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, and Spirit Airlines, and sometimes others as well.
Check directly with the airlines or your favorite travel site for current flights and fares.
From Managua to Little Corn:
Method 1 – The Quicker and Easier Way…
First, get to Big Corn Island..
La Costeña, Nicaragua’s national airline, offers 2 daily flights from Managua to the Corn Islands:
- 7:00am
- 2:00pm
Daily return flights to Managua from Corn Island at:
- 8:20am
- 3:20pm
Booking your fare: From Managua, the base round-trip ticket cost to Corn Island is about US$185, including taxes. But note that there are also different surcharges depending on if you choose to you book your tickets online, in person, by phone, or via email, (with online generally having the highest add-on costs, simply called “Other Charges” on your final ticket). So by all means, first check their website to see their online price for dates you want to travel, but then write, call, or visit their ticket office to see what fare they offer that way. Generally, the cheapest options to buy your tickets are by phone, email, or in person, vs. their website, and the online price can also vary a bit depending on the date you want to fly.. So it doesn’t hurt to compare, and also book sooner than later, and you will probably save some money.
By Phone: Call La Costena’s reservations office in Managua airport at (505) 2298 5360 (start with country code 011 if calling from outside of Nicaragua). Make sure they get your email address, and confirm it, and when you are through they will send you a confirmation of your ticket. You might need to be patient when calling, as it can take a couple of tries to get through. They also have agents who speak English if you need it. Just request it when you call.
Email: They have 2 email addresses. One for inquiries “info@lacostena.com.ni” and another for reservations: “reservacion@lacostena.com.ni“. It will take a couple of emails back and forth, and you will need to provide the info about which flights you want, the full names of all passengers, and ultimately your credit card number, but in the end you will also receive an email back with copies of your tickets.
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, so this way might not be as practical unless you’ll already be in Managua a few days before you plan to fly.
Additional note: “Open Return” tickets are available when you book by email, phone, or in person if you’re not sure of the exact date that you want to return to Managua. A common option that visitors like to use to leave their departure date flexible and not face date-change fees
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 driveway (or go to the left when you come out of the arrivals area of the main terminal, and walk past the end of the main building). Bring your passport or Cedula (Nicaraguan ID card)
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 fee per pound for additional weight. You’re also allowed one small-backpack-sized bag as a carry-on, plus a small personal item. Here is their 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 security which is right next to the window.
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 to be called, and proceed through the single gate exit. 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.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE ON BIG CORN:
Collect your luggage, and catch a taxi right outside the terminal door to the municipal dock. The cost is 30 cordobas (about $1us per person). This is the place to catch the passenger boat (“Panga”) to Little Corn.
If you have a wait based on the schedule, there are places we can recommend that you can have a beer or a meal, or to stay for the night, if necessary. Click the “Contact” tab on the menu above (or here: Contact Us) and feel free to ask us anything to help you plan your upcoming visit.
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 $10. US dollar$ and Cordobas accepted.
The daily public pangas leave at the following times:
From Little Corn to Big Corn:
6.30am and 1:30 pm
From Big Corn to Little Corn:
10:00am and 4:30pm
General notes:
– In spite of what some taxi drivers on Big Corn might tell you, the panga does run on schedule 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. Bring some sort of bag to keep phones and electronics and other personal items for the ride. Your larger bags (suitcases, large backpacks, etc) will be stored in a water-protected compartment in the back of the boat.
For those of you who have heard 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
Have a safe trip and we’ll see you here!
WHEN SHOULD YOU DEPART FROM LITTLE CORN FOR YOUR TRIP HOME?
Minding the schedule above, you can plan around it to schedule your departure date. Most people leave on the same day of their flight, 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: Go to Little Corn first, and Big Corn second. (And of course, based on our extensive 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.
Method 2 – The Cheaper, But Slower Way:
Bus from Managua to Bluefields and 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.
Effective late December 2022, the schedule is:
From Managua – 6am, 9:15am 11:15am 2:30pm, 5pm, 8:30pm, 9:30pm, 11pm
From Bluefields – 4am, 5:30am, 6:30am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 9pm, 11pm
The ride either way takes about 8 hrs.
These are their reservations numbers (as of Dec 2022):
2570 3565 Managua
2570 3564 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, taking about 5 hours and costs $12 each way. It makes the return trips back to Bluefields on Thursdays, and Sundays. No reservations are required, but it’s not a bad idea during busier times: 8844 5091. They depart at 9am going in both directions, and arrive at approximately 2pm-3pm at the other end. (Effective July 2022 they also added another trip as well, leaving Bluefields on Friday and returning on Saturday)
Keep in mind that the travel time for the “cheaper” way is about 14 hours, plus layover time, 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.
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 or cancellations. 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 have adequate travel insurance to cover you for potential travel delays.
Windfinder is a good website to check for wind predictions during your travel days