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Mark Moxon's Travel Writing

Nicaragua: Little Corn Island

The coral reef is just off the beach at Yemaya
The coral reef is just off the beach at Yemaya

We unashamedly fell off the budget bandwagon in Little Corn Island, and it was absolute bliss. So far on this trip we've had one splurge – Christmas on the beach in Guatemala – but we've generally stuck to a reasonable budget, because if you spend too much when travelling, you tend to get pushed away from the very culture that you've come to experience. But after three months of eating fairly dreadful local food, getting numb limbs on hard mattresses, wincing as the chicken bus goes over yet another pothole, and lying there, wide-eyed as the early-morning dog-and-cockerel dawn chorus starts up yet again, we figured we needed a bit of a holiday.

Peta enjoying the beach at Yemaya
Peta enjoying the beach at Yemaya
The beach at Yemaya
The beach at Yemaya
The coast at Yemaya
The coast at Yemaya

Five Stars and Counting

Peta on Cocal Beach
Peta on Cocal Beach

We split our stay between two places, the first on Cocal Beach halfway up the eastern shore of the island, and the second at Otto Beach in the middle of the northern shore. The trade winds tend to blow from the northeast round here, so the village and harbour are tucked away on the more sheltered western side, and while this means the boats are protected from the onslaught of the hurricane season – which last hit here in 2009, when the eye of Hurricane Ida passed right over the island – it does mean that the village gets hot and humid while the northern and eastern coasts are much fresher. Given how much I hate hot and humid weather, we happily fled the village scene and parked ourselves on the breezy beach for the duration.

Little Corn Beach and Bungalows
Little Corn Beach and Bungalows
The amazing view from the restaurant at Yemaya
The amazing view from the restaurant at Yemaya
Reaching the eastern shore on the forest path
Reaching the eastern shore on the forest path
Our verandah at Yemaya
Our verandah at Yemaya
Our room at Yemaya
Our room at Yemaya