Volcanoes of Nicaragua

Reserva Natural Volcan Cosiguina - El Viejo Its last eruption occured in 1835. Its eruption was so potent; the soundwave was heard even in far away countries like Colombia. It was categorized as the third most potent eruption in America ever to be recorded. It even created the Islets of Cosiguina.

San Cristobal San Cristóbal is situated about 100 kms. Northwest from Managua. It was already described in 1520. In the past, severe eruptions affected the area. Today, it is still active. However, it is very hard to climb, which can be done with a guide and proper health condition and gear. It is 1745 meters high.

Telica The Telica is probably the most popular and active volcano in Nicaragua. Its activity includes constant gas, mud pools and steaming soil as well as eruptions. Its crater is very steep and deep, also very wide, caused by past eruptions. A geothermic plant is planned to be built near the Telica in the near future. You can climb the volcano and spend the night near the crater. That way the visitor can see the hot lava at night. It is 1061 meters high.

Cerro Negro Cerro Negro is the youngest volcano in Nicaragua, with only 160 years. It is said that Cerro Negro will have an eruption soon. The volcano is situated overlooking the city of Leon, which he has covered in ashes in several occasions.
Its name means black mountain, probably because of the pitch black volcanic sand and rocks that cover the entire cone. Although only 745 meters high, there are no shades and climbing up is hard.

El Hoyo El Hoyo is a group of volcanic cones. The highest elevation is of 1050 meters. The area is not densely populated. In the upper part, the visitor can find two lagoons that used to be active volcanic craters, Malpaisillo and Laguna Asososca. Another volcanic cone is Las Pilas.

Momotombo The Momotombo is one of Nicaragua’s most popular volcanoes. Situated on the north shores of Lake Nicaragua, climbing it is not an easy task, especially because of its height ( at 1258 meters ) and the lack of shades on the upper part. There is steaming gas in its crater and it is considered active.

Apoyeque It is situated in the Peninsula of Chitepe, in Lake Managua. The height is of only 518 meters. The Peninsula consists of two lagoons, Apoyeque and Xiloá. Apoyeque was created after an eruption of another volcano with the same name. From the top of Laguna Xiloa, the view is amazing. Apoyeque is a little bit hard to reach.

Masaya Masaya, with a height of 635 meters, is situated near Managua, near Granada and other localities. Also, its most active crater, the Santiago, is easy to access. Therefore, and because of its interesting gas activity, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the south of Nicaragua. Its last eruption took place in 2003. Currently, it is a national park.

Apoyo Between the cities of Granada and Masaya is Laguna de Apoyo, a volcanic freshwater lagoon created 23000 years ago after a volcanic eruption. Although not totally dormant, the attractions include freshwater, canoeing, fishing and boat tours within its crater. Its height is of 468 meters.

Volcan Maderas Maderas Volcano is situated in Ometepe Island, next to Concepción Volcano. Although it is extinct, a disastrous landslide affected the north side in the 90`s. It s last activity period occurred 3000 years ago. Its crater is filled with a lagoon. It is a beautiful place to visit, very quiet and with a beautiful scenery. The people living on Ometepe are also very friendly and helpful.

Volcan Concepcion Concepción Volcano is situated on Ometepe Island, in Lake Nicaragua. It is very high with 1610 meters above sea level. It is active, and its last eruptions occurred in 1986 although activity was reported in 2005. Its top is covered by a tropical forest and the view from above is extremely amazing. From its top, the visitor can admire the beautiful scenery and the surrounding areas, including the lake, the other volcanoes and the beautiful coastal towns.

Mombacho Mombacho is situated near Lake Nicaragua, near the city of Granada. It has a height of 1345 meters. All the famous Granada Islets are a result of a past eruption of Mombacho. Currently it is covered by forests. A truck takes visitors to the lookout point, and from there the tourists can access the crater. Tropical forest, cloud forest and dwarf forests are some of the types of vegetation you can see along the way.

Zapatera Between Granada and Ometepe is Zapatera Island. A large island with very few people, it was once created by its volcano, nowadays dormant. Currently, the island is covered with tropical forest. The Island was once populated by indigenous people, so many old objects and pottery can be found.