The Mombacho Volcano Natural Reserve near Granada is just the second cloud forest in the flat regions of the Nicaraguan Pacific, the first one is Maderas Volcano in Ometepe Island. Mombacho is also the 5th highest volcano in Nicaragua, home of more than 700 species of plants, 160 species of birds, mammals and reptiles. The experience of walking through the foggy woods is invigorating and one quickly realizes the vital importance of preserving the natural heritage of the world for the generations to come after us.
Apoyo is the largest volcanic lagoon in Central America, the Apoyo volcano was once a gigantic volcano which eruption was probably the largest in our history as a country, its conical-looking crater more than 170 meters (500+ feet) deep was filled by rainwater. Today we have a natural paradise here in the depths of this volcano. Its waters are loaded with components such as sulfur dioxide which makes it healthy for the skin and when swimming here, the body will relax and everything will be in an environment with tranquility and peace.
The Masaya volcano is undoubtedly the most spectacular geological monument in Central America, and it’s easy access makes it something fascinating that can be explored by both natural tourists and scientists of all kinds; volcanologists, geologists, historians and anyone who wants to enjoy a wide variety of unique attractions are somehow obligated to come to this paradise.
This is a shield-shaped volcano which has allowed the authorities to build a paved road to the main crater and its very well-defined paths will take us to specific points where the human eye will delight.
Our adventure will begin at 8 in the morning, after a succulent Nicaragüan breakfast, we’ll be picked up at the hotel to be taken to the base of the Mombacho Volcano Natural Reserve. Here we’ll switch our vehicle and take a 4×4 which will take us from the base to 1150 masl (3700 fts).
The drive up is more than fun on a path whose inclination in some areas reaches almost 45 degrees, as we go up, the weather will automatically cover us. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled to see not only the beautiful views but also wildlife in the tree canopy, especially howler monkeys, birds of all colors.
Our walk here will be in the cloud forest, the second in the Pacific of Nicaragua; A 1.5 kilometer trail around a crater that was formed by an implosion hundreds of years ago will take us to dazzling viewpoints. This path is covered with dense vegetation composed mostly of epiphyte plants such as bromeliads, orchids, lichens, mosses, vines, etc.; The job of this vegetation is to capture the wind loaded with humidity which comes from Lake Nicaragua and convert it into rain which means, no matter if it’s rainy or dry season, Mombacho will always form its own rain.
Our experienced tour guide, in addition to showing us medicinal plants and helping us look for beautiful species such as sloths, monkeys, frogs, birds, etc.; It will also take us to a viewpoint where, if we are lucky, we will be able to have an exuberant view of: Las Isletas de Granada, City of Granada, Lake Cocibolca, Laguna de Apoyo and Masaya Volcano.
Once this walking tour is finished, we go down to the base in the same transport that we went up. Once at the base of Mombacho, it will be around 12pm, we drive about 30 minutes to get to the base of Apoyo Lagoon for our relaxation time at Laguna de Apoyo before continuing to Masaya Volcano at night.
When arriving at the lagoon, we will be a little tired, hungry and sweaty, so it’s time for us to relax in its cool waters where we can swim, kayaking or simply lie down in a hammock and have a nap or chill out sitting by the shore with a beer, a margarita or a macuá (local smoothie with rum) in our hands while we wait for our lunch, this one will be loaded with delicious ingredients to regain energy and continue our adventure on the Masaya Volcano. After this relaxing time, we head at 4:00 pm to Masaya Volcano National Park.
At 4:00 pm, we will leave Apoyo and head to Masaya Volcano National Park.
Once we arrive at the main entrance of the Masaya Volcano National Park, we obtain our tickets and drive approximately 6 kilometers to the Santiago active crater parking area; it will still be daytime here, so we’ll walk about 20 minutes to the different viewpoints to admire the different beauties that this park has to offer.
This National Park is not only lava, that is why we will arrive before sunset, and we will walk to the top of the Masaya Volcano, throughout the entire journey, from the beginning to the end, our certified and experienced tour guide will explain everything related to this park; its eruptive history and formation, its geology, flora, fauna and tourist importance of this park, in addition to the events that have occurred here over the years.
Once on the edge of the San Fernando and San Juan craters, we will obtain one of the most dazzling views of Central America, with also the most astronomical sunset in the region. From here we will contemplate, in addition to the geological ring called “El Ventarrón” in which the 54 square kilometers of the Masaya Volcano National Park rest; we will enjoy the volcanoes: Mombacho, Masaya, Nindirí, Momotombo, Momotombito (this last one if Managua City is not foggy), the Masaya lagoon, the Xolotlán Lake in Managua and Cocibolca Lake in Granada, the cities of: Managua (capital of Nicaragua), Masaya and Granada and if all this were not enough; get ready to admire the most exuberant sunset (if it’s not raining) of this Land of Lakes and Volcanoes. Here, the sun’s rays play with the steam that comes out of the Santiago crater, this mixture of sun rays and volcanic gasses form a spectacular phenomenon that is admired every year by thousands of tourists from all over the world.
Once the sun is gone, we walk back to the active crater of Santiago, to observe a gigantic and divine lava lake at the bottom of it. We will be at this area for 10 to 30 minutes so that you can take the photos you want and record this tour in your memory as one of the best of your life. Once this tour is finished, we will drive approximately 40 minutes to return to Granada where we will be arriving around 7:30 pm.
EXCELLENT Based on 83 reviews Dirk MMarch 28, 2024Verified Simple 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, 2024Verified Fantastic 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, 2024Verified Amazing 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, 2024Verified More 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, 2024Verified Nicaragua 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, 2024Verified Great! 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, 2024Verified una 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, 2024Verified Authentiek, 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, 2024Verified Family 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, 2024Verified Best 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!