Little Corn Island is off the coast of Nicaragua in the Caribbean Sea.
The island was originally colonized by the British, and most native islanders have more in common culturally with other English-speaking Caribbean islands than they do with the mainland of Nicaragua. Many have English surnames.
Tourism on the island is still in its infancy, and what is there is small, basic and, thus far, fairly eco-friendly. Some of the places to stay rely on solar and wind power for their electricity, and many have their own wells which draw drinkable water and/or collect rain water. The people are typically friendly, laid back and genuine.
Almost everyone on the island speaks both passable Spanish and English, the latter being the first language of most who are native to the island. The English spoken, however, is heavily Caribbean, and real communication can be far from effortless. There are many inhabitants who have come over from mainland Nicaragua and consequently speak Spanish as a first language, and others who speak Miskito and other Caribbean languages or dialects.
When you come to the Corn Islands, remember this statement: Since you have to fly in to Big Corn, and many people assume that both islands are similar, they tend to stay on the "Big" island for several days, and save the last day or 2 for Little Corn. The most overheard statement on Little Corn is "Wow, this is so much better (more beautiful, cleaner, more natural, nicer, better amenities, diving, hotels, etc), I should have come here sooner!" And anyone who doesn't have a stockholders meeting or a graduation to get back to, almost invariably finds a way to stay longer than they had planned.
It's not at all uncommon for someone to come for a few days, only to stay for a month or more. Many calls are made to change flights. So the point is, if you plan your stay for longer, or to just go direct to Little Corn on the panga right after your flight arrives, you'll have listened to the best advice there is about a trip there.
The island is walkable, and in fact you have no choice... there´s not a single motorized vehicle on the island, and no roads on which to drive anyhow.
There´s a paved sidewalk along the west coast near the pier, and beyond that you´re hiking through narrow dirt paths through the jungle-like interior of the island. You could walk the length of the island in less than an hour, though the paths get muddy and slippery very quickly during the rain. You can walk most of the east side of the island along the beach, with a couple of tricky spots at high tide.
No comments:
Post a Comment