Isleta El Espino: a private island with Mombacho volcano view, Nicaragua

Because you can never get enough of staying on a private island we experienced it twice during our stay in Granada (Nicaragua)! Just a few minutes away by boat from Granada town the islets are a group of 365 small islands of volcanic origin, they were formed when the Mombacho volcano blew much of its cone into the lake thousands of years ago, thereby creating the archipelago. Most of the islets are covered with vegetation and rich with bird life. Many of the islets are occupied. Some are privately owned and hold homes or vacation houses. There are facilities for the residents and for tourists. Hotels and shops are established on some of the islets, and boating tours are available.

After a beautiful boat ride through the islets and mangroves we arrived on the island where the staff waited for us with a delicious fresh passion fruit juice. We dropped our luggages into our Bungalow and visited El Espino : our private island for 2 days 🙂

 There are 5 guest rooms on the island, all built into an eco friendly concept, very close to the nature. The design fits perfectly the island environment with its wood. The Bungalow offers privacy with views of the lush landscape and the lake beyond. And because we had the island just for ourselves, we took some beautiful pictures on every corner as for example and the treetop rancho, another sleeping option for couples or families.

We were so happy to share our time on the island with a lovely black cat! We spent our day at the private pool, cooling down from the heat and enjoying the volcano view together.

We watched the sunset on the open house facing the Mombacho volcano and had dinner at the night fall. The island offers dining services that you just have to book in advance!

The deck is also a beautiful setting to practice yoga, either at sunset or sunrise.

We went to sleep very early, following the jungle’s life and decided to wake up early as well to explore the island and its surroundings at sunrise. Free canoe are available for the island’s guests.

At this time, everything was so peaceful, birds were singing for us. The Mombacho didn’t want to show up this day, but the views were still wonderful!

We enjoyed a home made breakfast with the view before heading back to town.

When you feel at peace, you could easily stay forever. 2 days weren’t enough to explore every places we would have loved to, but it was definitely worth the visit on Isleta El Espino