Nicaragua — World News, Travel and Social Action

Known mostly to locals and frequented by few travelers, these islands have an expansive amount of marine life and culture. This list includes islands in Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.

1. Glover’s Reef Atoll

Belize

Glover’s Reef. USAID Biodiversity & Forestry. CC BY-NC 2.0

Opened to only a few visitors at a time, this 9-acre island is surrounded by Glover’s Reef—a 90 square mile stretch of reef made up of 700 individual patch reefs in a lagoon. This reef is thought to be the richest marine environment in the Caribbean Sea. There are many things to do on the island, such as kayaking, snorkeling, attending a yoga retreat or just relaxing. Once frequented by pirates, this protected marine reserve has been a designated World Heritage Site since 1996.

2. Isla del Caño

Costa Rica

During pre-Columbian times, this island was a cemetery and home to Indigenous cultures. Located just 10 miles off the Osa Peninsula, it is a protected biological reserve surrounded by five platforms of low coral reefs. It is also home to an abundance of marine life, including sharks, whale sharks, dolphins, moray eels, sting rays and a variety of tropical reef fish. There are no hotels or guesthouses on the island; staying overnight is not allowed.. There are many tours available right outside of the Ballena Marine National Park. Your day trip or overnight stay can begin at the Osa Peninsula, Uvita or Sierpe.

3. Hog Islands

Honduras

Off of the northern mainland coast of La Ceiba in Honduras lie the Hog Islands, known in Spanish as Cayos Cochinos. They consist of two small islands and 13 tiny sand cays. It’s inhabited by the Garifuna people, and they are the only ones allowed to fish the waters. The islands are managed by the Cayos Cochinos Foundation; they work in unison with the Honduran government and the Garifuna people to preserve the water’s health. The smaller of the two islands is used exclusively as a center for scientific investigation. Cayos Cochinos is a Marine Protected Area (MPA), which includes part of the world's second largest coral reef system known as the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

4. Isla Guadalupe

Mexico's Baja Peninsula

The remote volcanic island of Isla Guadalupe, which is Spanish for Guadalupe Island, is located off the west coast of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. The island is home to elephant seals and Guadalupe seals and is inhabited by scientists, military personnel operating a weather station and a small group of seasonal fishermen. The waters surrounding Isla Guadalupe drive experienced divers to take in the views of underwater life; it is known to consistently outperform South Africa and Australia with shark-seeing consistency. The diving tours leave the ports of Ensenada and San Diego and last on average five days.

5. Isla Ometepe

Nicaragua

Isla Ometepe Sunset. Katie Laird. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Located southwest of Lake Nicaragua, Isla Ometepe is home to twin volcanoes: Concepción and Maderas. The island is inhabited with dense forests, natural springs, lake views and hiking trails. There are also diverse plant and animal species, including white-headed capuchins, yellow-naped Parrots and guayabón fruit trees. The island is visited by backpackers and nature seeking enthusiasts, with locals sharing that more eco-tourists are arriving. The best time to visit is during the dry season, which runs from November to April. In the dry season, the butterfly garden is open in Charco Verde, the ecological reserve.

6. Little Corn Island

Nicaragua

Little Corn is the smallest of the Corn Islands off Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast. Once ruled by the British, this remote island produces coconut oil, lobsters and shrimp and is inhabited by roughly 850 people. There are no cars, golf carts, motorcycles or an airport. Seeing the island is possible, but requires two or more connection flights, as well as a 30-minute boat ride from Bluefields, Nicaragua. It’s visited by many who enjoy diving due to the hundreds of dive spots that surround the island. Featuring cheap dining prices, a beer on the island is less than a dollar, and a fresh caught lobster dinner is on average $12.

7. Islas Zapatillas

Panama

Isla Zapatilla. Michael McCullough. CC BY 2.0

Islas Zapatillas or Little Shoes Cays (named for their resemblance to footprints) are two small islands in Bocas del Toro, Panama. The islands are inhabited by sloths and protected by the Bastimentos National Marine Park. Islas Zapatillas are important ecological sites for the endangered hawksbill sea turtles that nest on their shores. You can explore the island through a tour or by charting a private boat to have a more intimate experience. The island is uninhabited, so making sure you have enough water, food, sunscreen and all other necessities is key to enjoying yourself here.

8. San Blas Islands

Panama

The San Blas Islands are located in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Panama. The Kuna Tribe of Panama inhabit the islands and have strictly controlled development and tourism here. All of the money spent on the islands falls directly into the hands of the Kuna Community. Day trips are available, but if staying overnight is an option you’d like to explore, palm-thatched cabins with a sand floor are available. They also offer overwater bungalows or even options for camping. There are visitors who decide to experience the Kuna lifestyle and culture; in those cases, they organize to stay in a dorm of a Kuna family. The island is filled with water activities and scenic views. However, researchers claim that the islands are at risk of disappearing in a matter of decades due to erosion and poor resource management.

Looking for an adrenaline rush? Slide down the side of an active volcano at up to 60 miles per hour during your stay in Nicaragua.

Volcano boarding on Cerro Negro, Nicaragua. Garrett Ziegler. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Bigfoot Hostel in Leon, Nicaragua is one of the only places in the world where you can go volcano boarding. According to their website, volcano boarding is the “thrill of a lifetime.” The hostel’s original owner, Daryn Webb, created the extreme sport, where those brave enough to try it can speed up to 60 miles per hour down the side of an active volcano.

Webb and his crew tested various objects for sliding down the volcano, and after some trial and error, they created a sit-down toboggan made of metal and plywood. The hostel offers daily tours beginning at 9 a.m., with prices at $25 per person. Tours return at 3 p.m.

The Cerro Negro volcano is the youngest volcano in Central America, and is also one of the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua, erupting nearly every 20 years.

Bigfoot Hostel has sent over 20,000 people down Cerro Negro slope at up to 62 miles per hour, and it is known for attracting many sports enthusiats and adrenaline junkies. One of the most famous people to attempt the extreme sport was Eric Barone, who rode down the volcano on a bike at 107 miles per hour in 2002.

Volcano boarding on Cerro Negro. Garrett Ziegler. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

It is possible to slide down the Cerro Negro because the volcano is made of small grain-like volcanic rocks, which came from the crater. In addition, there is almost always a very strong wind hitting the volcano, so it’s the perfect surface for boarding.

Those who have visited before say that they could feel the heat radiating from the volcano and could even cook their meals in a hole dug out in the volcano.

All visitors must wear closed toe shoes and comfortable clothing. Those who have boarded down the volcano before recommend wearing hiking boots (since it takes about 45 minutes to reach the summit) and a multipurpose head wrap to cover your nose and mouth while boarding. Also, take a large water bottle and a GoPro if you want to record the experience.

The hostel offers dorm-style rooms, with rooms with fans at $6 and rooms with air conditioning at $10. There are also private rooms with double, triple, or quadruple beds.