Is Jicaro for Me?
Since our opening in December 2009, we have found that a stay at Jicaro is a very special experience for very special people. Our satisfaction index is extremely high and most of our guests were referred by friends or family who have stayed at Jicaro in the past. Not everybody is ready to travel to Nicaragua either. While it is a very safe place to visit, it is exotic, unexplored and mostly appreciated by the adventurous and open minded traveler. In order to determine if you are a “Jicaro kind of person”, we invite you to see if you can identify with any of these travelers below.
Romantic Travelers
Name: Elsa Wright and Howard Hughes
Age: 28 (Elsa), 34 (Howard)
Profession: Elementary school teacher (Elsa) and Account Executive (Howard)
From: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Elsa: After we spent our honeymoon in Costa Rica and Galapagos two years ago, we were looking for the “next” Latin American destination. Somewhere, none of our friends had been but that was still safe and offered a good level of comfort. Due to Howard’s job, we don’t get to travel together a lot so when we go, we want to stay at great places with great service. Nature and cultural experiences are important to us. More...
Howard: Jicaro was a great choice. It was the perfect combination of relaxation and active adventures. While I really enjoyed sleeping in or just hanging out by the pool, the excursions to the volcano and Granada were great experiences and really got us in touch with the real Nicaragua. We also enjoyed swimming and kayaking in the lake as well as the excursion across the lake to the hotsprings.
Elsa: While sustainability was not something that we knew much about, the stay at Jicaro was a real eye opener. We visited a school on one of the islands and really enjoyed the presentation done by Fabian about all the measures taken by the hotel to be more sustainable and all the programs that they are more involved in.
Howard: The highlight of our stay was the last evening. We had a candlelight dinner on the floating deck in the lake. We started at sunset and then were served an incredible three course meal…
Elsa: …the coolest thing that the waiter would come and bring the food on the boat. The food was incredible. So fresh, so creative… We will be back for sure and recommend Jicaro to our friends.
Active Stays
Name: Ray and Diane Sinner
Age: 48 (Ray), 46 (Diane)
Profession: Human Resources Director (Ray) and Florist (Diane)
From: Camden, England, UK.
Ray: Nicaragua was the perfect destination for our vacation. We have travelled all over the world and really enjoyed Nicaragua due to the fact that there are not many tourists (yet) and things are still authentic and unspoiled. More...
Diane: We were looking for an active vacation in Nicaragua and found it. Hiking the Mombacho volcano Puma trail, kayaking towards the hot springs and skiing down a volcano were the highlights. We found Jicaro the ideal base for our vacation as it was always great to come back to the calm and serenity of th island.
Ray: We were surprised by the quality of Jicaro as a hotel and certainly did not expect the quality of food on a remote island in Nicaragua. The rooms don’t have air conditioning, but it is really not necessary as there is great cross ventilation.
Diane: One of our favorite things was how nice and genuine the Nicaraguans were, not only at the hotel but everywhere. It helps to speak some Spanish though. Nicaragua has gotten a lot of bad publicity in the past years, but we always felt safe and in good hands.
Ray: We will be back and recommend Nicaragua and Jicaro to our friends and family.
Wellness and Yoga
Name: Jennifer Hunter and Kathy Tsai
Age: 26 (Jennifer), 27 (Kathy)
Profession: Law Student (Jennifer) and Management Trainee (Kathy)
From: Seattle, Washington (Jennifer) and Boulder, Colorado (Kathy)
Jennifer: We came to Jicaro as part of a Yoga retreat. We were first a bit skeptical about Nicaragua, due to all the bad press that the country has received in the past. Kathy wanted to go to Mexico or Costa Rica but in the end we were happy we decided for Nicaragua. More...
Kathy: If there is a place that feels peaceful, serene and very special it is Lake Nicaragua and Jicaro Island. I could not imagine a better place for a yoga retreat. Of course our instructor was great, the event was very professionally organized, the food was tasty and healthy, but what made it so special was the setting and installations.
Jennifer: While it was sad to see the poverty in some places that we passed on the way to our excursions, it was great to see how we were able to help with projects to improve the quality of life of the locals. Jicaro and its staff is quite active and really takes the concept of sustainability very serious.
Kathy: I am actually considering to come back on my own next year with my boyfriend for a romantic yoga vacation and will recommend the Jicaro and Nicaragua experience to all of my friends.
Winner of the 2010 Global Vision Award for Environmental Leadership
Winner of Conde Nast World Saver Award 2010