Of all the places I’ve so far dived in the Caribbean, the Corn Islands of Nicaragua have without a doubt been my favourite.
Located some 70km off the coast of mainland Nicaragua; they comprise Big Corn with an area of 10km squared and Little Corn at 3km squared.
Due to the difficulty of reaching the Corn Islands; they’re a somewhat off-the-beaten-track dive destination.
To get there, you’ll need to reach Managua, the Capital of Nicaragua and then its easiest to catch a domestic flight to Big Corn with La Costena Airlines. After that, grab a ferry to Little Corn where the majority of the diving action takes place.
It’s a little expensive flying into Managua, but the Corn Islands themselves are a fairly cheap dive destination; expect to pay around $70 for two dives and most of the dive centres offer accommodation at a discount if you’re diving with them. You can dive here all year round!
So what is it that makes the Corn Islands so incredible for scuba diving? The coral reef is next level; comprised of a variety of hard and soft coral species including some truly huge elkhorn coral structures.
The water’s are also teaming with all manner of reef fish as well as turtles and southern stingrays.
You’re practically guaranteed to see some of the endemic nurse sharks when diving sights such as White Hole and it’s also a common occurrence to see lots of squid here – in fact I’ve never seen so many squid anywhere else as at the Corn Islands.
Little Corn Island itself – where all travellers and tourists go (avoid Big Corn!) is a very pleasant and laid back little island with only a handful of bars and restaurants as well as some beautiful tropical forest that you can explore.
When I went there in 2022, I was even lucky enough to come face to face with a pod of bottlenose dolphins!
You can read more about the logistics of getting to and staying at the Corn Islands as well as view videos and more photos of the diving there at my main page on Nicaragua diving.