Corn Islands
Little Corn Island: an idyllic caribbean paradise located 70 km off the eastern coast of Nicaragua. Upon arriving here, you will feel like you are in a different country. The carribbevn flavour is everywhere! The islanders are incredibly welcoming. When we arrived on Big Corn Island, our taxi driver, named Jerry Junior was probably the most friendly taxi driver I have ever met. To hop in that cab and see his warm smile was the best thing that could have happened to us after a long morning of being in the airports and the plane. When we arrived on Little Corn Island, friendly faces continued to pop up throughout the day. It feels like everyone wants to get to know you and make sure you have a memorable time. Even the people that are trying to sell you something will tell you stories and make you laugh. Everyone is open, warm and inviting. I immediately felt that I might never want to leave this special place...not only because of how charming the island is, but also because I never want to step foot on that panga boat ride ever again!!!
Getting to Little Corn Island
We opted to fly from Managua to Big Corn Island. The other option is to take a 6 hour bus from Managua to Bluefields (on the eastern coast of Nicaragua) and then a 6 hour boat ride after that to Big Corn Island. The second option is of course less expensive but time consuming and unpredictable. We met backpackers who opted for the second option and said that the seas are rough: everyone is throwing up (even the locals who are used to it) and children are crying and the boat schedule is difficult to plan around as the boat only leaves three times per week and the schedule changes often making it hard to find the correct information, so expect to spend a night or two in Bluefields as well as Big Corn Island.
The flights from Managua to Big Corn Island generally depart at 6:30 am. To book your ticket, you must go through the airline’s website directly. The airline is called La Costena. Check-in time is at 5 am and don’t bother getting there any earlier as they won’t be open. You do not have to go into the international airport in Managua as La Costena has its own small building to the left right beside the international terminal. Check-in and security is quick and easy and hassle-free. We were on a propellor plane but it still had about fifty seats. We departed exactly on time and went through some turbulence as we went through some dense clouds where the plane did a few large feeling drops and I thought it was pretty entertaining. Within half an hour of take off, we were already descending to Bluefields where a bunch of passnegers got off, more got on the plane, and then we were right back up and then landing again on Big Corn Island. After retrieving our bags, we got in one of the taxis that was waiting at the airport and asked him to take us to Brigg’s Bay to get the boat to Little Corn Island. He pointed out useful landmarks along the way and reminded us that there is no ATMs on Little Corn Island so he could take us to the bank on Big Corn if we needed (we didn’t as we already knew this and had brought enough cash for our stay). He charged us 160 cordobas from the airport to the port and I think that might have been a bit steep as I’ve read in the past that you can go anywhere on Big Corn for 20 cordobas but they will stop to pick up other passengers and if you want to go direct no stops, then it’s 80. However that information is three years old and since then the country tourism has plummeted due to political unrest in 2018 and then of course COVID for the past two years as well. So I was happy to pay 160 for the 10 minute drive because we didn’t pre-negotiate a price before entering the cab (always pre-negotiate the price when you tell them where you want to go otherwise they can make up whatever number they want when you get there). He was also incredibly friendly and charismatic, helped us with our bags so we ended up giving him 200. Like I said, it was just so refreshing to see a friendly and welcoming face and he was so memorable. He was telling us that he has to say hi to everyone he passes that he knows otherwise he feels bad. And he does, he honks and leans out the window to every person. And the caribbean accent here is the best. I imagine that the incessant honking on Big Corn Island will be a lot to take in after any amount of time on the peaceful car-free Little Corn Island.
We arrived at Brigg’s Bay at about 8:10 and in pre-civid times there were two pandas heading to LCI per day. Usually the pangas line up with flights so there used to be one at 10 am and you used to have to get there about two hours early to get a spot as it would sell out. We arrived and one crew member told us it there was one at 10 but it would be $10 usd each. The driver of the boat said no right now they are only doing on per day and it is as 4 pm and costs $160 (about $5 USD). He called his boss as there were 9 of us hoping to go at 10 and he reported to us that they would only go at 10 if we all were willing to pay $15 USD and there had to be at least 10 of us for them to make the trip. Such is the way things go in places like this. We really wanted to get there that day, some of the other potential passengers were saying they would wait until 4pm to save money. He said he would drop the price to $10 if there were 15 passengers. Luckily a few more people showed up and we had enough to make the journey and bring the cost down to $10 each so everyone was happy! While we waited, me and Josh had a couple beers. Everyone was laughing at us because it was only 9 am at that point, but everything in life is better after 2 drinks as my friend Emma always says and I’ve always lived by that while traveling and especially the not so enjoyable parts that come with travelling. Also, we has to wake up 3:45 am that day for our flight so technically it was not 9 am for us, it felt more like 2 or 3 pm since we had been awake for so long.
The boat ride to Little Corn Island was very memorable. Another reason I didn’t want to wait until four pm was because it often gets rainy in the afternoon. At 10 am, it was sunny with clouds. We put on our life jackets - mine was missing a buckle so I tied it together. I later met a woman who told me that her guide book said to find a good-fitting life jacket as this panga boat has been known to flip. At first, the journey was pleasant and we were motoring along fairly quickly. All of the sudden the waves grew so big that overtime we went over a big one, the driver would cut the engine and we would drop like a roller coaster down the ten-foot swells in what was essentially an oversized canoe. I had to brace myself and at one point my arm smacked the backboard behind me pretty freaking hard. Make sure not to let your face smack the backboard/backrest in front of you (we met someone who had that happen to her). I remember looking around me and thinking the waves were the size of mountains. The boat had no raft things on the side to stop it from flipping over so I was very impressed that we managed to stay upright. Of course there were a few times where we were splashed in the face and we had put all of our valuables in dry bags and also clothes in garbage bags to keep from getting wet. When we went it was during a wind storm so I think it was unusually choppy. But perhaps not out of the ordinary for “choppy season.” I was nervous during the ride but it was also really exciting. It was such a rush and very memorable. Every time the boat would drop, I was shrieking and laughing my head off. However, after 20 minutes I got tired of it and everything started to ache from holding on so I was glad when it was over. Josh kept telling me to be quiet because I was making him more nervous with my incessant talking….Ducky handled the journey much better than him as she calmly lay on the floor between my legs. I’m not sure if it was the xanax or all the practice driving up bumpy logging roads in the back of my truck, but that dog didn’t seem phased by the boat ride at all. It was a little difficult lifting her in and out of the boat because the walls are so high and it bobs along the dock creating a 3 foot gap but we managed to hold the boat somewhat close to the dock and lift her in. Another time where a small dog would have been nice.
There are no ATMs on Little Corn Island
Tips:
Get your cash out before as there are no ATMs on Little Corn Island and many places won’t accept card. Those that do charge 12%.
Read below on where to stay if you need reliable wifi on Little Corn Island
Before taking the panga boat over to LCI, line the inside of your big bag(s) with garbage bags to prevent water damage.
I put all my books and electronics in a garbage bag inside my big bag. My clothing I didn’t care if it got wet, so just left it as normal inside of my big backpack. Small backpack had everything valuable like my laptop and documents, wireless headphones that all went in another garbage bag. Super valuable items were in my small dry bag: passport, cell phone, money, bank cards. And the dry bag was around my neck in the unlikely event we did capsize, I had everything I needed on my person. Everything else is replaceable but you do not want to be in a foreign country with no passport, phone or bank cards. I kept joking that if everything else sunk, it would be a blessing in disguise because then I wouldn’t have to carry it.
Where to stay on Little Corn Island:
I originally wanted to stay on the west side of the island so that we could watch the sunset every night and be close to the bars & restaurants. We ended up staying on the eastern side because it’s breezier, quieter and better for the dog (all the local dogs want to attack her because they don’t recognize her). We also needed somewhere with reliable wifi to work remotely and most of the island has a power outage every day from 6 am until 1 pm, which of course means the wifi for the few places that actually have it will be off to. But there is one place that has an internet tower so if you need to work, you basically have to stay here and it’s a little more expensive than the other options but it’s beautiful. It’s called Little Corn Island Beach & Bungalow.
The eastern side of the island has a number of cute beach hotels that offer private cabanas on the beach that are basic but inexpensive. They all have great atmosphere as well. Grace’s Cool Spot, Carltio’s, and Esla’s place. You can get a casaba for $15 per night or less. Furthest along is Little Corn Island Beach & Bungalow which is more upscale with cabins ranging from $45 USD to $100 USD. The beach along this side of the island is beautiful, you can walk between all these places and also the footpath to town from Elsa’s Place is quick and easy. For cheap food, there is Bosque which is along this footpath in the middle of the island. The food is traditional nica food but with a caribbean twist and flavour. The garlic chicken was my favourite: chicken mixed in with vegetable in a tangy garlic sauce served with a small salad, a big portion of delicious vegetables, mashed potatoes and a desert all for 150 cordobas! Breakfast was also fantastic value. We ate here quite a bit, it was fantastic value. The Turned Turtle Restaurant at Little Corn Island Bungalow is also delicious, but more expensive so we tried to limit eating there…somewhat. Definitely go for breakfast and get the coconut banana cinnabon french toast. I also ate an order of the cinnabon toast almost every day I was there, it is incredible! If you want to stay at Little Corn Island Beach and Bungalow you can book online.
One last reason for why you should see these islands A.S.A.P. and a rant on climate change
There is no other place I have been to that is just like Little Corn Island. I’ve been to islands that feel quite similar and are equally as popular for off-the-beaten-path destinations to dive at such as Utila in Honduras or Malapascua in the Philippines. They are all so special. But one thing that broke my heart a little bit was hearing the effects of climate change on Little Corn Island. One of the locals who owns a beach bar told me that 10 years ago, the beach was so much larger and the sand actually extended another 15 metres out. Now that section of the beach is permanently beneath the water due to rising sea levels. He showed me pictures and explained how they’ve had to rebuild things as the ocean has crept further and further up on their property over the years. All I could think about was how this island is completely flat and there is only one small hill in the center - so eventually the whole island will be under water due to rising sea levels at some point in the not so distant future. Of course we all know many places that face a similar fate, but the more people that can go and experience the PEOPLE of this island who are the most welcoming and friendly to tourists that you might ever meet…well the better! Because it’s a reminder of how the negative effects of climate change are and will continue to disproportionally affect people around the world. This place is so special and so unlike anywhere else in the world; we need huge changes to preserve cultures and places like this that we simply will not find anywhere else. For so many people, climate change is not really a problem that is staring them right in the face. Perhaps it doesn’t feel like it will affect their life in a huge way, living in the city, but for a place like Little Corn Island, among many others, it’s happening, it’s here and we need serious action to prevent further loss. And yes there are so many ways that we as a society can completely change toward a sustainable way of life, still while being able to travel and fly on planes so don’t give me or anyone for that matter sh*t about promoting travel and flying in planes while talking about sustainability. Just remember that a vegetarian who drives a hummer has less of a carbon footprint than a meat eater who drives a prius ;) That being said, eating meat can still be sustainable, if sourced correctly and if we as a society can move away from the mass production and consumption model.