Volcan Momotombo

Hike the volcano that destroyed León Viejo! As you head towards León, it is impossible to miss the perfectly shaped Volcán Momotombo. Rising 1297 meters high, Momotombo towers over Lago Xolotlan (Lago de Managua) and its little brother, the island volcano Momotombito. Momotombo emerged 4500 years ago and last erupted in 1905. The volcano also gained national notoriety in 1625, when it buried the old city of León under layers of volcanic ash. We gather at 5:00am at the Quetzaltrekkers office to pack our bags. Eating a hearty breakfast on the road, we travel for one hour in private transport to arrive at a geothermal plant located on the base of the volcano, where we begin our challenging hike. We first ascend small woodland paths, then traverse exposed rocky slopes to the shoulder of Momotombo. After admiring the stunning views of Lake Managua and Momotombito, we push to the summit, often going on hands and feet over loose volcanic rock at a 45 degree angle. The summit’s steaming crater and incredible vistas make the climb well worth the effort. To descend, we run past 40m high rock walls and slide through volcanic to reach the shoulder again where we eat lunch. After skipping, sliding, and jumping down more volcanic sand, we arrive at the base of the volcano and return home to León in the late afternoon.