Top of many people’s ‘must sees’ on a holiday to Nicaragua is a visit to Masaya Volcano, located a short drive from the beautiful town of Granada.
Part of the Masaya Volcano National Park, this first (and still largest) Park in Nicaragua is actually home to 2 volcanoes, 5 craters, numerous hiking trails and a small museum.
When people talk about Masaya Volcano, they are referring to a caldera (volcanic crater) that is thought to date back some 9,000 years and which is one of the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua.
The reason that Masaya is such a popular visitor draw isn’t so much that it is still active per se, but the fact that it is one of the few places in the world where one can witness a molten lava lake, in this case the Santiago Crater.
As an active volcano, the crater is constantly emitting large amounts of sulphur dioxide gas into the air and, as such, views over the park and into the Santiago crater can sometimes be shrouded in mist. This mist tends to be quite light however and, depending on weather conditions, often blows away relatively quickly.
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Beyond The Ordinary arrange fully bonded, tailor made holidays and tours to Nicaragua. Contact one of our experts on 01580 764796, email travel@beyondtheordinary.co.uk or contact us via our website. |
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However, if it’s hot, red, molten lava that you’ve travelled all that way to see, your best bet will probably be to visit after dark, something that we can easily arrange as a stand alone tour from Granada.
Sunset (which is pretty constant throughout the year) generally lasts from around 6pm until 7pm, with the Park closing at 8pm.
For those visitors happy to simply soak up the general atmosphere, we also arrange daytime visits to Masaya Volcano in conjunction with the nearby (in the town of Masaya) craft market, the Pueblos Blancos and Apoyo Lagoon.
You can find ideas as to how to incorporate Masaya Volcano into an overall Nicaragua holiday in the Itineraries section of this website. Please remember though that all our holidays are entirely flexible and can be tailor made to your exact requirements.
Important Note: Being a live volcano, there is always the risk that Masaya Volcano will be closed to visitors on safety grounds. Unfortunately, we have no control over nature and cannot therefore make any guarantees that visits will go ahead as planned.
