Volcán Cerro Negro

Cerro Negro crater by Misty Ellis

View of Cerro Negro by Misty Ellis

At a mere 150 years old, Cerro Negro is the youngest volcano in Central America. It's also one of the most popular climbs – travelers never forget their first sight of it's cinder-black cone against the rich green of the surrounding hillsides. The Cerro Negro is one of the region's most active volcanoes, erupting about every five years. But this generally does not pose a danger to climbers, and you shouldn't expect to see any lava.

In fact, Cerro Negro is the cheapest, easiest and most popular volcanos to explore in the area. The climb is often done as a half-day trip from 8 a.m to 12:30 p.m. The cone is just 673 meters high, but offers a spectacular view of the other active volcanoes in the area.

It is possible to climb Cerro Negro by yourself, you can find detailed directions here:

www.rci.rutgers.edu/~carr/fieldtrip/fieldtext/cerro_negro_fldtxt.htm

Still, Viva travel recommends you go with a guide, as the path is a difficult one to negotiate if you're not familiar with the area. Tierra Tours offers a trip up Cerro Negro, as does Julio tours. This latter combines the trip with a visit to a local farm, where visitors have the option of milking cows.

There are also local establishments that offer volcano boarding trips up the sides of Volcán Cerro Negro.

Location:
Leon, Nicaragua

Climbing

By Mike Karanicolas

Michael Karanicolas is a writer, traveler, photographer, and roving buccaneer. His legendary exploits include running with the bulls in Pamplona,...

Created: 15 Jun 2008

Updated: 15 Jun 2008