Isleta El Espino

Isleta El Espino is nothing short of paradise. Although my family is originally from the U.S., we now live in Nicaragua, and this has been the most memorable experience we’ve had here. The view of Volcán Mombacho is absolutely breathtaking—especially from the pool, where you feel completely immersed in nature’s beauty. The boutique hotel is intimate, featuring two cabins, a bungalow, and two upstairs rooms with spectacular views. Your stay begins with a private boat ride to the island, where you’re welcomed with a refreshing glass of fresh fruit juice. The staff, all locals from the surrounding islands, are exceptionally knowledgeable and went out of their way to make our stay comfortable. The food was outstanding—fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. On our final day, we weren’t quite ready to leave, so we extended our stay until 3:30 p.m. for $20 per person, which was consumable toward food and drinks. I truly can’t recommend this place highly enough.

We stayed one night in the bungalow and it was a great experience. The pool is really beautiful and we had the Isla only for us for half day. The communication with the hotel could be improved. I have booked through booking and there was no proactive communication on their side on rules or menu (two special meals can only be ordered 24 hours before, I would have probably order one if I was informed on time) or how to reach the island. I have contacted them days before via WhatsApp and got a reply only the evening before. Everything worked out perfectly but a bit of proactive information would feel better. Also, I can see that on tripadvisor is really clear but it would be ideal to show it better also on Booking: no smoking is permitted on the island. Still, it was a beautiful stay for one day and we really enjoy the piece, the ambiente and the nice people.

We enjoyed our stay at El Espino and appreciated the wide menu choice, the attentive staff and welcome drink. We had opted for the package which was three meals plus an hour massage. On reflection we shouldn’t have done this as we really didn’t get through the food they gave us. Because there is nothing to do on the island other than sit and relax (nowhere to walk) you simply don’t want three meals a day. I unfortunately got a very upset stomach from something I ate there. The bar seems to be extensive though the three cocktails we ordered were disappointing and tasted more like ‘mock tails’ so we ended up sticking to beer. Our stay was three nights, I think two would have been plenty