the first completely in the open air.
Then there’s Lake Cocibloca, or Lake Nicaragua as it’s also known. We had it what felt like entirely to ourselves as the sunset on our final evening. I later learned that the lake waters are shark-infested, though interactions with humans are rare.
The little pontoon, complete with deck chairs and even charging points, was a prime spot for sunset viewing.
Ollie did a lap of the island in a kayak while I marveled at the sunset from my board.
To get a real sense of just how in the middle of nowhere you are, I highly recommend climbing the lookout tower at least once.
Stripped Back, Heartfelt, Experiential Hospitality
Jicaro Island Lodge isn’t about grand gestures; it’s about connecting with guests and making sure they have everything they need at all times. Every piece of cutlery was placed with care, dishes were served almost silver service style, and drink orders were memorized.
I was chilling by the pool one afternoon, and without so much as catching his eye, Jorge came over with a sparkling water and lime — just as I like it.
Another nice touch was the 5 p.m. poolside snacks. Even though we were the only guests at the resort on this particular afternoon, Byron offered us a selection of nibbles that the chef had whipped up to tide us over until dinner.
My favorite service element of all was the morning coffee delivery. Each evening after dinner, we were asked what we’d like to drink and when we’d like it delivered. My double espresso and Ollie’s fresh juice were accompanied each morning by a couple of slices of the cake of the day. Despite sleeping on the ground floor with the windows open, I never once saw or heard our morning coffee being delivered.
Though I enjoyed the food, it was only for the last 36 hours or so of our stay. I got food poisoning from something I’d eaten in El Salvador, and spent much of our first 2 days in bed.
The team at Jicaro Island Lodge took the initiative to offer me chicken soup as an alternative to help nourish my body. The chef made me soup from scratch for 2 dinners and 1 lunch, even though it wasn’t on the menu.
When I was unwell, the team offered to head to the mainland to get any medicine I needed. Considering the resort is only accessible by boat, this was a very kind gesture and was greatly appreciated.
Final Thoughts
Even though I spent pretty much 2 full days in bed, I still look back fondly on my time at Jicaro Island Lodge.
There were certainly similarities with my first Cayuga experience at Kurà in Costa Rica, but Jicaro Island Lodge has its own distinct personality. Both Kurà and Jicaro Island Lodge are perfect examples of how to deliver luxury without being materialistic. Having all meals and soft drinks included when staying somewhere this remote is a huge bonus to consider when budgeting for this kind of trip.
If a peaceful retreat surrounded by nature is something you’re considering, look no further than Jicaro Island Lodge.