Jicaro Island Ecolodge

Jicaro Island is a fantastic getaway! If you want to experience excellent hospitality, beautiful views, and incredible relaxation, then this is a good use of your vacation time. We thoroughly enjoyed the staff, the accommodations, and the cuisine is nothing short of amazing. Every meal is a delight to your taste buds. We felt incredibly safe and had no problems in our travels within Nicaragua. The people are very friendly and welcoming! We also took excursions to tour Granada and hike Mombacho through the resort, and those were both excellent! We were there in May 2025 and would have no hesitation to return in the future. I highly recommend booking your airport transfers and excursions through them, as they provide exceptional service. I've never been treated with such hospitality before!

We spent the most wonderful week at Jicaro in May 2025. A few highlights: The service- Wow!. The staff is incredible. They are so attentive, kind, and great at their job. They greeted us with a drink as soon as we arrived. When we would lay at the pool, they would keep our water fresh and full. Every morning they would deliver a tray of coffee and breads to our casita exactly at the time requested. They gave us turn down service each night, which was also lovely The food - it's going to be hard to go home after eating so well all week. The food is EXCELLENT. I'm amazed by the consistency and incredible care put into each meal. Their restaurant would be an incredibly successful one in our home city. Each meal has some sort of appetizer given, then the pre ordered starter and main. My favorites were the ceviche, arroz marinero, and spicy coconut shrimp, but all was really excellent. The island - who doesn't want a private island getaway? That's what this was. Really beautiful island, gorgeous view, great accommodations. Just a heads up to bring bug spray and clothes for the heat... It is a tropical island. The excursions- we did 2 excursions, and I did a massage. All three were great and worth every penny. Julio gave us a great tour of Granada where we were able to learn a lot about the history of Nicaragua. We also did the Mombacho hike and Zipline... Which was one of my favorite experiences we've ever had. Our guide, Augustine, took us through the Puma trail and we got to experience Mombacho from the very top, put our hands into vents, and see the dead forest. Truly unforgettable. Food and zipline also was included. Jicaro even sent us with a cooler for drinks. My massage was lovely. On safety- in December for our trip, the US changed Nicaragua to a level 3 advisory. This made me nervous, so we went with caution. I'll tell you that I did not feel unsafe or threatened at any point in our trip. We only meet incredibly kind, hospitable people, and even the police and military we passed a few times did not pay us any heed. To be safe, we booked the Jicaro airport transport-- highly recommend that-- it was great. The driver was waiting for us when we got off and drove us safely in the nicely air conditioned Land Cruiser to the marina where a Jicaro employee took us to the island (a short boat ride). Same for the way home. We also only booked our excursions through the Lodge for safety and it was great. Since it is on an island, I do suggest you plan excursions if you're looking to be active, but also encourage you to enjoy the restful time at the island as well!

This place is every bit as amazing as the other reviews have already shared. A perfect combination of feeling like heaven while also feeling like home. It's incredible what this lodge has been able to create out of a small little piece of land in the lake. The casitas are beautiful, peaceful and comfortable. The meals that the chef creates are absolutely delicious (and included with your stay!). There are so many little nooks of the island to hang out in depending on what you're doing - reading, playing a game, having a glass of wine... or if you want to be active, taking out the included kayaks or paddle boards into the lake. The sustainability elements of how the island operates are fascinating (the staff will take you on a tour and explain them all if you'd like!). And finally... the staff are the cherry on top. It's a small and mighty team that runs everything. The benefit of a small team is that we felt like we really got to know everyone, and they got to know us. They took such good care of us throughout our stay with not only top notch hospitality like remembering our favorite drinks, but also with sharing their culture and lives by being open to having a friendly chat to share more about their lives, their culture, and their country. Saying goodbye to our new friends was just as hard as saying goodbye to this little slice of paradise. We've already shared our wonderful experience with many friends and we can't wait to return one day for a repeat!

We’ve stayed in a few high-end eco-lodges and this was clearly the most luxurious. The facilities and rooms are beautiful. Our two-story casita was spacious and in great condition. Wi-fi wouldn’t work in the room but cell service worked well. The food was tremendous. They have a large and varied menu and you pre-order your lunch and dinner at breakfast. You pre-order dinner for your first day before you arrive. Everything was delicious. It was hard to believe that they could crank out such high-end food on this small island. Service was equally impressive. Everyone speaks English fluently and the staff-to-guest ratio must be 3-1 or higher. We dealt with Cynthia at the front desk who was friendly and helpful. Julio coordinates and leads some of the wide variety of excursions offered by the lodge. He was very helpful and knowledgeable. We did the City Tour and the Isletas tour. Both were very good. We loved our stay. Highly recommended.

We just returned from three nights at Jicaro. The experience was unbelievable. By far one of the best resorts we have ever stayed at. The service was perfect - frequently anticipating our needs before we even knew we needed them (like a pitcher of ice water showing up where I was working out in the morning!). The food was bordering on perfect. One of the best steaks I have ever eaten and surprisingly good wine - often rare in Central America. The location and views were amazing. To be honest, I'm running out of superlatives! Everything was top notch. We will definitely be returning. Did I mention the surprise private dinner they made for us on our last night? Or the experience making traditional Nicaraguan drinks with the bartender? Or the amazing massage? Or the drinks waiting for us when we got back from paddle boarding? Truly one of the best experiences we have ever had.