Little Corn Beach and Bungalow | Eco-Lodge, Eco-Tourism and Sustainability
We are fully committed to being an Eco-Friendly resort destination by utilizing sound conservation and earth friendly, green practices whenever possible. We hope our guests will be even more refreshed knowing that their place of rest and relaxation has helped minimize their carbon footprint while enjoying all that Little Corn Island has to offer – what a comfortable way to spend your vacation!
TripAdvisor has awarded Little Corn Beach and Bungalow their highest “Green” designation, Platinum.
For more information regarding our efforts to minimize our environmental impact and maximizing our Eco-Friendly actions, click on a link below.
- Eco-Friendly Resort Construction
- Eco-Friendly Resort Operations
- Eco-Friendly Island and Community Actions
- Eco-Friendly Animal Actions
Eco-Friendly Resort Construction:
- Bamboo (restaurant, bar and bungalows) furniture was made in Nicaragua
- Bamboo was brought from the mainland with the proper permits and harvested from required areas
- Lumber was brought from the mainland on sailboats minimizing the carbon impact of fossil fuels
- Some construction used 2” x 2” lumber effectively halving the amount of lumber used in those installations
- Adirondack chairs where made here on the island by local craftsman.
- Most paint used on the island is petroleum or oil based paint – we use mostly latex water based paint
- Bamboo and lumber construction of bathrooms reduces the carbon used to produce and deliver bricks (most hotel bathrooms on Little Corn Island are made from brick)
- Each bungalow and cabin has a “water bottle” windows that allow for ambient light while maintaining privacy
- Light fixtures are made from used glass beverage bottles that otherwise would be littering the island
- Local fisherman materials, bottles, rope and other “trash” that washes up on shore is used in construction
- Energy efficient light L.E.D. bulbs are used throughout the resort
- We ask all our guests to be aware of their use of the island’s precious water supply through en-suite information sheets
- The ONLY hotel, resort or eco-lodge on Little Corn Island to recycle rain water in some cabin, bungalow and common areas
- Commercial grade septic system is among the best on either Big or Little Corn Island
Eco-Friendly Resort Operations:
- Water Bottle Refill Program – bring any bottle and fill it with purified water for a small charge
- Available to all visitors, not just Little Corn Island Beach and Bungalow hotel guests
- Costs less than buying a bottle of water
- Saves island visitors money
- Reduces the trash on Little Corn Island
- Proceeds help fund some of our community projects
- Rechargeable battery solar power system stops the use of a fossil fuel burning generator during the day (saves 6 gallons of gasoline each day)
- Whenever possible, food is locally sourced
- Recycled rain water is captured and is used in some cabin and bungalow showers
- Non-recyclable materials and trash created at the resort and materials that collected off the beach are voluntarily (at our expense) shipped to the mainland every Saturday for proper disposal
- The only entity, private or public, on the island that ships items that can not be disposed of properly on Little Corn Island to Managua for proper disposal
- No Styrofoam (cups, to go boxes, etc.) of any sort at the resort
- Use of cloth napkins only in our restaurant and bar (reduces trash burden of paper napkins)
- We utilize only paper straws or cleanable, reusable plastic straws
- All liquor , wine and beer bottles are returned to Managua to be reused or recycled
- Margarita glasses are poly-carbonate (will last for years without replacement and no broken glass on the beach)
- Return reusable hammock parts to our Masaya hammock maker so they can be reused
- Parents of infant guests are provided with a diaper “disposal” bag (used diapers are shipped to mainland for proper disposal)
- All crafts sold at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow are created by local, native artisans
- Work with local fisherman only for the best guest experience and food
- In an effort to conserve LCI’s limited fresh water, we change sheets and towels every three days (more frequent changes can be requested and incur a $15 charge per change
Eco-Friendly Island and Community Actions:
- Utilized only local labor for all lodge and resort construction paying fair legal wages
- One and only gringo-owned hotel and restaurant on Little Corn Island that employees ONLY Nicaraguans (up to 31 jobs)
- We hire and train only Nicaraguans for restaurant, kitchen, service and hotel jobs. No gringo “chefs” and “managers” here.
- Helped launch the Reading Room library and reading teaching center, a permanent facility started in 2012
- Created Adopt a Beach program – helps keep Cocal Beach clean
- Two young people who must attend school to stay employed, were hired to clean 900 meters of beach three times per week
- All garbage collected is shipped back to Managua at our expense for proper disposal
- A portion of profits are spent each year helping the Little Corn Island community with worthwhile projects
- Road way bridge constructed and donated to the community (2018)
Eco-Friendly Animal Actions:
- Animal Sanctuary and Rescue
- Iguanas, Sea Turtles and Boas that would be eaten are released to the sea or placed on our grounds where no hunting is allowed
- Sponsor of Minnow Projects
- Grass roots effort to help Little Corn Island whenever and wherever possible
- To date the program has sponsored and organized 11 annual free veterinary spay, neuter and treatment clinics (2008-09-10-11-13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19). We have passed the baton to another eager party or two on the island for the last couple of years and they are continuing the tradition.
- Cumulatively, these clinics had 44 veterinarians treat over 1000 cats, dogs and pigs during 34 days of surgery
- We will be supporting future clinics as needed
- Donated substantial funds (over $3,200 in 2008) to school construction projects
- Donated over 300 pounds of school supplies, 30 sacks of cement to help finish the school floor, oil (2012) and a fuel pump for the village generator (2009), since 2008 over $35,000 in cash and in kind donations to the free veterinary clinics.
- New plans include Micro Loans for local business people, a separate “community” building on our property and fund raising through various means to continue the good work.
- Veterinary clinics
- Originally only vets from the U.S., now it includes vets from Nicaragua (thanks to our clinic partners)
- Teach, train and encourage the use of education to help limit animal suffering in all of Nicaragua especially here on the islands
- Partners will provide annual animal care clinic on Big Corn Island thanks to the success of Little Corn Island Veterinary Clinics
- Forty Nine homeless island dogs (two cats) have been adopted to new homes in North America through LCIBB’s adoption program
- Almost $15,000USD has been made available and used for our adoption “financial aid” programs (over $300US per dog)
- Facilitate the adoption process through systems developed over the last 10 years. Making adoption a “turnkey” program