Little Corn Island, a Piece of Undiscovered Paradise in the Caribbean!
Little Corn Island has a population of approximately 1,400 persons, and there are no motorcycles or cars on the island. The island has a total land mass of 3.8 square kilometers and its main economic activity is fishing and tourism. There is some agriculture on the island, with the main crops being coconut and bananas, but you will also find papaya, pineapple and mango plantations in the fields. The municipal dock is on the main community and there is a pedestrian street which is parallel to the beach. Little Corn Island is a truly idyllic Caribbean paradise. Lovely, unspoiled beaches, with small Robinson Crusoe style resorts right on the beach are waiting for you to discover. You have a variety of hotels to choose from in Little Corn Island. Best of all, they offer good basic services at affordable prices and they are uncrowded!
It is important to take note that the busiest time of the year on the Little Corn Island is Easter Week (Semana Santa) and New Years holidays, when it is absolutely a must to have reservations; otherwise, you are likely to end up sleeping on the beach! Another busy season is August 26 to 29, when the island celebrates its annual Crab Festival, a time when the community blends in to provide special hospitality to its visitors. Other than these dates, you are likely to find accommodations on the island even if you show up unannounced.
There are no banks or ATM machines on Little Corn Island, however most businesses accept credit cards. Please take this into consideration, because you will need cash for certain purchases. US dollars and Nicaraguan Cordobas are equally accepted., however bare in mind that you will need small US dollar notes to help your service provider get change for you. Especially in the low season, getting change from a $100 US bill can be a challenge!
The public electric system on the island does not operate 24 hours a day. Regular service is provided from 2:00 p.m. till 5:00 a.m. Outside of this schedule, there are some businesses that have their own power plants, otherwise, there is no electric power.
Getting to Little Corn Island
Little Corn Island is 7 ½ miles from Corn Island. Transportation to Little Corn Island is via motorboats (pangas) with two daily departures. These departures are conveniently scheduled to coincide with the flights arriving from Managua to Corn Island. Departures are at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 P.M. from the main municipal dock in Corn Island located at Brig Bay.
If you fly to Corn Island, taxi service between the airport and the dock will cost you $1 USA dollar per person and transfer time is under 5 minutes. Maritime travel time from there to Little Corn is about 30 minutes and the cost is around $5.00 US dollars per person, one way. Return schedule, from Little Corn Island to Corn Island is at 6:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. which connects perfectly with La Costeña´s air service departing the island for the mainland.
Expect to get wet on the passage between the islands. It is usually rougher going to Little Corn Island that on the return trip. Pack your camera, passport and other important items in waterproof security. You can purchase a large black garbage bag in the store across the dock and put your bags or back packs in them to keep them dry.
Things to do in Little Corn Island
Little Corn Island is blessed with an extremely healthy coral reef which is approximately 1 mile long and only ½ a mile off the coast. As a result, this reef provides outstanding diving and snorkeling here. There are two PADI dive shops operating on the island, Los Delfines, a locally owned dive shop adjacent to Los Delfines Hotel and Dive Little Corn which is very close to the municipal dock, right on the main pedestrian street. Fun dives, as well as a series of PADI dive courses in different languages are available at both of these establishments. A third dive shop is at Derek’s Place one of the resorts on the opposite side of the Little Corn Island.[themify_hr color=”light-gray” width=”1px”]
Exploring Little Corn Island
There is a pedestrian road that goes around Little Corn Island. The street goes past the main community towards the east. Along it you will find a branch towards the North Side of the Island, that leads to Casa Iguana. From there, you can hike down the beach or along a trail that leads to other hotels. It is a good idea to plan your walk to coincide with the daylight hours. Alternately, bring you flashlight with you. Remember there is no public lighting in the trails or along this side of the island.
English is widely spoken on Little Corn Island. Although bilingual, residents of Little Corn Island prefer English over Spanish.
Most of the hotels are on the far side Little Corn Island. As a general rule they are more basic than those located in town. Most of these hotels offer restaurant service that is open to outside clients. I encourage you to explore the island and have your meals at the more remote hotels. This certainly beats having to carry your lunch with you or walk back to your hotel for your meal.
There are a variety of restaurants and bars in Little Corn Island. As most small towns, there is no much night life on the island, with most places closing early. Are you interested in a place that is open a bit later that the rest? Check out Tranquilo Café in town or Casa Iguana on the far end of Little corn Island.
