Little Corn Island FAQs
More helpful information about the Remote Tropical Island Paradise that is Little Corn Island.
- Tell me more about Little Corn Island
- Is Little Corn Island safe?
- Is Little Corn Island suitable for children?
- What is there to do on Little Corn Island?
- Will I be bored in Little Corn Island?
- What should I bring to Little Corn Island?
- Are there any stores on Little Corn Island to buy snacks?
- Is there 24 hour electricity on Little Corn Island?
- What type of plug in do we need on Little Corn Island?
- What can you tell me about Little Corn Island weather?
- When are the dry seasons and the rainy seasons on Little Corn Island?
- How is it getting around Little Corn Island?
- Do you have any advice on how we might make panga ride as comfortable as possible from Big Corn Island to Little Corn Island?
- Are there other places to eat on Little Corn Island other than the Turned Turtle Restaurant and Bar?
- Can I spend my US Dollars on Little Corn Island?
- Is there a bank or ATM on Little Corn Island?
- Can I snorkel to the reef from the beach on Little Corn Island?
- What is the diving like on Little Corn Island?
- Some of my best travel experiences have been at locales such as Paradise Island Bahamas and Cancun Mexico. Given that I really enjoy that type of travel destinations do you think I will like Little Corn Island?
- CBS Survivor: San Juan Del Sur-Blood vs. Water for the 29th and 30th seasons is being filmed in Nicaragua to be shown in September 2014. Is Little Corn Beach and Bungalow and Little Corn Island any where near the set for the show?
- Click here to view our helpful Welcome Booklet with more FAQs and island Trivia!
Tell me more about Little Corn Island
About 2 miles long and at its widest 1 mile, Little Corn has NO cars, NO motorcycles, mopeds or any combustion engine vehicles. The island electric generator runs from about 2 PM to 6 AM and dirt paths connect various parts of the island.
There is a small community (“the village” on the leeward side of the island) of around 1000 happy souls, a baseball diamond, diving on a barrier coral reef (if your lucky you might get to dive with a Hammerhead) and the friendliest most beautiful island you could imagine. “Main Street” is a concrete path that stretches a half mile or so along the waterfront of the village.
Want a taxi? You’ll have to settle for those two things you are standing on to get around. In case you brought a bunch of used clothing to give to the kids at the school, you will have to use a wheelbarrow to transport them. Interestingly, folks frequently wonder what they will do with their time, “will I be bored?” they ask, once they get here, they wish they could stay longer.
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Is Little Corn Island safe?
Little Corn Island is a close knit community. Relatively speaking it is very safe. Rarely does anyone feel threatened on the island. But be aware that just because you may be on a tropical island paradise, there is still a few bad apples that given the opportunity may make your visit to Little Corn Island memorable for all the wrong reasons. For this reason, We recommend that our guest always use practices that promote safe travel.
While you are here, take advantage of getting to know the local folks who are generally kind and friendly. But do be careful about who you choose to get to close to. If you are hanging out with the local party crowd, be aware that most criminal instances are related to the activities that sometimes accompany such revelry.
We strongly recommend that our guests (and anyone visiting Little Corn Island) avoid the more nefarious side of Caribbean life and stay away from illegal drugs of any sort. The folks you deal with for those items are more than likely the few bad apples (and because it is illegal, it might be you that ends up in Nicaraguan jail).
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Is Little Corn Island suitable for children?
Little Corn Island is a small island and a relatively safe place. It is important to remember that the panga ride from Big Corn is in an open skiff over 8 miles of ocean and that while you are here at the resort, the ocean is just steps away.
Also, some of our accommodations have bedrooms accessed by navy style bamboo ladders. If you feel uncomfortable with that for your children be sure to book a bungalow with all the beds on the first floor. So if all that doesn’t worry you, bringing children 6 and over may not be a problem.
We have had children of all ages (6 months to 85 years) and we believe almost without exception, they have enjoyed Little Corn Island. We have had more and more families coming with kids as we go along and they seem to love their Little Corn Island experience!
We see LOTS of kids at our place from 6 months to 85 years old. Almost without exception they actually get along fine with the panga. If your child likes Disneyland, they will probably like the panga ride (sometimes it is rough, sometimes it is like a smooth pond). Plus for the parents the ride is only $6, lasts 30 minutes and the salt spray is thrown in free!
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What is there to do on Little Corn Island?
Will I be bored in Little Corn Island?
What should I bring to Little Corn Island?
- Bug spray (you will be visiting a tropical island, staying at a resort on the beach that is surrounded by jungle, there ARE bugs, we do all we can to mitigate them but they are innumerable and persistent)
- Purchase trip insurance.
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Rain jacket or umbrella (for the tropical rain storm)
- Flip flops
- US dollars are accepted all over Nicaragua and the island (they will only be accepted on the islands if they are clean, unmarked, not torn and readable, so be sure to get clean money for this part of your trip). Of course Nicaraguan Cordobas are accepted as well
- Battery operated alarm clock (we have no wake up service)
- Light sweater for the 77 degree F evenings
- Hat
- Sunscreen (keep in mind, some lotions are natural and better for the reef.)
- Books
- Day pack
- Any thing else that will make your stay comfortable for you.
There are some small stores on the island that have a limited selection of life’s little necessities.
If you have any specific questions about what to bring or how things work you can reach us via email at info@littlecornbb.com or call us at 011 505 8 923 2517 (cell phone reception is intermittent on Cocal Beach). Look forward to sharing our paradise with you!
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Are there any stores on Little Corn Island to buy snacks?
Is there 24 hour electricity on Little Corn Island?
The island power is typically available from 2:00 pm to 6:00 am (although there has been times when the village generator has been down for up to five weeks). Little Corn Beach and Bungalow has a backup generator (see tropical island disclaimer above), we have the ability to provide our own power for at least a portion of the time.
There are and will be times the village power will go down without warning, when it does it usually happens at night. This means that your fans and lights will not function (unless you have had the foresight to reserve a Master Suite Gulliver or a Master Suite Crusoe style cabin, and even then on rare times that will not be available, see remote tropical island disclaimer).
Generally electricity is available at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow from 1:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
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WHAT TYPE OF PLUG IN DO WE NEED ON LITTLE CORN ISLAND?
What can you tell me about the weather on Little Corn Island?
First and foremost, weather is hard to predict especially here on the Corn Islands. But generally speaking, October – November is the rainiest part of the year, in October especially you can go for a couple days with constant rain. We have had years though where the weather was beautiful for these months.
December to February you see generally improving weather. The further from October – November the better the weather gets.
March to June or so are typically dry and mild.
June to early August is a slightly wetter time where a drenching 20 minute rain shower followed by blue skies is not uncommon. During this time you might also see towering thunderstorms. Most rains at this time of year tend to come at night.
August and September are Little Corn Islands secret months (typically), beautiful weather and the island to your self makes it (in our opinion) the best month to be here. Little Corn Beach and Bungalow is closed from September to mid November.
To the best of our knowledge, there are no weather stations on the Corn Islands. So when you look at internet weather sites, you are probably looking at weather predictions for Bluefields which is on the coast and has dramatically different weather patterns than the islands that are 50 miles away and in the middle of the sea. For instance the weather site may say “rain all day” but Little Corn is sunny and mild.
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When are the dry seasons and the rainy seasons on Little Corn Island?
October and November are the rainiest months on Little Corn Island. September is our little secret month. It is usually a great month to be on the island.
December, January and February are months that you will see the occasional tropical downpour and breezy weather. While some times, you may not see rain or wind for a week. March through May are probably the driest months. June, July and August seem to be somewhat like December through February.
Keep in mind, if it was easy to predict the weather, we would all be prognosticators. So, bring an umbrella or a rain jacket and enjoy Little Corn Island no matter what the weather. If you do get a rainy day or two, our bar has a nice enclosed reading and game area where you can while away the hours. Typically too, we have wi fi available in the cabins from about 7Am to around 9PM.
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How is it getting around Little Corn Island?
If you prefer paved, well lit, “malecon” type experiences, Little Corn Island and especially Little Corn Island Beach and Bungalow is probably not for you. 99% of the island is accessible only on dirt, unlit, un-populated, quiet paths.
Little Corn Beach and Bungalow can be reached only from the sea or by traversing one or more of these pathways. We are located on a remote part of the island and if you are intimidated by the dark, mud (when it has been raining), bugs, crabs, the occasional snake or a certain sense of adventure and still decide to come to Little Corn Island, you may want to stay at a different hotel.
On the other hand, if this type of adventure travel is precisely why you are coming to Little Corn Island and Little Corn Island Beach and Bungalow then we just might be the place for you.
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Do you have any advice on how we might make panga ride as comfortable as possible from Big Corn Island to Little Corn Island?
Well . . . while there is no fool proof plan, we can share with you what we do when we take the panga. When you go from Big Corn Island to Little Corn Island you will mostly be traveling East. This usually takes you directly into the wind and the waves.
If you want to stay the driest, ride in the middle near the bow (front) of the boat. But be aware, the front is the roughest ride (sometimes “rough” is an understatement). If you want to have the smoothest ride, ride in the stern (back) of the boat. But be aware, the stern is the wettest (and we mean “wet”) place to be.
When we ride the panga from Big Corn Island to Little Corn Island we usually try to arrive early to the dock and select a seat either farther toward the bow (yet mid boat if we are more concerned about “dry”) or a little closer to the stern (yet still mid boat if we are more concerned about a less rough ride).
Remember, the captain of the panga has to take in to account ALL of the factors involved of driving the panga into the waves which means that sometimes the people in the bow get a huge bump and sometimes the people in the stern get very wet.
Be safe and cover your bags with plastic bags and put important papers and devices in a zip lock bag. If this is not something that you think you can handle, you may want to consider changing your itinerary to not include Little Corn Island.
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Are there other places to eat on Little Corn Island other than the Turned Turtle Restaurant and Bar?
Can I spend my US Dollars on Little Corn Island?
Yes, US dollars and Nicaraguan Cordobas are both legal tender. If you bring US dollars be sure that the have no rips, tears, tape or marks on them so they will be accepted. Only Cordobas or US dollars (with no rips, tears, writing, marks or ink stains) are acceptable on the islands.
If you pick up US Dollars at the BanPro on Big Corn, be very careful that they give you clean, unmarked, not torn bills. Just because the bank gives them to you does not mean businesses or service providers around the island will accept them. At the bank, refuse any bills that have the mentioned imperfections.
We accept any size bill from our hotel guests to pay their hotel bill. But, we recommend for spending money around the island that you bring some $10 and $20 dollar bills. There is no bank or ATM on Little Corn Island and change is a hard thing to find here.
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Is there a bank or ATM on Little Corn Island?
No. Be sure to bring all of the cash you will need for your stay. There is however a Western Union, Banpro and an ATM (occasionally out of money) on Big Corn Island. Consider bringing some $10 and $20’s for spending around the island. Our resort accepts any size bills to pay your final bill.
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Can I snorkel to the reef from the beach on Little Corn Island?
Yes. The reef stretches about half way around the island on the East and North end. The inside of the reef is anywhere from 150 to 200 yards off the beach (as it is in front of Little Corn Beach and Bungalow) to as close as 50 yards at other locations. However, there is Tarpon Channel, an opening in the reef directly off shore from Little Corn Beach and Bungalow.
We suggest that you be aware of this and plan your snorkeling accordingly. Typically, it is safe to swim and snorkel right off the beach, but please use your personal knowledge about your swimming abilities and comfort levels to determine when, where and if you go snorkeling.
For more about snorkeling Little Corn Island, click here.
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What's the diving like on Little Corn Island?
Some of my best travel experiences have been at locales such as Paradise Island Bahamas and Cancun Mexico. Given that I really enjoy that type of travel destinations do you think I will like Little Corn Island?
It is hard to say. Maybe, maybe not. Little Corn Island is the antithesis of highly built up, very convenient vacations destinations. If you are looking to experience something totally different and are bringing along a patient attitude, you might find the difference refreshing.
If you are coming expecting to have yet another experience at least similar to the above mentioned places you will probably not be happy about this vacation choice. Be sure to read our whole FAQs page and do some research on the internet to help you decide if the Corn Islands (especially Little Corn Island) experience is for you and your family.
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CBS Survivor: San Juan Del Sur-Blood vs. Water for the 29th and 30th seasons was filmed in Nicaragua in September 2014. Is Little Corn Beach and Bungalow and Little Corn Island any where near the set for the show?
While you will be on a remote tropical island, unfortunately, you will be a whole country away from the area that the Survivor will be filmed in. San Juan Del Sur – Blood vs. Water / Redemption Island was filmed on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua in the San Juan Del Sur area. San Juan Del Sur is on the west coast in the southern area of Nicaragua. We do have a cabin named after the show, “Survivor” though 🙂