Pearl Lagoon and Pearl Keys and how to get from Grenada to Bluefields in one day

Crystal clear water, white sand beaches, sweet reggae music and time for relaxment – that was what we hoped to find on the Corn Islands off Nicaragua’s caribbean coast. However, things worked out differently.

We started off early in Grenada because we wanted to reach Bluefields in just one day – and although everybody was sceptic it is perfectly possible. Here’s how:

-          Don’t worry about the expensive overland coaches, leave out Managua and go chickenbus

-          Take the first bus (around 5:30am) from Granada to Masaya

-          At Masaya’s terminal change into a bus to Tipitapa

-          In Tipitapa get out on the main road instead of the bus terminal

-          Catch a bus to Juigalpa or to the junction at San Benito/El Paraiso and then to Juigalpa

-          From Juigalpa catch a bus to El Rama (if you’re lucky you can catch a bus to El Rama already from Tipitapa)

-          If you start early, you should get to El Rama by 2:30 pm which is enough to catch the last speedboat to Bluefields at 3:30pm

-          From Bluefields fly or take the government ferry or cargo vessel Capttain D

So we ended up in Bluefields, a sleepy and run-down Caribbean port-town from where you can catch a boat to Big or Little Corn Islands. However, upon arrival we were told that there was no boat going for at least the next five days. There are basically two main boats doing the trip. The government ferry that leaves Bluefields every Wednesday morning and is relatively fast, cheap and reliable or the infamous Captain D, running on an irregular schedule. So we had the option to wait and hope for Captain D or to change plans and go somewhere else.

On the bus we had met Josh, an Australian who works in Pearl Lagoon and sells petrol to the small fishing communities along the coast. With its intriguing name and Josh’s stories in mind we decided to give it a shot and try Pearl Lagoon. So we a took a morning speedboat through the backchannels of the lagoons and immediately found a good place to stay (Comfort Zone, 10 USD for a clean double).

There’s not much to do in Pearl Lagoon. You can go for short hikes to the fishing communities nearby, visit Misquito villages by boat, play base or basketball with the locals or visit the Pearl Keys off the coast (which is quite expensive at 200 USD for getting a boat with captain). We hung out with Josh in the park (the town’s only wifi-zone :-), visited his business and colleagues and tried to find a bunch of tourists who would share a boat with us to the Keys. Since there are only few tourists around this was bound to be difficult but we found a German couple and were told about a French couple and an Italian family also wanting to go which would have massively decreased the price of our journey.

The next morning the Italian family did not show up and we were far above our budget so we decided to opt out of the trip. But as life goes we encountered some young Germans as we walked out of Queen Lobster and they spontaneously decided to join us. Ultimately, the nine of us left Pearl Lagoon to head out to these tiny islands that just look like they are cut straight from a brochure.

The Keys’ recent history is kind of weird. They have never been settled permanently but served as a base and fishing grounds for the local fishermen (either indigenous Misquitos or Patois-speaking descendants of plantation slaves). Then a Greek businessman had the idea of buying the islands and he succeeded in finding corrupt officials willing to sell him the islands for a ridiculous 6000 USD per island. He then resold the islands for a minimum of one million USD to rich Westerners, including Hollywood actors and musicians. Of course, no one had ever asked the locals about their opinion and soon they started to occupy the islands in order to protest for their rights to their traditional fishing grounds. The investments came to a halt and the case seems to be in court as of now.

Thus, amongst white beaches and swinging coconut palms you will find the empty walls of what should have  become super luxurious villas next to basic wooden camps established by the local fishermen. In between political talks with the locals, an excellent Caribbean Rundown, snorkelling and hammock-lazying we spent a fascinating day in this beautiful yet eerie speck of earth.