Cerro Negro Volcano Boarding + City of Leon + Las Peñitas Beach
The Destination: City of Leon.
Cerro Negro Volcano: The first erupción in a valley located about 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the colonial city of León took place on April 13, 1850. Yes ladies and gentleman! That was the baby Cerro Negro Volcano which by first time, ejected huge quantities of molten material which irregularly headed in all directions that day until April 22nd when it had the last eruption of this first facet. The Cerro Negro Volcano is nowdays one of the best-known attractions for practicing adventure in Nicaragua, from the first time it erupted to these current days, it have had 21 facets (eruptive periods) which usually last several days in which dozens of eruptions has taken place, reaching so far, an altitude of 728 (almost 2400 feets). This is the youngest in Central America and one of the most active in the region as well. This cone-shaped volcano is formed by ash and black sand, hence its name. Its eruptions are generally expulsions of pyroclastic fragments, ash and lava and its last eruption was in 1999. Its young age and constant activity make the growth of trees and plants impossible on the fallen black skirts of the hill, because of this, it will be almost most of the time very windy when walking to the top. Some parts of this volcano are covered by huge rocks and others by fine sand. We will walk up around it, using a trail full of loosen rocks and slide down on the sandy area.
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.
Dirk MMarch 28, 2024Simple the Best in Nicaragua don't know what to start. Mario loves his job more then most tour operations go, we first made reservations with him through WhatsApp about seeing the Islatas In Granada Nicaragua, It was perfect It was a little bit more expensive than the rest of their tour guides that are on the streets but he promised us a private tour any picked us up from the airport on time and gave us a beautiful Sunsets, I was a little apprehensive over giving him a deposit but his Google reviews were good and it was only $20 deposit. After that he did not push us to use him but we decided to use him to go to Mobacho volcano and do the Puma, after reading lots of reviews on how to do it we decided with Mario and his team. Honestly there was no shenanigans he picked us up from a hotel there was no waiting around to take a 4x4 vehicle the guide over there spoke perfect English and then his driver waited for us to be picked up It was fantastic compared to other people issues trying to save a little bit of money. He also gave as a right to the airport pretty late at night with his driver. Don't hesitate to use him and services for all your tour needs and Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Thank you again. Very polite all the transportation cars what clean and communicated very well. Thank you Mario and Gusto
Steve PMarch 8, 2024Fantastic service!!!! I cannot say enough positive things about Mario and his company. They treated me and my group extremely well, far beyond the call of duty. If you are looking for a very knowledgeable tour guide and one with excellent connections I highly recommend them. Also, if you happen to get Maynor as a guide suggest you ask him to sing, he has literally an award-winning voice.
RolandMarch 8, 2024Amazing and Memorable Experience with Mario Romero and Golden Tours Nicaragua! Mario Romero of Golden Tours Nicaragua surpassed every expectation as a provider of group transportation, excursions, and as a tour guide and person. To begin with, Mario’s oral and written English and Spanish are superb. From his very first, detailed, descriptive, and thorough introductory summary-of-services email, our correspondence was professional, timely, and clear, enabling one of the smoothest "business" transactions I’ve ever enjoyed, covering logistics and pricing, but also littered with helpful tips and suggestions for me to hone my tour. A bit of context, I’m a Canadian musician and tour leader who ran a 2-week musical excursion for a group of 25 middle-aged choir singer “gringos” from Canada in February 2024. I’d been to Nicaragua before to plan the tour, and so I knew my way around, although I don’t speak Spanish. I needed support running my tour on a variety of fronts; little did I know that by engaging Golden Tours, I’d have most of them covered. Mario Romero responded to a query I’d posted on Facebook looking for recommendations for a bus company to get my group from the airport to our destination. I sent him a quick message outlining my needs, which he responded to promptly and professionally, as mentioned above. Not knowing him, I wrote a few more exploratory emails to feel out the collaboration. He answered all questions promptly and thoroughly, had great prices and services, and it was quickly apparent that he could offer much more to my tour than mere group transportation. And so I engaged him, a decision I have never been more happy with in my life. At that point, Mario helped me settle on the best dates and times for group movements and excursions, working around other facets of the itinerary and helping to bring focus and optimal sequencing among a diverse array of activities. As the collaboration progressed, Mario continuously adapted plans to best fit my group’s needs as he better understood their age and interests. In the end, Mario Romero and Golden Tours coordinated all of my group travel needs, first from the airport in Liberia across the border into Nicaragua, and then from San Juan Del Sur to Granada, to the Masaya Volcano, to Ometepe Island, to beaches, and other destinations. All of this unfolded perfectly and with great adaptability, for example, adapting to the fact that the group had multiple lodging designations to shuttle between. Mario also coordinated the bulk of my group’s excursions, which was enormously helpful since he made all the necessary calls and reservations, handled payment matters with venues, and dealt with small issues that arose directly with venue staff on my group’s behalf. Yes, that’s merely what the job entails, but he carried this out perfectly, never allowing an opportunity for misunderstanding to slow things down. In this capacity, he additionally served my group as translator, tour guide, historian, botanist, sociologist, and philosopher. I do not exaggerate. He even supported our choir by acting as MC and verbally introducing musical selections we sang in our three evening - and very much outside of business hour - concerts, a role I could never in my wildest dreams imagine that our “transport guy” would be able to fill. Mario was liked and respected by every member of my group, a response he earned by simply being an amazing human. At the end of the tour, having discovered Mario’s passion for music and his desire to learn to play, we gave him the group’s electric piano, as a parting gift and partial gesture of thanks. I will definitely be back to Nicaragua to work with Mario and all the guys from Golden Tours Nicaragua - drivers Justo Cárcamo, Marvin Calderón, and tour guide, Maynor Ríos, who led an unforgettable spontaneously-organized early-morning bird-watching tour along the shores of Lake Nicaragua. Thank you, Golden Tours Nicaragua!
Susan-voyageMarch 6, 2024More than a tour guide! Mario provided lots of support to our musical ensemble during our visit to San Juan del Sur and Granada and shared his knowledge of Nicaragua, volcanos, birds and more. He attended all of our concerts and provided introductions to our repertoire in Spanish. Going beyond the role of a tour guide. Gracias!
David RFebruary 4, 2024Nicaragua in September I have traveled with Golden Tours several time and have had a wonderful experience every time. I recommend Mario to help you make your Nicaragha trip unforgettable. They are very knowledgeable and can answer questions or even help plan your trip. I am going back to Nicaragua the end of February and first of March and have everything booked with Golden Tours.
Sophie RJanuary 28, 2024Great! Nous avons fait le tour Mombacho, Masaya et Laguna de Apoyo en une journée avec notre guide Abbott. Tout était parfait, il allait à notre rythme et répondait très bien aux questions.
EvelienJanuary 12, 2024una guía de sueños Mario es una guía fantástica! Él es amigable, confiable y muy útil. Logró involucrar a todos en el grupo cada vez. Sabe mucho y puede contar historias bien. Me sentí 100% cómodo con él y nada es demasiado para él. Él es el mejor guía que he conocido. Gracias, Mario ????
Stijn BeleynJanuary 11, 2024Authentiek, veel info over fauna en flora, amusement Super toffe ervaring in Nicaragua! Mario is de beste gids die je kan hebben. Hij verzet hemel en aarde om u volop te laten genieten van dit prachtige land! De trip naar Charco Muerto was een top ervaring om de lokale bevolking te leren kennen! Zeker niet twijfelen om hem te contacteren en volop te genieten van Nicaragua!!!!
tinatravelerJanuary 10, 2024Family tour with Mario Our family had a wonderful tour with Mario. He showed us around Granada and we had the best sunset experience at Masaya Volcano park. We got there early to see the sunset while most tours only came at night. Transportation to Ometepe and all the way to our resort in Costa Rica. He even set us up for transfer to Liberia airport. Always on time and professional. Highly recommend for peace of mind.
Peter DJanuary 9, 2024Best tourguide ever! Mario was our tourguide for 10 amazing days in Nicaragua. He showed us amazing places: El Castillo, Indio Maiz, Los Gatuzos, Solentiname, Granada and all the volcanoes in the area. Communication is excellent, his English is impeccable and his enthusiasm is the icing on the cake. Everything was super easy and smooth, he took us to places we would never have found on our own, places we would never have dreamt of going if it weren't for him. His love for nature, wildlife and people is contagious. His knowledge of the history and the culture of Nicaragua is vast and being around him is fun. While we were exploring and having the time of our lives, he was clearly enjoying the experience as well - which is awesome. Tip - if you can - visit Charko Muerto - you'll get a taste and feel of what the real Nicaragua is like that you cannot find anywhere else!