About The Corn Islands
Big Corn Island
Big Corn Island, also known as Great Corn Island, or simply as Corn Island, is approximately 70 kilometres (44 miles) off the coast of Bluefields, Nicaragua. It is 10 square kilometres (under 4 square miles), with quaint cobblestone roads, a new hospital built in 2017, an airport (flights come in daily from the capital Managua), and many stores, hotels and restaurants, as well as municipal offices, a baseball stadium and separate softball stadium too.
The beaches all around the entire island are gorgeous, soft powdery sand, and unlike many other Caribbean destinations, you will appreciate that all the beaches are open to the public.
To put size into perspective, the airport runway strip (see map in the photo gallery below) is approximately two-thirds the length of the island. It's small. Big Corn Island's population is approximately 8,000+ residents, consisting of Nicaraguan locals (Creole, Spanish, Miskito), descendants of slaves and pirates, and ex-pats from around the world.
Amenities
The airport runway was lengthened a few years ago in plans for the airport to become "international" - this will eventually mean that planes will be able to fly internationally from other countries (ie. Costa Rica, or USA) directly to Big Corn without passengers needing to go first to Managua and change planes.
There is a newly constructed hospital (finished in 2017) with decompression chamber - a great safety tool for divers.
There are 10 schools, numerous churches, several small grocery stores, one (yes, one) ATM machine, and cobblestone roads with speed bumps every few hundred feet. There are taxis continually circling the island to pick up & drop off at a cost of about $1 US per destination (40 Cordoba per person).
You can also rent scooters & bicycles by the day/week . Corn Island Vacations can recommend motorbike rentals as well as taxi drivers who offer private tours around the island. There is also a place on Southwest Bay Beach that rents golf carts to cruise the island in as well.
An Even More Remote Caribbean Destination
A 30-minute boat ('panga') ride away from Big Corn Island, is Little Corn Island. With a resident population of just 2,000+ people, there is a much larger population of tourists in the peak season. Little Corn Island has developed a rustic-meets-trendy reputation for being hip, cool, even more laid-back than Big Corn Island, and has NO CARS. Not even any scooters.
Little Corn Island
Why everyone loves it...
The upside: this is even more remote than Big Corn Island. You don't find this place by accident. The only way to get here is by boat from Big Corn Island. Most of the "action" happening here is along the front beach where the panga boats dock, although there are some definite "must-experience" restaurants and cabins further along the pathways. So once you're here, you don't have to go looking too hard for where to have dinner or where to make new friends.
All the "roads" on Little Corn Island are just walking paths, some not even wide enough for a cart (which, when you do see them, are often being pulled by people rather than horses!).
Many travelers are drawn to the "likke" island for its unique charm in having NO roads, and electricity for only about half the day. No motorized vehicles are allowed! The beaches are amazing and the little island has a personality all its own.
Un-plug, De-stress, Un-wind
Most of the visitors to the Corn Islands will tell you it was quiet, relaxing, with the occasional party. If you are dreaming about lazy days in a hammock under a coconut tree, you've definitely come to the right place.