A small lancha (fast boat) whisks us from the little harbor, so called Port of Assesse, on the edge of Granada. We speed past multiple small islands, a couple of traditional fishing boats with boys casting their nets wide and we marvel at the proximity of the birds. There are black cormorans and white egrets dotting our path to Jicaro eco-nature lodge.
Jicaro island is the vision of a British visitor to Granada, who, like many of us, fell in love with the city and in her case, the unique archipelago of isletas formed by the last eruption of Volcano Mombacho, some 800 years ago (now extinct). The islands are mostly single family plots, most of which are still the home of local islanders. Over the past few years, well heeled Nicaraguans and foreigners have purchased some of the islands and built homes on them.
Jicaro opened a couple of weeks ago after a two year building process, as a high end, luxury eco-lodge in the Isletas. Tapping the best of the best in Nicaragua´s emerging high end eco-lodge design and construction, the goal was to optimize local materials (i.e. volcanic rock that is abundant on the islands) and native woods. The result is an island about the size of 3 soccer fields that has 
nine exquisitely designed and appointed cabanas, each with its own unencumbered view of the lake and nearby isletas. 
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Particularly aesthetic is the expansive, smooth wooden deck set up for early morning yoga (or anytime one wants to, really). It´s simply gorgeous and a magnificent place to practice, augmented as it is by the breeze off the lake and sounds and visuals of the plentiful bird life. . …………………………………………..
The restaurant is top notch and features local ingredients with a high end twist, courtesy of a San Francisco chef brought in for the job. ……………………………………………
Not for everyone, but I enjoyed climbing the three story wooden tower in the middle of the island which led to a platform with a 360 degree view of the isletas – a stunning sight, especially at dusk.………………………………..
We escaped the heat of Granada midweek for a romantic getaway, accompanied by our friends Nieves and Anders, also keen to have some downtime in nature before the January restart of our respective eco-businesses.
We escaped the heat of Granada midweek for a romantic getaway, accompanied by our friends Nieves and Anders, also keen to have some downtime in nature before the January restart of our respective eco-businesses.