Little Corn Island vs Big Corn Island

This article has been updated on June 16, 2021.

The authentic Caribbean on a budget? I’m not entirely sure if that would be the best description of Las Islas del Maíz AKA Corn Islands but it certainly has something to it. The fact is that these Nicaraguan islands come with the classic Caribbean clichés, like crystal clear blue waters and fairytale-like palm forests while they have been spared of the usual beasts of resorts and astronomical prices. So let’s talk about these two beautiful islands, what there is to do, how to get there and so on as well as which one is better and why: Little Corn Island vs Big Corn Island.

Some basic facts about Corn islands first

Corn Islands are located about 70 km (43 miles) off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. Land-wise, Corn Islands consist of two islands: Isla Grande del Maíz and Isla Pequeña del Maíz. When it comes to landmass, both islands are tiny, we’re talking about 10km² (Big Corn) and 2,9km² (Little Corn) of land, which is 3.86 respectively 1.12 square miles. The population is therefore also tiny. We’re talking about around 8000 residents on the Big Corn Island and around 1000 people on La Isla Pequeña.

Another thing to mention is that for a significant portion of its modern history, Corns were ruled by English-speaking colonial powers. In between 1655 and 1860, Corns were British Protectorate and as of 1914, the islands were leased to the United States for a period of 99 years. The Americans remained on the islands until 25 April 1971.

The islanders are therefore creole-English speaking Afro-descendants mixed with indigenous Kukras, some Westerners and possibly also pirates because, like many other Caribbean islands, Corn Islands’ history has also been affected by the sea raiders. Socially, both islands are built upon strong communities that can be best described by two words: “very friendly”, the “everyone says hi” kind of friendly 🙂

I have also observed that there is sort of two economies on the islands. One for the locals, one for the tourists and perhaps something in between for the contributing foreign residents. It’s natural to have things arranged this way, especially when the prices (of for example beer in the bar) could be nearly triple if compared to mainland Nicaragua. Everything has to be imported, hence the price hike and there’s no way the locals could afford the $2 beers…

The differences AKA Little Corn Island vs Big Corn Island

When it comes to the differences between the two islands, besides their sizes and population, one of the main differences would be the fact that Little Corn Island is virtually car-free and with limited electricity. To be precise, the generator that produces the electricity for the whole island is switched off daily between 6 am and 1 pm.* In contrast, the Big Corn has roads, taxis, 24hrs electricity and all that.

Another notable difference is the distribution of tourism between the two islands. It is estimated to be at about 75% at Little Corn Island vs 25% at Big Corn Island. In my humble opinion, this split might be even bigger as I have observed that the dominant part of the Little Corn Island economy is based on tourism, while on Big Corn there are fishermen and various tourism-unrelated services the locals can earn daily bred from.

Things to do

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Due to its size, there’s arguably more variety of stuff to do in the Big Corn. Except for the usual Caribbean island activities such as wandering around, snorkelling, drinking, eating, chilling out, enjoying the sunset, doing some yoga, and then doing all of it some more, on Big Corn you can also rent a pushbike and cycle around the island, which would take you around two hours. You can also “climb” Mount Pleasant Hill, which would take you to the viewpoint that’s 113 metres above sea level 🙂

As for Little Corn, the activities are very similar and when it comes to the non-cliché Caribbean activities listed above, you could perhaps consider checking out a Sunday baseball game in the middle of the island. FYI, baseball is a number one sport in Nicaragua and their team participated in numerous baseball tournaments, such as Baseball World Cup and even the Olympics. In 1983, they even won a silver medal at the Pan-American Games.

Furthermore, both islands also have a few diving schools you could check out. Expect to pay about $70USD per 2 dives, with the option to obtain Padi Certificate as well, if that was your goal. I’ve also met someone who was volunteering at the primary school and helping the local children with their English on Little Corn Island.

Go out

Well, you’re in the Caribbean. There are therefore plenty of places to try delicious fresh seafood and various cold beverages. On Little Corn, most of life goes on on the western side of the island. I originally intended to drop a few names of the establishments I grew fond of over my stay on the island but I’m also aware that the impact the anti-government protests in 2019 followed by the pandemic had on local businesses could have changed a few things when it comes to ownership, so I thought I better stay away from particular recommendations.

I am however sure that you’ll be able to work it out yourself within the first eve. All you need is to walk by the shore and pick the place you like the most and that plays the best tunes 😉 You could even check out the, even more, laid-back and rather secluded eastern shore of the island, if you feel like…

When it comes to nightlife, Little Corn Island has some sort of agreement when all major bars take turns in which one holds a late party each night, plus there’s always the option to end up the night at Reggae Bar where many locals enjoy dancing to the early hours. In Big Corn, there’s also a decent amount of restaurants and bars but don’t expect some massive nightlife scene. There are few places opened late and the best would be to ask at the reception of your ho(s)tel about what place is in right now 🙂

Safety

Corns are very safe. And they, especially the Little Corn Island, are also mostly spared of the SCAM one witnesses during his or her travels. Just please watch out for the damaged dollar bills when given your change back. Even the smallest tear will make that bill useless, not even a bank will take it off you and locals also need to get rid of them so…

When to visit

Well – anytime 🙂 The temperatures on the Corn Islands do not vary that much. Expect something around 27°C (81°F). There are still dry and wet seasons but we’re not talking about huge rainfall, plus in such temperatures, it’s only refreshing. As for hurricanes, Little Corn was hit by Hurricane Joan in 1988, but there weren’t any extreme weather conditions recorded events since.

How to get there and how to get around

There are two major ways how to get to Corn Islands. The easier, faster and obviously also more expensive is taking a flight from Managua. In 90 minutes, it will take you to the Big Corn for about $164 return. Check it out here.

The other, harder, slower and cheaper way is taking a bus to the coastal town of Bluefields. The 320,-Córdobas (€8,60) drive takes about 8-9 hours and it’s rather picturesque but please note the old American school buses AKA “chicken buses” don’t offer much comfort. In the past, the road only went as far as the inland town El Rama, where you had to take a speed boat from the town of El Rama.

Although there isn’t much to do or see in El Rama, you can still do that but nowadays you can take the bus from the capital all the way to Bluefields. So we are talking about 15 hours of bus-boat-boat transportation for €19,80 (plus a possible hotel in Bluefields) or a 90-minute flight for approximately €145. Make your choices or have your budget decide for you, like me 🙂

If you’ve opted for the cheaper option, please note that from Bluefields, you need to take a ferry. There are boats almost every day but the schedule depends on demand. What I mean is that you might have to wait a day or two unless you’ll get there early morning on Wednesday. That is because the only regular boat leaves on Wednesdays at 9 am, it takes about 5 hours and it will cost you 255,- Córdobas (€6,90). FYI, you can also fly from Bluefields for about $100.

As for getting around the place, while Little Corn is walkable on foot, on Big Corn, you might have to take advantage of a taxi from time to time. Just get on the road that goes around the island and wave for a taxi. The journey will cost you 20 Córdobas ($1USD) per trip anywhere on the island and you might share your journey with other commuters.

Practical notes

• Please note that the buses to Bluefields leave from Mercado el Mayoreo bus terminal in Managua. If you are arriving from León or Granada, you will need to take a 100,- Córdobas taxi there from the UCA bus terminal. Negotiate the taxi price with the driver before you get in to avoid a surprise in a form of an extreme “gringo tax”, the local taxi drivers often like to apply themselves…
• The irregular boats between the two islands are going for 160,-Córdobas (€4,30). Ask upon your arrival.
• Please do not forget to bring cash to Little Corn Island as there aren’t any ATMs, as I’ve mentioned above.

Stay

With tourism being a considerable part of the local economy, there are numerous options when it comes to accommodation, ranging across all levels of comfort, although as far as I know, the super-luxury options are rather limited. If you were visiting the islands during a local national holiday, such as for example Easter weekend, make sure that you’ll book a place to stay well in advance.

• El Rama: I’ve stayed in the hotel Hotel Doña Luisa right by the ferry terminal. It’s a very basic cheap hotel for the locals taking the ferry in the early hours. It’s a little rough place that isn’t really a suitable place for picky, squeamish people 🙂
• Bluefields: I’ve stayed in a place called Typical House Downtown. It’s pretty much what it says. You’ll stay in a small ally just off the central market street. Ferci is a young friendly and rather extroverted, if not a bit extravagant half-American half Nicaraguan dude who likes to show you the nightlife in town if you’re up for it. It was good fun, I’d certainly recommend it to my more social party mates. For $12,-USD, you’d get a private room with a fan
• Little Corn Island: I’ve decided on Christina’s Guest House. My choice was based on the price because for $10,-USD per night it was the cheapest en suite private room in town. Christina is a very nice and non-judgmental lady, who’s also a preacher in the little church right across the street. The place is only about 3 minutes walk from the port, far away enough from the party strip not to be bothered by loud music if one wants to sleep, but in case of a changed mind, it would take you no more than 5 minutes to be right where everything is happening
• Big Corn Island: I was there during my birthday so I’ve treated myself to a private room for $22,-USD in the best rated Island Roots Hostel. It was a clean place run by a young friendly and attentive family. I can’t complain about anything there at all…

Sort of conclusion

Overall, both islands are very pretty and very Caribbean. Both are very suitable for a traveller on a budget and IMHO it’s a picture-perfect place to take it easy in the literal sense. I’d say that the Little Corn Island is perfect for someone who needs a rest, romantic couples and divers. For solo non-diving travellers, it can turn into kind of the same shit different day kind of thing, which is still absolutely all right if one takes the Caribbean settings into the consideration 😉

Then there’s the no 24/7 electricity element also adds another romantic element to Little Corn. However, please bear in mind that if you’ve had a few the night before, it can be a bit rough considering the heat and the fact that the fan in your hotel room will be still without electricity for a considerable period of time. I mean there won’t be the breeze to help you nurse your hangover, especially if you got carried away with the temptation of tasting the famous Caribbean rum in one of the island’s bars 😉

And how long to stay in Corn Islands? Well, that is entirely up to you. Unless you’re a scuba diver, Corn Islands are about the atmosphere, rather than activities, so how long can you take the do not much on the Caribbean beaches? Speaking for myself, I am not much of a beach person myself but I loved the local vibe a lot and I’ve extended my stay several times over 🙂 I wanted to take a rest and catch up on my writing and this was a perfect opportunity.

As for the difference between the two islands, I believe that you got the picture. Little Corn feels very magical and special, while Big Corn is more of a small town in the Caribbean and still very magical and special. At the end of the day, the islands are only a 15-minute boat ride from each other so it’s not a big deal to visit the other island at any point so this whole Little Corn Island vs Big Corn Island competition is rather pointless. If I were you, I would give Big Corn a chance 😉

Well and then there’s Bluefields. The town isn’t exactly what I would call a spectacular place to be but it has a strong-ish nightlife scene and it’s not entirely uncool, although it might look a bit rough at night… To be honest, I’ve actually had good fun in that town 🙂

Useful links

• La Costeña Airline website with flight schedules and possibility of booking a flight to Big Corn Island
• Little Corn Island website with practical information, such how to get there, where to stay as well as eat and drink, activities and more
• Little Corn Island community page on fcbk

Other destinations in Nicaragua to consider

• Pearl Cays: Nicaragua.com website’s page on the picturesque archipelago located north of Corns
• San Juan del Sur and Ometepe Island
• Granada and León
• In case you were interested, here’s a piece about the vibrant history of Nicaragua I put together to illustrate how crazy this part of the world once was

*the electricity situation on Little Corn is apparently going to change soon as I’ve observed large solar panels being delivered to the Island to deal with the situation. I hope it’s going to work out well 🙂

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