Isleta El Espino

Set on a small island in Lake Nicaragua, Isleta El Espino sits a short boat ride from the docks of colonial Granada. The island takes no cars. Guests arrive by boat from Marina Cocibolca, a crossing of around ten minutes, with check-in and check-out transfers included in the stay. Opened in 2015 and built by local craftsmen, the lodge runs entirely on solar power and holds just five guest rooms: a lakeview Casita, a secluded Bungalow, a Treetop Rancho raised into the mango canopy, and a two-room Treetop Suite with its own wraparound porch. Volcán Mombacho rises across the water, visible from several of the decks. Each room has a private deck, an en-suite bathroom, and a ceiling fan, furnished with handmade pieces in local wood. A pool sits under the trees near the Treetop Rancho, and kayaks are free to take out into the calm channels between the neighbouring isletas. You can spot herons and migratory birds from the water without going far. A yoga deck faces the lake for early mornings, and an open-air restaurant serves fish caught locally, along with vegetables grown on the island. The full property can be booked as one, sleeping up to 13 guests across all five rooms. Additional boat trips off the island run at a set per-way charge, higher after 8pm.