Jicaro Island Lodge
Nine casitas on a volcanic islet in Lake Nicaragua, built from timber felled by a hurricane.
Jicaro sits on one of the isletas of Granada — a scatter of several hundred islets in Lake Nicaragua formed when Mombacho volcano blew its side out. The islet is small, reached by boat from Granada, with the volcano on one horizon and the lake stretching past sight on the other. This register places it in the Extended Index: it is an eco lodge on a lake island rather than a sea-island resort, and the comparison should be made honestly.
Nine two-storey casitas are built from hardwood salvaged after Hurricane Felix rather than newly cut, and the lodge runs under the Cayuga Collection with a documented sustainability programme — waste, water, local employment and a school it supports in Granada. Kayaking the isletas, Mombacho and Granada itself fill the days.
Salvaged timber, not sourced timber. The building material came from a hurricane's aftermath, which is an unusual and checkable claim.
A lake with a volcano on it. The isletas are a landscape with no equivalent among the sea islands in this register, and Jicaro is the only way to stay on one at this level.
Who it is not for
Jicaro is wrong for guests expecting a beach and clear water — this is a warm freshwater lake. It is wrong for travellers wanting resort scale and a choice of restaurants, since nine casitas support one kitchen. And it is wrong for anyone who needs air conditioning throughout and reliable connectivity. Those wanting Central American sea islands should look at Islas Secas or Isla Palenque.
Sources
- jicarolodge.com — nine casitas, Lake Nicaragua isletas, Cayuga Collection
- Casita count and current sustainability certifications unverified. Confirm before publication.
Booking
Private Island Resorts arranges each stay on request, quoting the rates available for the island and dates. No benefit should be assumed unless it is confirmed in writing for the individual reservation.
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