Volcano Boarding Cerra Negro

VOLCANO BOARDING

Leon, Nicaragua

This extremely thrilling volcano boarding activity was invented on the volcano Cerra Negro.
The BigFoot Hostel in Leon, Nicaragua offers a cool day that you won't ever forget.   We all pile into the back of a large truck for the ride to the volcano.   Once there we climb the back side of the volcano with our boards.    The hike took about 45 minutes and it was a bit windy but well worth the effort.    The view from the top is stunning.   After everyone is back down the hostel gives you a congratulations beer and cookie for the ride back.  

Half way up

You can see for miles from the top.

Awesome bright orange suits and googles are needed for the

ride down to help protect your body if you crash. 

You adjust your speed by how hard you dig your feet in and how far back you lean.  

The guide takes your picture on the way down and another tracks your 

speed with a radar gun.  Fastest person gets a t-shirt.

View from the bottom looking up.  It's 41 degree angle. 

The little dots at the top are riders.

Mombacho Volcano Reserve -Nicaragua

Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve

10km from Granada, Nicaragua

Zipline & Coffee plantation tour

The tour begins with a thrilling canopy activity that has 17 in-tree platforms, 11 double lines and 3 hanging bridges.  You zip and swing thru the trees with the help of a guide.  

Talented local artists painted the walls at the welcome station at the bottom of the reserve. 

All suited up for the fun.

The last part is 50 foot vertical drop.  Super fun and scary!

Cafe Flores

Café Las Flores is one of Nicaragua’s best coffee companies.  For over three generations, the Palazio family has grown and sold coffee on the Mombacho Volcano. We had a few samples
of coffee and were able to walk the grounds checking out the coffee trees, the flowers and the view. 

Coffee tasting

Coffee drying area

Almond Trees

 

Masaya Volcano - Granada, Nicaragua

Masaya Volcano National Park

Granada, Nicaragua
March 7th, 2017

Masaya Volcano is located in Nicaragua's largest national park, and one of 78 protected areas of Nicaragua. This consists of two volcanos and multiple craters, the largest is Las Sierras.  It remains an active volcano and last erupted in January 2016.  We toured the volcano, hiked to the top of a crater, explored the lava caverns and went on a bat tour.  

Beautiful view. The black in the background is ash from one of the eruptions.

Las Sierras Crater 

This crater emits heavy concentrations of sulfur gas.  The gas impedes the view of the lava.  On a good day some are able to see a faint red glow from the lava.

Craters edge

Hiking to the top of a crater

"La Cruz de Bobadilla"

The volcano was feared by the locals.  They believed that if they sacrificed prisoners and others it would please the gods.  A priest, Father Francisco Bobadilla came to put a stop to the sacrifices and to exorcise the Devil.  He erected a cross, "La Cruz de Bobadilla"on the craters edge and blessed it.  The cross remains at the craters lip to this day but it is no longer open to the public.

View of the volcano from on top of the crater

Panoramic view of the crater (click on pic to enlarge)

Another active volcano in the background

Geared up for a tour of the bat caverns