5-Day Lakeside Yoga Escape on Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

The rhythm here is simple and repeats each day: yoga in the morning, a wide open middle, yoga again in the evening. Both sessions are practised outdoors by the lake, and they're open to all levels — the idea is that you move at your own pace rather than keeping up with a set sequence. If you're returning to yoga after a gap, that framing takes the pressure off.

What makes this different from a typical packed retreat is the deliberate empty space in the schedule. Rather than booking you into back-to-back workshops, the days leave the afternoons unprogrammed on purpose. That's the whole point: some guests want to swim and nap, others want to hike or head into town, and the retreat is built to let both happen.

Laguna de Apoyo itself is the main draw. It's a volcanic crater lake known for clear, soft water that's ideal for swimming and quiet time at the edge. Walk the lakeshore at dawn or dusk and you'll catch the light shifting on the water, with herons and kingfishers down among the reeds. The surrounding dry forest has trails you can walk straight from the accommodation.

Granada is close enough for a half-day trip — a colonial town of cobblestone streets and coloured facades, good for lunch and a wander. The forest around the lake is alive with birds and the occasional troop of howler monkeys further off.

Accommodation is at Miriam, right on the lake, with a range of rooms from a shared twin up to a lake-view suite that sleeps three. The retreat is led by Miriam, who is based in Nicaragua and runs flexible yoga holidays of various lengths on this same lake, from four days up to nine.

What's included

- 5 days of accommodation at Miriam on Laguna de Apoyo - Daily morning and evening guided yoga sessions - Fresh plant-based meals each day - Access to the lake for swimming and paddling - Access to surrounding forest trails

What's not included

- Flights to Nicaragua - Airport transfers (ask the leader) - Travel insurance - Optional trips to Granada and other excursions - Personal expenses - Optional room upgrades