How to get to Little Corn Island, Nicaragua – ALL You Need To Know

Hidden off Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast lies one of the country’s most magical places: Little Corn Island.

The small paradise has sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, and unbeatable island vibes, yet this tiny slice of paradise feels worlds away from the hustle of the mainland and still flies under the radar for most travellers.

For me, this only adds to its appeal and makes this trip all the more worthwhile, and after visiting 10 different spots across Nicaragua, I can confidently say Little Corn was one of the highlights of my time here.

But here’s the thing: getting there isn’t exactly straightforward.

In fact, a lot of people skip it altogether because they assume it’s just too complicated or not worth the effort. That’s where I can help.

Whether you’re travelling on a backpacker’s budget or just looking for the most convenient route, I’ll walk you through each available option for how to get to Little Corn Island.

You have two main options to get to Little Corn Island:

1. Plane + Boat Taxi
2. Public Bus + Ferry + Boat Taxi

The option you choose will depend on the size of your budget, how much time you have, and whether or not you suffer from seasickness!

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How To Get To Little Corn Island by Plane

Catching a flight to Corn Island from Managua is the quickest and most stress-free way to get to Little Corn Island. However, it is the most expensive.

Step 1 – Managua Airport to Big Corn Island

To fly to Little Corn Island from Managua, you will need to book a flight with La Costena Airlines.

These cannot be found on Skyscanner, so you will have to book directly on the operator’s website. 

La Costena runs two flights every day from Managua, leaving at 7:00am and 2:00pm. Then, there is occasionally a third flight running at 10:00am.

Flight prices tend to fluctuate between $80 and $115, depending on the time and season in which you book.

Looking for more Nicaragua inspiration? Check out my other Nicaragua Guides.

What to Expect

Checking in for the flight is super easy.  You’ll go to the small internal flight zone at the very end of Managua Airport.

You will check in your bags and be given a luggage tag to claim them when you land; make sure to keep it safe.

It’s also important to know that you are only allowed up to 15kg of checked baggage on this flight. 

You will then be asked to pay a $2 tax (I’m not entirely sure what this tax is for, but if you’ve been traveling through Central America for a while, you’ve probably already been asked to pay many random tourist taxes). 

Following on from there, you’ll go through security, then into the tiny waiting room whilst you wait to board your flight. 

Don’t expect to wait long, as once everyone is through, they will usher you onto the plane, where seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. As soon as everyone is seated, the plane immediately takes off (this isn’t the kind of flight where you’ll get a safety briefing).

You’ll be flying for around 45 minutes to an hour before the plane makes its first stop. It will land at an airport called Bluefields to let some passengers off and pick up more passengers (it’s a lot like a bus service). Make sure you don’t get off here! 

After a remarkably quick turnaround, the plane will take off again, and you’ll be flying for another 30 minutes before landing at Big Corn Island Airport. 

Once you land, you’ll be directed to the terminal where you will have to wait for your checked luggage. This is when you will need your luggage tag to claim your bag. 

The journey is approximately 1.5 hours in total.

Step 2 – Big Corn Island Airport to Ferry Port

To get from the airport to the ferry port, you will need to catch a taxi. This should cost you just $1 per person.

Once at the ferry port, you will need to pay yet another tourist tax, which is about $2.

Step 3 – Boat to Little Corn Island

The final leg of the journey is to catch the boat taxi over to Little Corn Island. There are two boats every day with very different price tags (see below). 

• Big Corn to Little Corn 4:30pm – $10 
• Big Corn to Little Corn 10:00am – $20
• Little Corn to Big Corn 6:30am – $10
• Little Corn to Big Corn 2:00pm – $20

What to Expect

The boat trip over to Little Corn Island is approximately 30 minutes. But be warned, this can be a particularly wet, windy, and bumpy journey. I’d advise you to come prepared with a rain mack just in case, or otherwise, you’ll end up like me, who got absolutely drenched from head to toe. 

NOTE: If the weather is too windy, these boats will not run. You may be able to catch a cargo boat over; however, you will have to ask if that is a possibility once you are at the port.

The boat will arrive on the west coast of the island. You can stay at a guesthouse here, but I actually took a quick taxi over to the other coast and stayed at Grace’s Cool Spot.

How To Get To Little Corn Island By Bus + Boat

The journey from Managua to the Corn Islands via bus is WAY cheaper, however, it takes a lot more time.

Note: Regardless of the option you choose, it’s essential to have working data available to use Google/Apple Maps and call someone in case of an emergency. That’s why I always Download an E-sim before I get to Nicaragua!

Step 1 – Managua Bus Station to Bluefields

You can catch a direct bus from Managua ‘El Maoyreo’ Bus Station to Bluefields. The Journey is around 8.5 hours and will cost you 280C$, which is roughly $8 (USD).

The buses depart at the following times: 

• From Managua (El Maoyreo)– 9:00am, 6:00am, 2:00pm, 9:00pm, 
• From Bluefields to Managua – 4:00am, 5:30am, 6:30am, 4:00pm

Please note that the above can be subject to change.

To secure a booking on the bus, you can either call the bus station or head down a day or two early to secure a ticket. It’s also okay to turn up on the day you plan to travel; however, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll get a spot on the bus. 

NOTE: You may see a lot of older travel blogs that will tell you to go from Managua to El Rama and from El Rama to Bluefields. However, that route isn’t used as much anymore thanks to the direct route from Managua to Bluefields.

What to Expect

I personally did not choose this route; however, I have heard from other reliable travellers that the bus journey is easy and very straightforward.

Step 2 – Bluefields to Big Corn Ferry

Once you have arrived at Bluefields bus station, you will need to catch a taxi over to the ferry port, which will cost you about $1. 

When you arrive at the port, you will need to queue up at the ticket office to purchase a ferry ticket to Corn Island. The queue can be notoriously long, but it really is a case of just waiting your turn. Tickets cost about 280C$, which is roughly $8 (USD).

Once you are on board, the ferry to Big Corn Island is roughly 6.5 hours.

The passenger boats to Big Corn leave Bluefields at 9:00am on Wednesdays and Saturdays (so make sure you have planned your whole journey accordingly).

What to Expect

I personally did not choose this route. However, I have heard a few horror stories about this boat journey. Things such as how packed it gets, how hot the boat can be, and just generally how it is for anyone who suffers from seasickness. So enter at your own peril, and pack some sea sickness pills.

Step 3 – Boat to Little Corn Island

As the final step of how to get to Little Corn Island, you will need to catch the boat taxi over. This is the same boat as you’ll take if you fly to Big Corn Island first, but here’s the information again so that you don’t have to go back up and find it!

There are two boats every day with very different price tags (see below). 

• Big Corn to Little Corn 04:30pm – $10 
• Big Corn to Little Corn 10:00am – $20
• Little Corn to Big Corn 06:30am – $10
• Little Corn to Big Corn 02:00pm – $20

What to Expect

The boat trip over to Little Corn Island is approximately 30 minutes. But be warned, this can be a particularly wet, windy and bumpy journey. I’d advise you to come prepared with a rain mack just in case, or otherwise, you’ll end up like me, who was absolutely drenched from head to toe. 

You can check the timetables for the buses and ferries here.

NOTE: If the weather is too windy, these boats will not run. You may be able to catch a cargo boat over. However, you will have to ask if that is a possibility once you are at the port.

Getting To Little Corn Island: Best Option To Choose?

As I mentioned earlier in this post, the option you choose will be down to the amount of time you have as well as your budget. 

Plane and Boat

• Total Cost: Approx  $180 and $270
• Total Time: 3-4 hours 

Bus and Boat

• Total Cost: Approx  $27-$37
• Total Time: 16-17 hours
• Bluefields Boat Departure: Wednesdays and Saturdays 

I personally chose to fly as I only had 10 days in Nicaragua, so I needed to use the quickest option possible. That, and the fact that I had totally put off the boat option due to the horror stories, as well as my own suffering from seasickness.

This also ensures you can get off the boat and start exploring everything to do on Little Corn Island without taking the whole evening to recover.

Happy Exploring

Little Corn Island is easily one of the best places to visit in Nicaragua, but getting to the Corn Islands is not the most straightforward journey.

However, if you know all your options, things become a lot more manageable, so hopefully this has helped you feel more confident about your itinerary and alleviated some of the stress of getting to Little Corn Island.

If you have any questions about where to stay when you get there or anything discussed in this blog post, please feel free to reach out!