Tag: volcano

The Best Volcano Yet: Volcan Masaya!

Wowow wow wow wow.  Last night we went to Masaya Volcano. It’s best to go there at night because you can see the hot lava much better in the dark!!! HOT LAVA IN THE DARK. It was even better than it sounds, and I thought it sounded great. Here is why I think Volcan Masaya is the best volcano in Nicaragua

Visit Volcan Masaya at Night

So, it’s a big deal to go to the volcano at night. Everybody wants to see the hot lava, and it’s easier to see and more dramatic in the dark. I may have mentioned that already, but it’s true!

Driving Volcano

The cars line up on the side of the highway before the park opens for the night at 5:30pm (but, since it’s “Nica time”, it actually didn’t open until more like 5:45pm). People are standing on the side of the road too; some are vendors, others are just passengers who don’t want to sit in the cars.

Masaya Volcano
Some of the line up for Masaya
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And Sometimes We Relax: Ojo de Agua, Ometepe Islands

I know this blog is called Mel On the Go, and I usually am pretty active trying new things or repeating activities I love in new places, but sometimes I need a break. And Lyna is on vacation, so we opted for a chill day and found it easy to relax at Ojo de Agua!

how to relax in the ometepes

The Ometepe Islands is a good spot for a relaxing day. While I couldn’t find any spas, the lakefront here is similar to an ocean, with sandy beaches and waves lapping onto the shore. It’s lovely and calming. And the water temperature is perfect!

Wednesday’s epic hike made us tired and sore, so we kicked back and took the day at a leisurely pace and enjoyed ourselves.

Our yummy lakeshore breakfast involved watching the waves and the horses walking through them outside our hotel. $3.50 for breakfast at our hotel fueled us for the day. After eating, we debated a dip in the lake or just a chill in the hammock. We had a very limited agenda.

Ometepe Islands
Horses on the beach – breakfast view
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Hiking Maderas Volcano on Ometepe Islands

We did a long hike yesterday up one of the two iconic Ometepe Volcanoes: Maderas. I am very tired and sore and damaged after hiking Maderas Volcano on Ometepe.

Facts about maderas volcano

  • Maderas Volcano is 1394 meters at the peak, making it the shorter of the two volcanoes on Ometepe Island
  • At the top is a cloud forest
  • There is a crater lagoon on the summit of the volcano
  • There is abundant animal life, including monkeys
  • And I quote “The Maderas hike is an ardous endeavour on a steep defile dug into the rock and excavated by water. The humidity transforms the trail into a muddy, slippery path and sometimes you have to really climb instead of walk”

about the hike

Our hike took 9 hours, we were a little slow going. We saw lots of monkeys, lots of mud(!), and great views including the crater lagoon. We did it but oh boy sore muscles (and a swollen ankle) are the aftermath! And we still have mud stuck to our feet and a lot of cuts and bruises!

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