After reading other reviews of properties on the Corn Islands, I will begin by saying that if you want the comforts of home, then stay home. But if you want to experience interesting islands without the development and glitz of some of the Caribbean islands, then put the Corn Islands on your bucket list. I cannot say much about Big Corn Island since we spent only two nights here on our way out of Nicaragua from Little Corn Island. We had planned to spend the first full day touring the island and snorkeling on the reef on the other side of the island. We found the La Princesa so inviting that we decided to spend the day on the property lounging and snorkeling on the beach in front of the hotel. Alessandro had warned us that the reef in front of the property had been destroyed in a previous hurricane, but nevertheless we were content. I cannot say enough about the graciousness and attentiveness bestowed on us by about our hosts Costanza and Alessandro. Do not be turned off by having to order your dinner in advance. It is worth it! As if our first night's meal wasn't good enough with spaghetti prepared true Italian style followed by a lobster dinner. The second night Costanza graced us with her homemade fettucini followed by Alessandro's expertly prepared Fish a la Princesa, complete with an actual lettuce salad, hard to find in the Corn Islands.
When we entered the property I was surprised at the proximity of the gated property to the neighboring houses, but this turned out to be a plus as we felt like we had experienced some of the fabric of the island even though we had not left the property. We experienced the children next door climbing a large tree (and posing for me on the treetop) and later swimming. The people we encountered are a proud, happy people. The children were intrigued by our snorkel masks so we let them borrow them. What a pleasure to see them experience the underwater world! In the end we decided to leave our masks behind and felt they were in good hands.
During the day you can here sounds from the nearby homes, the crow of roosters, and a faint sound of the disco in town (not bothersome). But at night all you hear is the lap of the waves on the shore. A faint breeze came through our bungalow, but we did have to run the fan to be comfortable.
We had an early morning departure so Alessandro ensured that we had awakened on time for our taxi, and he delivered unrequested fresh-brewed coffee to our door! We cannot say enough about our 36 hours at La Princesa.
