Survivor: Nicaragua · Season 21
In the Arena
Every challenge Survivor: Nicaragua staged — who took immunity, who won reward, week by week.
22 challenges ran this season — 14 with immunity on the line and 12 for reward.
- Episode1
- Reward
Medallion of Power
The format: Race to Shore
The twenty castaways must find the Medallion of Power hidden along the beach area. The person who finds it wins it for their tribe.
Reward: The option to keep the Medallion of Power until further notice, thus holding its yet unknown "power", while the opposing tribe will get fire and fishing gear. If the winning tribe chose the fishing supplies, they have to surrender the Medallion to the other tribe.
La Flor wins
- Immunity
Getting Tanked
One castaway would stand at the top of a tower and pour water down five gutters held by five castaways. The water would fill a barrel, which would release a net of puzzle pieces when full. The four remaining castaways would assemble the puzzle. The first tribe to assemble their puzzle would win.Medallion Advantage: The tribe will start the challenge with one bucket of water already in the barrel.
La Flor wins
- Episode2
- Immunity + Reward
Hay Mate
The format: Drum Roll
One at a time, four tribe members would crawl in the mud under a net and then retrieve a ball from a stack of hay. Once all four balls were retrieved, they must remove the balls from their burlap casing. Then three tribe members would use small shields to bounce one ball at a time into a barrel. The first tribe to have all four balls in the barrel would win.Medallion Advantage: Starting the challenge with one ball already in the barrel, as well as having one weaker tribe member sit out the challenge.
Reward: A choice between a tarp and fishing supplies. The winners will also get two clues to the Hidden Immunity Idol.
Espada wins
- Episode3
- Immunity + Reward
Get Barreled
Both tribes will race out into a field to collect ten tribe colored barrels. Once all ten barrels are retrieved, they must be arranged on individual platforms. Then, one person at a time from each tribe will toss sandbags at the barrels with the goal of landing a sandbag on top of each barrel. The first tribe to get a sandbag on top of all ten of their barrels wins.Medallion Advantage: Two of their barrels will be out of the field, already on a platform with a sandbag on top of each of them.
Reward: A basket of fruits, spices, and an herb garden.
La Flor wins
- Episode4
- Immunity + Reward
Seers and Doers
The format: Blind Leading the Blind
One person from each tribe will be the caller. The rest of the tribe will be blindfolded and paired up. Using only verbal commands, the caller will direct their tribe mates to collect ten items scattered in the field. Once all ten items have been collected, the caller will direct one pair out to find a set of keys. Those keys will unlock a chest. The first tribe to get their chest and all ten items back to the start wins immunity and the reward.Medallion Advantage: Two items will already be placed onto their tribe mat, thus reducing their required number of items to eight.
Reward: The right to pick from three selected items used in the challenge: a toolkit, a tarp, a rope and a knife, fishing gear, a collapsible chair, and a grill.
La Flor wins
- Episode5
- Reward
Don't Let Your Balls Drop
Two members of each tribe will throw a ball that will roll down a wall bouncing and changing direction along the way. Two members of the other tribe must work together to catch those balls as they come down the wall. If a ball hits the ground then the other tribe scores a point, that round is over and the next pairs compete. The first tribe to score three points wins reward.
Reward: Two hens and a rooster
Espada wins
- Immunity
Spit It Out
Three members from each tribe would be strapped to a large wheel. Three other tribe members would spin the wheel, which would cause one strapped in castaway at a time to be dunked head first into water. While under water, the castaway would take water in the mouth, which they would then spit into a tube. Once the tube was filled, a ball would be released. The ball would be used by two other tribe members to break five tiles. The first tribe to break all five tiles would win.
La Flor wins
- Episode6
- Immunity + Reward
Kitty Litter
Armed with a paddle while wearing baskets on their backs, the survivors must dig a small rope buried in the sand and toss it in their basket. The first person to successfully toss all three rings in his or her basket wins individual immunity. The winners from both tribes would then redo the challenge, this time for tribal reward
Reward: A feast of chicken and beef kebabs to be eaten while watching the other tribe's Tribal Council.
- Episode7
- Reward
Jump Shot
One member of each tribe will be the defender standing on a perch in the water while one at a time, members of the other tribe leap off a platform into the water and attempt to throw a ball past the defender and into the net. The first tribe to get five balls in the net wins.
Reward: A visit to a Nicaraguan ranch where they will enjoy breakfast and horseback riding.
Espada wins
- Immunity
Cannon Ski-Ball
Standing at the top of each tower, two members of each tribe will roll cannonballs down a long steep chute. While four other members will use ropes in an attempt to aim the chute trying to break one of the other tribe's tiles. The first tribe to break all five of the other tribe's tiles will win immunity.
Espada wins
- Episode8
- Immunity
Push Me, Pull You
Each person will have two metal handles that they will use to keep tension on a steel bar. If they release the tension, the steel bar will drop, the tile will break and they will be out of the challenge. The last man and the last woman standing would both win immunity.
Won by Jane
- Episode9
- Reward
Tlp O-Course
The tribe would be randomly split into two teams. The teams would run an obstacle course of a hay stack, a rope crawl, a reed blocked pathway, a net crawl, and a brick wall. Along the way of the course would be three stations where a key is suspended in the air on a metal spring. The team would have to work together to reach the key and free it from the spring. The first team to collect all three keys and unlock their team's flag would win.
Reward: A tour of the jungle canopy with zip-lining and a barbecue feast.
- Immunity
Flashback
The format: Chinese Zodiac Symbols
The castaways would test their memory by having to memorize a series of symbols shown by Jeff. The castaways would have to show back the symbols in order. If they showed the wrong symbol, they would be out of the challenge. The last castaway to show all of the correct symbols would win.
Won by Brenda
- Episode10
- Reward
Barrel Bridge
The tribe would be split into two teams by school yard pick. The teams would be given four barrels, two wood planks, and 10 feet (3.0 m) of rope that they would use to cross the beach without stepping on the sand. If any team member steps onto the sand, the entire team would have to restart from the beginning. The first team to reach the finish line would win.
Reward: A helicopter trip to the Cerro Negro volcano with volcano surfing and pizza, brownies, and soft drinks.
Won by NaOnka, Purple Kelly, Jane, Chase +1 more
- Immunity
Splash Back
The castaways would stand on small platforms and hang on to a rope while leaning backwards over a pool of water. The rope would have knots tied along its length. In five-minute intervals, the castaways would have to move further down the rope to the next knot, increasing the angle at which they were hanging over the water. The last castaway to hang on to the rope would win.
Won by Jane
- Episode12
- Reward
Gulliver's Travels
The format: New Tribe Member
The tribe would be divided into two teams by school yard pick. The teams would be tethered together and would untie an 8-foot (2.4 m) stuffed dummy from a table named Gulliver after the novel Gulliver's Travels. The teams would then carry the dummy through a series of obstacles. The first team to cross the finish line would win.
Reward: An advanced screening of the movie Gulliver's Travels and staple snacks found in theaters.
- Episode13
- Reward
Second Chance
The format: Survivor Pentathlon
The castaways will get a second chance to revisit some of the challenges from the past. First, they would race through a mud pit and into a haystack to find a ball and then use the ball to bounce off a shield and into a barrel. The first 4 to get their ball in their barrel move into the next round. For the second round, they must use a stick to retrieve a key, which will unlock a chest containing four sandbags. The first 2 people to get all of their sandbags on top of a barrel move on to the final round. In the final round, both castaways will use a paddle to dig up 3 rope rings. Once they have all 3 rings, they will attempt to toss the rings onto a shield. The first person to land all three rings on the shield wins.
Reward: The winning castaway will leave camp and be taken to a private resort, including a shower, a meal, and a nice comfortable bed for a good night's sleep.
Won by Chase
- Immunity
Money Box
The final 7 castaways will be attached to a hitching rail. Once Jeff says go, the castaways will maneuver over and under the hitching rail, releasing rope. When they think they have enough rope, they'll run out and try to reach for a bag. The first 3 people to get their bag move on to the final round where they must solve a gold coin puzzle. The first person to get it right wins.
Won by Sash
- Episode14
- Reward
Poolin' Around
The format: Letter Hunt
The castaways would run up a ramp and into a pool to retrieve two bags of letter tiles. Their loved ones would then use the letters to solve a word puzzle. The first loved one to spell the phrase FAMILY COMES FIRST wins.
Reward: A trip on a sailboat along the Nicaraguan coast with food and drinks with the winning castaway's loved one.
Won by Chase
- Immunity
Coat of Arms
The format: Mask Match
Blindfolded and connected to a rope, the castaways would go over and under three hitching posts to a station where there would be a shield with various symbols on it. Using only their sense of touch, the castaways would memorize the symbols and take the bags of the symbols back to the start line. There, the castaways would have to replicate the symbols from the shield on to a second shield. The first castaway to have all the correct symbols would win.
Won by Fabio
- Episode15
- Immunity
Donkey Dig
The Survivors will each race out to a station where they will find a question about Nicaraguan history. They will select their answer from two choices and select the corresponding bag and race back. If they are right, the bag will contain valid puzzle pieces. If they are wrong, the pieces will be black and invalid, and the castaways will have to go back and get the correct bag. Once they have answered all three questions and collected all three bags of puzzle pieces, they will use the pieces to solve a puzzle (the Survivor: Nicaragua logo). First person to solve the puzzle wins immunity.
Won by Fabio
- Immunity
Balancing Point
With one hand they will balance a sword on a shield. With their other hand, they will stack (unevenly sided) coins on the handle of the sword. As the stack of coins gets higher, it will get more difficult to balance. When the stack becomes too high, the coins may fall and they will then be out of the challenge. The last person standing wins final immunity.
Won by Fabio