We start out with an early morning breakfast in the Quetzaltrekkers office. We then leave for a one-hour ride to the starting point of the hike, which begins on trails passing by Mani and Papa Miel trees and then over black dunes formed by cooled lava. As we reach the foot of the volcano Cerro Negro, we leave our bags and begin a moderate 20-minute climb up and into the first of two active and colourful craters. After visiting the steaming sulfur fields in the center of the first crater, we follow the crater edge up and around to get to the second crater and the highest point of the volcano. We spend some time on the top enjoying the cool breeze and magnificent views over the volcano range, the plains and highlands of Nicaragua, and the Pacific Ocean. And then it’s time for the fun part! We begin a spectacular descent through the loose rocks and sand of Cerro Negro’s black slopes.

We next begin a steep ascent of the volcanic complex known as Las Pilas-El Hoyo. This route takes us over the heart of the complex through the forest and over the volcano. After catching our breath behind El Hoyo, we make our way around and up, stopping for lunch along the way. Out of nowhere comes the “hole”. This is a spectacular sink hole where we set up camp. After camp is set-up, we take a closer look at the Hole and a fumerol. We enjoy dinner at the top of El Hoyo, where we can see the entire Los Maribios volcano chain: Momotombo, Las Pilas, Cerro Negro, Telica, San Cristobal) and a glimpse of Laguna Asososca, a stunning sunset awaits you.

We awake to the sun rising over Momotombo. After an early morning breakfast, we pack our bags and make our way down a steep drop off and into the forest, eyeing the final destination of refreshing Laguna Asososca. We hike around Volcán Asososca and along the edge of Laguna Asososca. We arrive to the shores of the laguna and relax and swim until the early afternoon before making our way back to León.

Visit Uncornered Market for a full review of the hike: Are We Too Old to Be Climbing Volcanoes?

Please note this is a challenging hike as it involves hiking 3 volcanoes on Day 1.

Meet at 7:00 am in Quetzaltrekkers office
Back the next day at 4:00 pm in Quetzaltrekkers office.

• hiking boots
• big backpack
• warm and dry clothes
• swimming gear
• rain gear (only in rain season)
• hat
• sun screen
• mosquito repellent (only in rain season)
• flashlight or headlamp
• passport or copy of passport and valid visa of Nicaragua

• people who have done a hike with Quetzaltrekkers Guatemala
• people who have done a hike with us within the last month

• volunteers working in León for at least 3 months

• Nicaraguans