Hotel El Reith Lake

An Island of Your Own in the Isletas de Granada

When Mombacho blew out part of its flank, it scattered a few hundred wooded islets into the northern end of Lake Nicaragua. People live on them now, and a handful carry hotels. El Reith Lake occupies one of them, off the Astillero El Diamante channel, which means the arrival is by boat and the last stretch of the journey is the best part of it. Twelve rooms, a pool, a restaurant, a dock. Water in every direction and the volcano on the skyline. The hotel calls the result colonial charm with modern comfort, and the island does most of the work.

Why It Works

Two things made the case. The first is that the island is the product: there is no road, no through traffic and no next-door neighbour, which is a rare thing to buy this close to a colonial city. The second is the spread of the rooms. Four categories run from a two-person Deluxe Standard to a Presidential Suite with three bedrooms for six, so a couple and a family of six can book the same address without either of them compromising. Kayaks, paddleboards and guided boat tours leave from the dock, and the tour desk handles the mainland.

Why This Location

The Isletas sit between Granada and the open water, which puts the whole of the region within a morning. Granada itself, its cathedral, its market and the long line of Calle La Calzada, is a short run across the water and then a few minutes by road. Mombacho rises directly behind the archipelago, with a cloud forest reserve and coffee on its slopes. Masaya and its craft market are a little further north, and the lake itself carries the birdlife: herons, kingfishers and, on a good morning, the troop of monkeys the boatmen will point out on one of the neighbouring islets. From the dock the water is flat enough at dawn for a paddleboard to be a sensible idea.

Fast Facts

• Price: Luxury

• Vibe: Private island, green, quiet, water on all sides

• Rooms: Twelve, in four categories: Deluxe Standard for two, Junior Suite for three, Superior Junior Suite for four, and a three-bedroom Presidential Suite for six

• Best For: Couples after somewhere unreachable by car, multigenerational families taking the Presidential Suite, and anyone pairing Granada with the lake

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The crossing itself, which turns the check-in into the first excursion of the trip

• Dining: Restaurant on site, which on an island is the whole answer to dinner

• Amenities: Swimming pool, private dock, kayaks and paddleboards, guided boat tours, fishing, spa treatments and yoga, bike tours, walking tours, air conditioning, in-room safes, free private parking on the mainland

• Attractions: Granada and Calle La Calzada; Mombacho volcano and its cloud forest; Masaya market; the islets and their birdlife

Four Categories, From Two Guests to Six

The room plan is built around party size rather than view, which on an island is the sensible way round. The Deluxe Standard takes two; the Junior Suite three; the Superior Junior Suite four; and the Presidential Suite, at three bedrooms, takes six and turns the stay into something closer to a house rental with a restaurant attached. All of them are air conditioned, with a flat-screen and a personal safe, and all of them look at the lake. With only twelve keys in total, the Presidential Suite in particular is worth asking about early.

What Happens on the Water

A day here tends to start on the lake and end beside the pool. Kayaks and paddleboards are the usual first move, the channels between the islets being sheltered and short. Guided boat tours cover the archipelago, the fishermen and the fort; fishing is arranged on request. On land the hotel organises trips to Granada, to the volcanoes and to the markets, along with bike and walking tours. Wellness treatments and yoga fill the hours when the sun is at its worst.

Before You Book

Check-in and check-out both sit at noon, which suits the boat timetable more than it suits a late flight, so plan the arrival day accordingly. Pets are not accepted and step free access is not part of the property, worth confirming before booking if either applies. Staff work in Spanish and English. And because everything arrives by water, tell the hotel your crossing time when you book rather than on the day.