Hello from Granada, the second destination to see when visiting Nicaragua. The drive from León to Granada took longer than expected, mainly due to the traffic in the capital city Managua, however the roads are quite good here. Surprisingly, as I have read that it is pretty bad. That said, I was exhausted when I arrived in Granada, but I was, nevertheless ready for hiking the Mombacho Volcano the following morning. I am really enjoying the volcanos in Nicaragua. And what about the third one? The Masaya Volcano that is ‘apparently’ closed. I had to see for myself!
But first, hiking the Mombacho Volcano. So, which trail to choose? There are three on offer and I couldn’t find a lot of detailed information about it. So here is my hiking summary.
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Hiking the Mombacho Volcano
After my fun adventure at Cerro Negro, I was keen to hike another volcano in Nicaragua. After reading up on Mombacho Volcano, I knew this hike would be very different from the dry, black hill of the previous day. Mombacho Volcano is lush, green, and rainforesty. It was last active over 20,000 years ago, and nature has completely taken it over. Another difference is that when hiking Mombacho Volcano, the hike actually starts at the top.
There are many articles describing the easy 1-1.5km trail on top, which you can do without a guide. However, I opted for the middle trail, a 2 hours hike along three craters, accompanied by a guide. And it was amazing! So let me tell you about it.
First of all, you should know that hiking the Mombacho Volcano is quite an operation. And it all takes time. I organised everything through my hotel, as I knew they would work with reliable and professional guides. After a pick up at the Hotel, I was dropped off at the lower base of Mombacho Volcano. There, along with many other keen visitors, I had to wait to be taken by a 4WD bus to the second base. Once there, I had to wait again for a 4WD ute, packed with passengers, to take us all up to the top of the volcano and the starting point of the hike.
Driving up, it confirmed my thoughts, this is going to be very different to the hike at Cerro Negro. The air got cooler, the rainforest denser and the roads wetter. I probably should have packed my jumper. Oh well!
The starting point
There was a chill in the air at the top, with quite a lot of people ready for the hike. I was certain that most people opt for the 1–1.5 km trail, which offers the experience and amazing views without too much sweat. That said, given the clouds at the top, I knew I wouldn’t get much of a view today anyway. Such a shame! Still, I was keen to continue with my two-hour hike around the Mombacho Volcano.
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The 2 hour Puma Trail
Not knowing what to expect, I packed some water and a few snacks. Luckily! Once we arrived at the top of Mombacho Volcano, my guide picked up another guide to walk with me. Clearly I needed two guides when hiking the long trails.
Hiking the Mombacho Volcano around the crater felt amazing from the moment we started, although, as predicted, it quickly became clear that we weren’t going to get a view today. At all! So I had to download a photo from the internet just to show you what it looks like on a sunny day.
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Once we turned off onto the Puma Trail, we lost all the other tourists and continued deeper into one of the densest rainforests I have ever been in. My guide pointed out some native plants, however I didn’t see any wildlife. Not even a single bird. Although it didn’t surprise me, as it was a misty, cold, and windy morning on top of the volcano, especially when we reached the peak at 1,270m.
After the peak, everything suddenly changed. We reached one of the craters that still releases sulphur gases, and the landscape felt completely lifeless. Gone were the green trees. It was all replaced by black ground, dry branches, and no sign of life at all. You could clearly smell the sulphur in the air, and at that point, I was glad to be with my guide. It was unbelievable.
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My Hiking summary
So, if you really want to experience hiking the Mombacho Volcano properly, I would definitely recommend the Puma Trail, whether you go for the two-hour or four-hour option. Just make sure you allow enough time for all the various transfers, as the logistics do take a while. All up, it’s a long journey, but nothing prepares you for the raw wilderness of the longer trail.
And although it would have been amazing to experience it on a sunny day, I actually enjoyed the misty skies while walking through the dead forest. It felt spooky, almost like a scene from a movie. So different from my hike at Cerro Negro, where the sky was an intense blue!
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Granada, the town
As soon as I entered the central area of Granada, I could tell it was very different from León. It felt cleaner, less chaotic, and very colourful. There were also noticeably more tourists, and music was blasting from the touristy bars along the so called “party road.” A little bit like the main strip in Siem Reap in Cambodia, maybe?
I walked the roads a little bit, even all the way to the lake, however Granada wasn’t for me. Yes, the houses were colourful and cute, but there were either too many hasslers or too many little annoying flies. I spent my evenings in the Hotel room, watching a movie. After all, Granada was only my base for the hiking.
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Masaya Volcano – the one that is closed due to explosion warnings
On my last day, and on my way to the airport to leave Nicaragua, I quickly stopped at the Masaya Volcano. I didn’t expect much, as I heard from the locals that it was closed due to recent eruptions and hot lava. However, when I arrived there, the guard said, yes, you can drive up to the volcano, but stay only 5 minutes. Not longer! Ok, will do!
Reading the internet now, Masaya Volcano National Park has apparently reopened following a closure in March 2024. This was due to a landslide that covered the lava lake with debris, blocking the release of volcanic gases and the potential increase for volcanic explosions. It says that now, you can see the actual lava when hiking up to the volcano, but I didn’t. What I did see was a large wooden box, which I believe covered a big hole with lava underneath. At least, that’s what I’d like to think.
And given the short time I was actually allowed to be there, I didn’t try and find the hot lava too hard. However, the ground was definitely warm.
Both Masaya Volcano and Mombacho Volcano continue to develop new vents where gases are released. Unfortunately it is very difficult to capture it on camera. However, you can easily spot them by the black patches scattered among the otherwise vibrant green rainforest or along the path. Pretty cool actually. Dangerous? I don’t think so.. but then again, you never know with a bubbling volcano.
It’s an incredible experience and a great reminder of how unique and powerful nature truly is.
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And so..
After my adventurous and wild 72 hours in Nicaragua, I was feeling a bit exhausted. There was lots of hiking in this country. But also happy because I experienced all the amazing volcanos! I am glad I came to Nicaragua. I certainly learned a lot about volcanos! And hiking the Mombacho Volcano was definitely a highlight as well.
But now, after two weeks of travelling in Central America, I was definitely ready for some beach time in Costa Rica!
Hel(post 233)
