León, another of Nicaragua’s main cities, was my next stop after Granada. It was also my last stop in Nicaragua before heading on to Guatemala!
When in León, one of the top things to do is volcano boarding down the active Cerro Negro volcano in a bright yellow or orange jumpsuit.
I’ve probably mentioned in a previous blog, maybe when I went white water rafting in Chile, that I’m not an adrenaline seeker. I’m more of a chicken and volcano boarding definitely fits into the “not what Han would normally do” category.
That said, really when else will I have the chance to board down an active volcano?! So I did it! And actually – surprise surprise – I enjoyed it and would’ve liked to have gone faster! Weird hey!
There are multiple tour companies offering the experience, for example Bigfoot (the founding company, Volcano Day, QuetzalTrekkers…
I booked with Volcano Day, mainly because they had a 2pm tour which meant I could go volcano boarding the same day I arrived to León.
Cost: $30 and includes the transport, entrance fee to park, equipment, a T-shirt, two beers, a snack (bananas in my case!) and a return shuttle to Las Peñitas beach. Bigfoot sell their tour for $25 which doesn’t include the $5 entrance fee. So, in reality all agencies cost the same!
At 2pm, I met our guides and the rest of the group at Via Via hostel. The group turned out to be just two of us which was surprising and also quite fun. It was basically a private tour!
It had been raining and I was worried that we wouldn’t see anything from the volcano and the boarding part would be harder. I was reassured that the weather at Cerro Negro could be really different to that in León. Fingers crossed!
It was about an hour drive to the park entrance, where we registered our names, and then drove a little further to the start of the trail.
At the trail head, we were given a bag, with our yellow jumpsuits, goggles and gloves inside, and the board to carry. Yup, that’s right – you carry the board for the 45min/1hr walk uphill! All part of the experience and it’s the most arm weight exercise I’ve done in a long time!
Note: You can pay an extra $5 for someone else to carry your board up.
The walk up isn’t very steep. I found myself paying more attention to where I was stepping because of the loose rocks than the incline.
We stopped twice for a break and photos. I’m sure our stops were longer than groups with more people. We really took our time!
At the top, before volcano boarding commenced, we went to see the crater and took in the views and the sun setting. I’d almost forgotten it was an active volcano! Touching the warm ground which got hotter the deeper we dug reminded me!
Time for volcano boarding! I put on the giant yellow jumpsuit (seriously it was so big on me – I reckon it could have fit two of me!), gloves, goggles and buff.
With the gear and no idea, our guides explained the rules and techniques to follow to get down in one piece. They were:
- Keep two hands on the rope at all times.
- Don’t put your feet on the board. Keep them either side of it so you can control your speed.
- To go fast, lean back and lengthen your legs.
- To go slow, lean forward and keep your legs bent with your heels digging into the earth – they’ll be your brake.
I was feeling pretty nervous at this point. It looked steep and I’m no speed seeker! I stepped up to go first…and down I went at the signal. I found myself leaning back and straightening my legs to go faster which I didn’t expect to happen!
There was one point I felt like I was going to slip off the board so I slowed down. Aside from that I felt safe and in control. I enjoyed it and no falls!
Tip: Boarding down the volcano kicks up a lot of volcanic rocks. If you have a buff or scarf, I’d take it with you to cover your nose and mouth! Our guides advised us to buy one from the hostel or use a T-shirt if we didn’t already have one.
Other things I got up to in León…
Walked on the roof of León’s Cathedral – Basilica Catedral de la Asunción
It’s the largest cathedral in Central America and the roof is beautiful and white!
Finding the ticket office felt like a treasure hunt. It’s a small office around the back of the cathedral. To climb up to the roof, there’s a small door along the right outside wall of the cathedral (if you’re facing the main doors).
Cost: $3 to go on the roof
Opening times: 8am-12pm and 2pm-4pm
Ate a Nicaraguan breakfast
I couldn’t leave Nicaragua without eating a traditional breakfast! Eggs, plantain, gallo pinto (rice and beans), tortilla, and white cheese…really nice and filling! They do love their gallo pinto!
Where: El Desayunazo cafe, C$100 (£2.50 approx) for traditional breakfast.
Stayed a night at Las Peñitas beach
After my local breakfast and visit to the cathedral, I got the afternoon shuttle to Las Peñitas beach, included in the volcano boarding tour with Volcano Day.
Note: You can take the free shuttle to Las Peñitas when you want. If you booked with Volcano Day, the shuttle leaves Via Via hostel at 3pm. Since I was volcano boarding from 2-7pm, I couldn’t catch it the same day and was able to take it the next day.
I stayed the night at Mano a Mano hostel and spent the following day relaxing and attempting to catch up on blog writing. I’m far behind at the moment! I sat with a beer in hand and watched one last stunning fiery Nicaraguan sunset. Honestly, sunsets in Nicaragua have been fire!
Getting to Las Peñitas by public bus
You can get to Las Peñitas by bus. You’ll need to go El Mercadito bus station. It’s about a 20/30minute walk, a C$5 bus ride or C$30 taxi ride from the centre. Buses leave around every 45 minutes and cost C$16. For the return ride back to León, buses leave every 50/1hr and the last one back is at 6.40pm.
How to get to León
A perk to travelling through Central America is that the countries themselves aren’t that big and journeys between places and attractions aren’t usually that long. Nicaragua is pretty easy to get around and getting to León is no exception.
If you’re coming from further south, e.g. Granada, you’ll need to pass through Managua and change buses. It’s very straightforward – honest!
In Granada, head to Parqueo Colón, right next to the main square, for a minivan to Managua. They leave when full (or almost full!) frequently, cost C$33 (£1 approx) and take around an hour. They arrive to Managua’s UCA bus station and there you’ll swap minivans for one to León. Getting off the bus, you’ll be asked where you’re going next and pointed to the next transport so don’t worry about struggling to find the connection.
Minibuses from Managua to León cost C$71 (£2 approx) and take around 1.5hrs. They arrive to León’s Terminal de Buses which is nearly 2km from the centre. You can walk it (15/20mins), but León is hot and a taxi or bike taxi costs $1 or less depending on negotiation skills! We paid C$20 (£0.50) each for a bike taxi from the terminal to our hostels.
If you’re heading to León from Managua, just head to UCA bus station and follow the step above.
Instead of public buses, shuttles are also an option and are offered by most hostels. They are more expensive than the chicken buses (still reasonable when compared to our home countries), but more comfortable and direct. For example, shuttles from Granada to León leave at 6.30am or 12.30pm, take 3hrs approx and cost $15.
From the north, you’ll likely be heading to León from Matagalpa, Esteli or the Honduran/Nicaraguan border. For Matagalpa and Esteli, there are colectivos and chicken buses running several times a day which take 3/4hrs.
If you’re coming from Honduras, a shuttle or international bus will be the easiest way. A combination of colectivos and chicken buses are possible, it’ll be a journey!
Final thoughts
I’m very happy I went volcano boarding! Risk adverse Han really enjoyed it and it’ll go down as a unique and memorable experience on this trip!
León as a place didn’t massively win me over. I’m like that with most cities so it’s nothing personal!
That said, walking on the roof of its cathedral was cool – really pretty – and my last Nicaraguan sunset in Las Peñitas was breathtaking!
I’m now off to Guatemala! The shuttle takes 17hrs and I’m going to cross three borders in a day – a record for me!
I was considering stopping in El Salvador for several days. However, I reached the conclusion that rather than squeeze in more places, I’d like to spend more time in each place and move slower! That’s the idea anyway!
