How Do I Get to Little Corn Island?
Getting to Nicaragua:
A wide range of flights arrive and depart daily to and from Managua’s Augusto C. Sandino International Airport. Among them, American, Copa, Avianca, United, Aero Mexico, Spirit (returning Dec. 6th), along with others.
Check directly with the airlines or your favorite travel sites for current flights and fares.
Getting to Little Corn From Managua:
The Quickest and Easiest Way…
Fly to Big Corn Island Airport..
La Costeña, Nicaragua’s regional airline, offers 2-3 daily flights from Managua to the Corn Islands:
- 7:00am Daily
- 9:30am Depends on demand. Check with airline.
- 2:00pm Daily
Daily return flights to Managua from Corn Island at:
- 8:20am Daily
- 11:10am Depends on demand. Check with airline.
- 3:20pm Daily
Booking your flight to Corn Island: From Managua, the round-trip ticket price to Corn Island is about US$180. But effective October 1st 2025, luggage charges will apply to all fares, depending on what you are bringing, including checked, carry-on, and personal items. Below are the ways to contact them to determine what your exact fare will be. Booking via their website has additional surcharges higher than all of the other methods. Their office hours are 7am to 5pm, local time.
By Phone: Call La Costena’s reservations office in Managua airport at (505) 2298 5360. (011 505 2298 5360 from outside of Nicaragua)
You might need to be patient when calling, as sometimes it can take a few tries to get through. They have agents who speak English if you need it. Just request one when you call.
Text via WhatsApp: +505 7828 1234. They recently introduced this method for inquiries and reservations, and reports are that it’s working quite well.
By Email: “reservacion@lacostena.com.ni“. It will take a couple of emails back and forth, but it generally works well.
In Person: You can go directly to their ticket office at Managua airport and pay with cash or credit card. But remember, since flights can fill up in advance, you should typically do this at least several days or more before you plan to travel, especially during high season. This method might not be as practical unless you’ll already be in Managua a few days before you plan to fly.
Their website: www.lacostena.com.ni
Whichever way you end up booking your tickets, it can require a little patience, but hang in there… in the end it will be worth it!
Noteworthy: “Open Return” tickets are available when you book by phone, email, text, or in person. So if you’re not sure of the exact date that you want to return to Managua, it’s an option that many visitors use to leave their departure date flexible and not face date-change fees. La Costeñas ticket change surcharges are very high, so definitely a good option to consider. Once visitors spend a few days on Little Corn, it’s very common for them to ask us “do you know how I can get my plane tickets changed to stay longer?”, an open return ticket can help with that.
Got your tickets? You’re all set!
They ask you to check in about 90 minutes before flight time. The La Costeña terminal is the first building on the right as you pull into the airport entrance from the highway (or if coming out of the arrivals area of the main terminal, go to the left and walk past the end of the main building). Present your passport or Cedula (Nicaraguan ID card) for check-in.
Baggage You will receive a small claim stub for each piece of luggage that you check.. Don’t lose it. If you check more than 30 pounds (per person) there is a $1.50 fee per pound for additional weight. You’re also allowed one small backpack-sized bag as a carry-on, plus a small personal item. For more info, here is the link for their baggage policy.
Once you’re checked in, you will pay a $2 airport tax at the adjacent window. They accept US$ or equivalent Cordobas. They’ll give you a receipt for you to hand the agent as you pass thru the security door which is right next to the window, and then your carry-on bags will be x-rayed. Both your carry-on bags and checked bags are subject to additional inspection.
And once you’re through security, there’s a snack bar inside the waiting area, with a variety of snack foods, soda, beer, and liquor.
Listen for your flight or name to be called, and proceed through the single gate exit (you may get called to go before your actual scheduled flight time). Your flight is about 80 minutes from take-off to landing on Big Corn.. enjoy the view as you glide by lakes, rivers, and volcanoes. Next thing you know, you’ll be landing at Big Corn airport (with a possible short stop in Bluefields to let passengers off or on.. Don’t get off there!)
Getting from Corn Island to Little Corn:
WHEN YOU ARRIVE ON BIG CORN:
Collect your luggage, and catch a taxi right outside the terminal door to the municipal wharf. The taxi is 30 cordobas (about $1us per person). The municipal wharf/panga dock is where you’ll catch the passenger boat (“Panga”) to Little Corn.
THE PANGA FROM BIG CORN TO LITTLE CORN:
At the dock/wharf there is a pavilion on the right after you enter the gate, where they sell tickets for the ride. No reservations are required; you just need to sign up and buy your ticket. It costs $10us. US dollar$ and Cordobas accepted.
The daily public pangas leave at the following times:
From Little Corn to Big Corn:
6:30am and 1:30pm
From Big Corn to Little Corn:
10:00am and 4:30pm
Have a safe trip! We’ll see you here!
✈️ 🚤 🌴 😎 🌊 🐬 🤿 🐠 🥥 👙 🌺 🏖️ ☀️ 🦀 🦋 🌸
For those of you who have heard any scary stories about the panga ride over, or have never been on a ride on a high-speed open boat before, here is a great video clip showing what the crossing is usually like:
“Official” Little Corn Panga Video
Some General notes:
– In spite of what some taxi drivers on Big Corn might tell you, the panga does run as scheduled about 99% of the time… Better than many other forms of transportation!
– The taxi drivers on Big Corn are offered cash commissions/bribes by some hotel owners to do their best to sway you to stay there (“I know a great little hotel for you to stay…”). Affected by these incentives, they are also known to give out disinformation to try to convince you to stay on Big Corn.
– Most days of the year the ride is pretty smooth. On windier days it can be bumpy and wet. On those days, sitting towards the back of the boat is generally smoother, but can be the wettest ride. Sitting up front can be drier, but bumpier.
– Your larger bags (suitcases, large backpacks, etc) will be stored in a water-protected compartment in the back of the boat. It’s a good idea to bring some sort of watertight bag to keep phones and electronics, and other personal items that you carry with you to your seat.
Alternate Way to Get from Managua To Little Corn:
The Cheaper, But Slower Way…
Bus from Managua to Bluefields, and then passenger ferry from Bluefields to Big Corn:
There is now a modern highway that connects Managua with Bluefields, and buses that run several times a day between the 2 cities. The bus ride takes about 8 hours, and makes at least one stop along the way. It costs approximately 380 cordobas (a little over $10)
Effective late January 2025, the bus schedule is:
From Managua – 9:15am 11:15am 2:30pm, 8:30pm, 11pm
From Bluefields – 5:30am, 10am, 1pm, 9pm, 11pm
These are their reservation numbers (as of January 2025):
8530 2301 in Managua
5777 6895 in Bluefields
From Bluefields to Big Corn, the Hilario Sanchez and Rio Escondido passenger ferries make trips to Big Corn two times weekly: Wednesdays, and Saturdays, sail time is 9am, and generally takes 5-6 hours. It makes the return trips back to Bluefields on Thursdays, and Sundays. Cost is $280 cordobas (about $8) each way.
No reservations are required, but it’s a good idea during busier times. Phone numbers for reservations: 8528 1329 & 5702 0506. They arrive at approximately 2pm-3pm at the other end.
Keep in mind that the travel time for the “cheaper” way is about 14 hours, plus layover time in Bluefields depending on which bus you take, compared with 80 minutes direct from Managua to Corn Island, so it’s a method that is best if you have plenty of time, if not money, to spend getting here.
You can also do a combination of the above: For instance, you can take the bus to Bluefields and then fly to Big Corn. This skips the long boat ride, and saves you about $40 on your round trip, compared to flying direct from Managua to Corn Island
Once you get to Big Corn, check the information about pangas to Little Corn above on this page.
Planning ahead:
When Should I Depart From Little Corn Island?
Taking into account the schedules above, you can also plan to schedule your departure date. Most people leave on the same day as their flight back to Managua, and that generally works fine.
However weather can be a factor, and if you want to eliminate any worry about the slight chance of a weather-related panga delay, simply plan to spend a day or two on Big Corn at the later part of your visit to the islands. It’s also good advice if you were planning to stay on both islands anyway: In other words, go to Little Corn first, and then Big Corn second. And of course, based on many years of feedback and expert experience, we recommend you spend the majority of your vacation here on Little Corn. (9 out of 10 visitors that have done so will tell you that that’s excellent advice!).
Local Tip: While on the island, you can stop by Tranquilo Cafe or Dolphin Dive for up-to-the-minute weather and wind updates. Both spots stay pretty on top of weather predictions.
DISCLAIMER/TRAVEL INSURANCE
Please be aware that Little Corn is a small remote island and as such boat transport to and from the island will be dependent on good weather conditions, which is the case the vast majority of the time. There is no strict rule about it, but if winds are over about 22 knots then there is a chance of delay, and the possible option that they will substitute a larger boat, which takes a little longer but is safer in when winds and waves are a bit higher. The decision is made by the Navy (Capitania), based in Big Corn and unfortunately those decisions are not always communicated in advance, even to the panga drivers themselves. We recommend that you check forecasts before and during your visit here, and also that you consider adequate travel insurance to cover you for potential travel delays.
Windfinder is a good website to check for wind predictions during your travel days
If you have any questions not covered on this page, please feel free to send us a message via our Contact page!