Discover Nicaragua - Islands, Oceans and Incredible Hotels

This morning, you’ll be privately transferred to the airport for your short flight to Big Corn Island. You’ll be met on the other side and transferred to your home for the next three nights: a beachside hotel set in tropical surroundings. Soak up the sea views by heading down to the sand, or enjoy them from the comfort of your small, private swimming pool.

This evening, you’ll hop on a sunset boat trip. Soak in the magical atmosphere and enjoy the fitting welcome to your time in paradise.

Bathed by Caribbean waters, the heavenly Corn Islands come as a pair: Big Island and Little Island. For centuries they relied on coconut cultivation and fishing as their main industries, but now their picture-perfect landscapes and colourful coral reefs attract travellers in search of untouched natural beauty.

Your time here is yours to spend as you please. You might want to don your flippers and mask and explore the surrounding seabed, sample some fresh coconut bread on the beach, or simply curl up in a hammock, rocked by the sea breeze.

Today you’ll leave Big Corn Island behind and head back to the mainland for your transfer to Popoyo, located on the country’s west coast. You’ll spend three nights at a sprawling property overlooking some of the area’s best surfing spots. The hotel boasts expansive patios and terraces, perfect for soaking up the sunshine and a beautiful outdoor pool where you can cool off. The surrounding dry rainforest is home to some incredible wildlife including iguanas, howler monkeys, sloths, and a variety of birds. Enjoy a drink on your private terrace overlooking the ocean this evening, or head down to the bar for a chilled cocktail or Nicaraguan rum. There are several restaurants to choose from for dinner – are you in the mood for tacos or grilled lobster?

Today, take a guided walk through the estate’s orchards and gardens: over 6,000 colourful acres of green vegetables, cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn, citrus fruits and habanero peppers, all grown sustainably. As you walk, your knowledgeable guide will teach you more about the cultivation methods, climate, traditional recipes and local Nicaraguan history. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you please.

This relaxed beach town is Nicaragua’s surfing paradise. Its small main street runs along the beach, lined with hotels and surf camps offering lessons, equipment hire and sometimes their own bar and restaurant. It’s only right, then, that you learn to ride the waves like locals. Take a private surfing lesson with an experienced instructor, and, if you’re a beginner, have no fear – there are waves suitable for all levels.

Popoyo may be known for its surfing, but there are plenty of other things to get stuck into during your time here: yoga lessons, walks in the tropical forest, sampling fresh grilled fish on the beach, or simply relaxing to the sound of the waves.

Pack your bags but leave your surfboard behind – it’s time to swap waves for calmer waters. Transfer by private vehicle to the marina of Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua) this morning, where you’ll board a boat heading to the Las Isletas archipelago. You’ll spend two nights in an overwater cabin on the lake; the perfect place escape.

You’re in the heart of Las Isletas: a group of 365 volcanic islets created after the Mombacho volcano erupted. The locals here are mainly fishing families, and nature has been given free rein to carpet the landscape in every shade of green. Explore the area by kayak in the company of a private guide. Paddle at your own pace between the lush islets, keeping your eyes peeled for the hesitant gait of aquatic birds or the artistic net-throwing of traditional fishermen.

Dinner tonight is something special, on a private pontoon beside the lake, in the mild evening air as the serene waters of the lake lap at your feet.

On your final full day in Nicaragua, you’ll head back to the marina to be privately transferred to vibrant Granada. This UNESCO World Heritage-listed city is home to some incredible colonial architecture. Fittingly, tonight you’ll stay in a neo-colonial style hotel, complete with a charming swimming pool and wonderful spa.

Take a guided tour of ‘La Gran Sultana’ so you don’t miss the highlights: the Xalteva and La Merced churches, the San Francisco Convent Museum, the cathedral, the market, the central park and, a little outside of the centre, the Fort de la Pólvora.

The rest of the day is yours to spend at your leisure. Try some vigorón granadino, the city’s signature dish made from cassava, fried pork and grated cabbage salad. A stone’s throw from the cathedral, you’ll find the lively street of Calzada, full of bars, restaurants and pop-up stages where musicians play into the night.