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Dive Review of Dos Tiburones/Paraiso Beach Resort in
Nicaragua/Corn Island

Dos Tiburones/Paraiso Beach Resort: "Don’t miss Blowing Rock!", Mar, 2018,

by Valerie Pinder, ON, CA (Reviewer Reviewer 3 reports with 3 Helpful votes). Report 10195.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 4 stars
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments I’m glad I didn’t know how rough the seas can get here, or I might not have gone out to Blowing Rock and would have missed one of the best dives ever!

Blowing Rock is about 9 miles off Corn Island, and sea conditions on the Corn Islands are known to be rough at times. In fact some dives were cancelled during the week I was there because the Navy must give permission for the dive boats to go out, and permission was occasionally withheld. Four to 5 foot swells aren’t too bad in some boats, but the dive boats are pangas which tend to bounce a bit on the surface. Fortunately the friendly, enthusiastic staff is happy to provide assistance with entry and exit. Fortunately also is the fact that most of the divers here are young and agile. (I was not one of those divers.) Most are passing through Corn Island with their backpacks and are up for any adventure.

That said, I don’t think Blowing Rock is a place for beginners. It consists of a pile of volcanic rock, beautifully covered in healthy coral, rising above the surface from a depth of about 60 feet. The surface is white water and the dive boat follows the divers around the site as the dive master navigates through and around areas where surge might draw divers into the rocks. A diver doing her first certified dive there did lose her bouyancy and surfaced prematurely. Since the divers below needed to be led, but the surface conditions were too rough to leave a new diver, that was the end of the dive for us all. Long before this incident, however, we had already seen eagle rays, black- tipped sharks, fish that were twice the size of the same species in most parts of the Caribbean, and a couple of critters I had never seen before such as a mantis shrimp and African Pompano ( which I learned are not seen in Africa).

Dives closer to share are not as spectacular, but still interesting. The dive shop itself offers light Nicaraguan meals, beers, and a friendly staff who make it fun to just hang out there for the day whether diving or not.

The Paraiso Beach Resort is a pretty little oasis on Corn Island. It is a taxi ride away from Los Tiberones Dive Centre, but one U.S. dollar gets you to anywhere on the island by taxi. A bike ride around the island, stopping at little cantinas if thirsty and jumping into the ocean anywhere if hot, is a great way to spend either a morning or afternoon. The island is impoverished over all, but Paraiso Beach Resort is neat and clean and the grounds are well maintained. The Nicaraguan food is authentic and reasonably priced.,

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Throughout Caribbean and Central America, Great Barrier Reef Australia, Red Sea Egypt, Great Lakes Canada, Pacific Mexico, Florida.
Closest Airport Getting There Fly into Managua Nicaraugua, then catch a connector flight on Costena Airlines to Corn Island.

Dive Conditions

Weather windy Seas choppy, surge
Water Temp 76-78°F / 24-26°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 50-75 Ft/ 15-23 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified]
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 5 stars
Large Pelagics N/A

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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