Volcano boarding on the Cerro Negro in Nicaragua

Near León you will find a special volcano. Special because you can do a very cool activity here that cannot be done anywhere else: volcano boarding on the Cerro Negro. Volcano boarding is literally sliding down a volcano on a board. Sounds exciting and it is. But at the same time it is such a cool experience, which gives you a mega adrenaline kick. It is definitely one of the coolest activities in all of Central America. You really don't want to miss this one when you are in Nicaragua .

Cerro Negro volcano

The volcano got its name for a reason. It means black hill. The volcano stands out very much among all the green mountains around it. The volcano consists entirely of volcanic sand and is about 728 meters high. It is the most active volcano in Nicaragua. The last eruption was in 1999. The volcano consists of several craters and you can clearly see where the volcano has erupted. Because the volcano is so active, it is constantly monitored. Yet they can usually only predict about 24 hours in advance whether the volcano will actually erupt. 

Volcano boarding with a tour

You can only do volcano boarding with a tour ,logical of course. These tours can be booked throughout León. Almost every hostel either organizes a tour itself or has contacts with tour guides. There are also several tour options, so you can choose to go volcano boarding at sunrise or sunset. These tours are a bit more expensive and cannot be booked at all hostels. 

PRICE: You pay around €35 ​​for a shared tour. A private tour is easily €50 or €60.

Climbing the Cerro Negro

The tour starts at the bottom of the volcano. Of course you first have to hike up before you can volcano board on the Cerro Negro. At the bottom, the guide will give you a bag containing your overalls, gloves and goggles. You can choose to lift your board yourself. But you also have the option to have it lifted by a local, for a small fee. This local earns his money by cleaning and repairing the boards and lifting the boards up the volcano. The man earns his money, and it saves you lugging. 😉

The hike up takes about an hour. There will be occasional breaks along the way and the guide will explain about the volcano, its history and the environment. Of course you can also ask questions. The views on the way up are beautiful and you can immediately view the craters. The hike itself is not very hard, but quite dusty. Because you walk over volcanic rock and sand, it can get quite hot. If you are lucky there will be a nice breeze. 

Time to slide the volcano

And then you're on top of the volcano. You can probably take a look down, then you will see how high and steep it actually is. The nerves often really kick in here. Up here you change into your beautiful overalls with goggles and gloves. You will catch quite a bit of dust. Down you can reach a decent speed, namely about 100 km / h. Don't worry, most only go about 30 to 50 km/h. 

FACT: In 2011, Max Stöckl rode down the Cerro Negro on a mountain bike at a speed of 164.95 km/h.

Fortunately, before you make the descent you will receive an explanation about how to sit, steer and brake. You just don't have the option to try this out. You can do it right away as you go down. Sit on your board, hands on the ropes, feet next to the board and go! While the black sand blows up on all sides, you whiz down the Cerro Negro. As the tension decreases, you dare less and less to brake with your feet. Don't forget to enjoy it, because before you know it you'll be down again. 

TIP: Bring a bandana yourself, otherwise your mouth, nose and neck will be full of black sand.

Because you want to fully enjoy yourself and you have your hands on the ropes, it is not wise to take photos and videos yourself. Fortunately, the tour guide does this halfway up the volcano. It is therefore best to hand over your camera or telephone to the guide and enjoy the volcano boarding on the Cerro Negro as much as possible.

TIP: Take a GoPro with you, so you can make super cool shots. Attach it to your body or overalls so that you have your hands free.

Once you're down it's over. You get some nice fruit here, because all that tension makes you hungry. Despite wearing overalls, you will have black sand everywhere. Once back you have to take a good shower to wash off all the black dust. 

How do you get there?

All tours to the Cerro Negro volcano depart from León. You will be picked up here by a jeep at your hostel or the hostel where you booked. Then you drive from León towards the Cerro Negro volcano. A large part of this route you drive on a dirt road. Locals live along this dirt road, including the one who goes along with the boards. Don't be surprised if you also meet someone with a horse and carriage along the way. This makes the tour an experience right from the start.

Do you want to see more images of this cool adventure? Or from all our other trips? Then follow us on Instagram!