10 Days / 9 Nights
Day 1 - Managua
- Leon
Airport greeting and transfer to the colonial capital of Nicaragua, beautiful
León. Lodging in the city center at Hotel Austria. Trip briefing.
Day 2 - Leon
- Telica Volcano - Leon
Breakfast and transfer to the north base of the active Telica Volcano.
Full day trek across the volcano with ascent to the summit of Telica to
see inside its breathtaking crater with pack lunch at the summit. The
descent includes two mini-ascents over ridges of older extinct craters.
We will also pass the dormant Santa Clara cone, finishing the trek in
the rural village of San Jacinto. There we examine active and toxic micro-craters
or fumaroles that are a part of Telica´s fury. Trek time is 6-7 hours
and moderate in difficulty. Transfer to Leon for lodging at Hotel Austria.
Day 3 -
Leon - Cerro Negro - Leon
Breakfast and transfer to the youngest volcano in the Americas, Cerro
Negro who's last eruption occurred in August 1999 and which formed 3 new
baby craters at its base. This is a trek through open fields and around
the extinct Rota Volcano Cone to the black sand forest and on to the shifting
sands and lava flows of the Cerro Negro cone. Trek around the summit and
down the north face of the cone to the baby craters. Pack lunch just off
the slopes of this little beast. Trek time is 3-6 hours (depending on
departure point) and moderate in difficulty do to soft and sandy terrain.
Return to León. Lodging at hotel Austria.
Day 4 - Leon
- Masaya Volcano - Apoyo Crater Lake - Granada
Breakfast and early transfer south past the active Momotombo and Pilas
Volcanoes to the Masaya Volcano and its National Park, made up of four
craters and a lake. One of the craters, Santiago is very active and we'll
take an easy one hour trek around it and to another extinct one with a
forest inside and to lava tube caves if seismic activity permits. We then
continuing to the crater lake of Apoyo for lunch at the summit restaurant
and a downhill one hour trek into the steep rim of Apoyo's forested crater
which is a nature reserve where the scientists have documented 143 species
of butterflies and over 135 species of birds. Swim in this deep blue crater
lake. Transfer to colonial Granada, the oldest city in Nicaragua for lodging
at Hotel Alhambra.
Breakfast and morning transfer to Mombacho Volcano a protected cloud forest reserve and home to monkeys, butterflies and many of the country’s 600+ species of orchids. Canopy tour on the volcano and easy 1 - 3 hours trekking in this scenic cloud forest with simple sit down lunch at research station. Transfer to Granada for lodging at Hotel Alhambra.
Breakfast and transfer to the port of San Jorge for the ferry to the world’s biggest freshwater island, Isla de Ometepe. Ometepe, which was prophesied by pre-Aztec priests as the promised land and is home to many interesting ancient legends and relics. The people of the island are perhaps the country’s most friendly and there are many small villages and churches. Physically Ometepe is like no other lake island in the world, for it is made up of two volcanoes: Concepción (1,610 meters) and Maderas (1,394 meters), which rise up out of Central America’s largest body of fresh water, Lake Nicaragua (8,264 km2). Upon arrival to the port of Moyogalpa a support vehicle will take our luggage ahead to the isthmus that connects the two volcanoes and our base above its beach at the Hotel Villa Paraiso. 4 hour flat terrain trek around the active Concepción cone through the ancient village of Altagracia finishing at the beach hotel. Lunch break in route to beach.
Breakfast and early transfer to the base of the extinct Maderas Volcano. Trekking in this dense, virgin cloud forest until the lagoon-filled summit of this beautiful volcano. The cloud forest here is a national reserve, home to numerous flowers and very healthy butterfly, howler monkey and bird populations. There are also mysterious petroglyphs carved by the island's pre-Columbian inhabitants. The villagers around the Maderas Volcano represent the one of the best examples of traditional Nicaraguan culture and proud Nicaraguan peasant life. Lunch on the volcano. This trek is 4-5 hours of a moderate to difficult ascent finishing in very muddy conditions with a 2-3 hour descent. Transfer to Santo Domingo beach for lodging at the Villa Paraiso.
Breakfast and transfer to the base of Concepción for an optional climb in this active volcano’s dry tropical forest. This volcano last erupted in 1954 and its hollow cone holds lava at lake level, more than 1,500 meters below its summit. This trek is a difficult ascent of 3-6 hours with often strong wind and loose footing and a 2-3 hour descent. Lunch on the mountain. The Concepción Volcano is thought to be the most symmetrical volcano in Central America and at its base are many banana and tobacco plantations. For those who prefer to rest their legs, the big beach in the shadow of the Maderas Volcano at Santo Domingo and Lake Nicaragua’s warm, gentle waves are the ticket. Lodging at hotel Villa Paraiso.
Breakfast and 4x4 transfer to Moyogalpa for the ferry to the mainland. Dock greeting in San Jorge and transfer to the city of Masaya for lunch and a little shopping at the famous artisan's market there. Transfer to Managua for lodging at the five star Hotel Metrocentro Intercontinental in the heart of Managua.
Breakfast and transfer to airport for flight home.