Cerro Negro Volcano Boarding + City of Leon + Las Peñitas Beach
The Destination: City of Leon.
Cerro Negro Volcano Boarding: Cerro Negro had its first eruption on April 13, 1850, in a valley located about 25 kilometers from the colonial city of León. During this first eruptive period, the volcano expelled large amounts of molten material in different directions until April 22. Since then, it has experienced 21 eruptive periods, each lasting several days with multiple eruptions, reaching an altitude of 728 meters (almost 2,400 feet).
It is the youngest volcano in Central America and one of the most active in the region. Its cone-shaped structure is formed by black volcanic ash and sand, which prevents vegetation from growing on its slopes. Eruptions usually consist of pyroclastic fragments, ash, and lava, with the last eruption recorded in 1999.
Today, Cerro Negro is one of Nicaragua’s most popular adventure destinations. The terrain combines large rocks and fine sand, and strong winds are common while hiking to the top.
Visitors walk up through trails of loose rocks and then slide down the sandy slopes, enjoying the famous volcano boarding experience.
The Tour:
Our day will start early today, we will be picked up at 5:00 am and drive 2 hours and 20 minutes to the city of León. Once in León, we will switch vehicle and take a 4×4 one to travel about 1 hour to the base of Cerro Negro Volcano. The road to the Cerro Negro Volcano Natural Reserve is rough and hostile, the vast majority of it is covered by a floor of quicksand that has been expelled by the volcano in the many eruptions it has had in the past. On the way to the base of the volcano we will find local communities, plantations of different products such as cassava, bananas, fruit trees, beans, etc. and very often, on that narrow one way road, we will find ox carts with firewood and people working on the roadside.
Once at the base of the volcano, it is time to start our hike, it will take us an hour to climb up and we will not do it without first having our difficulties with the loose rocks, the strong wind and the heat, but in the end, all of this is part of the exquisite adventure that this volcano offers, like the compelling views of the surroundings as we ascend.
Once we will have reached to the top of the great Cerro Negro, we will take our time to walk and enjoy the beautiful view that will show us the Maribios volcanic mountain range that contains the highest volcanoes in Nicaragua aligned almost perfectly in the country’s Pacific Coast. . Walking for some minutes, we will soon reach areas where the temperature of the volcano’s sand is so high that one can easily imagine the volcanic activity that is taking place under our feet and it can help us understand how active this volcano is.
Then, we will prepare to descend. To accomplish this, we will have to dress in our special suits that cover us from head to toe, we will wear gloves and goggles; Once dressed, our experienced guide will show us how to slide on the board.
The climb takes an hour or more, but sliding down takes less than 10 minutes; here you could reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour, if you like adrenaline; Although we must say that, the speed can be controlled by yourself.
After finishing this adventure, we go to the beach, to the Pacific of Nicaragua.
By 10:30 am, we will be done with the sandboarding tour at the base of Cerro Negro, then we will head back to León, you will have 1 hour in León for you to walk around the park and cathedral and from León; we will drive just 30 minutes to the Pacific Coast in Las Peñitas Beach. This is the place we will have a delicious lunch in a local restaurant, and where, if willing, you can swim to refresh after a very active tour at Cerro Negro. At 4:00 pm, we will drive from Las Peñitas for 4 hours to the city of Granada.
