After you’ve spent a sufficient amount of time admiring Mombacho Volcano from the islets, it’s time to get a closer view. Hiking up the volcano.

Technically Mombacho is a dormant volcano, and it is has 4 craters, with a summit of approximately 1200 meters. One of the neatest things about the summit is that due to the height and location of volcano, the resulting environment is a cloud forest.

Cloud forests are generally tropical or subtropical evergreen-moist mountain top forests with a high incidences of low-level cloud cover. Because of the moisture and make-up of the forest, they are often covered with moss, both on the ground and on the vegetation.

You can hike on your own, hire a guide from the biological station, or go with a tour company. If you decide to use a company, make sure and ask lots of questions, as almost anyone in Nicaragua feels they can be a tour guide.  

To do it without a guide head straight to the volcano itself and enter the reserve. Once you go inside the reserve there is a truck that takes 4 trips up to the summit daily. You can take your own car, but you will want to make sure it is a 4 wheel drive vehicle, and that your driver is comfortable driving up steep hills. The ride takes about a half an hour. Make sure you bring a sweater as it is chilly up top!

There is a tourist center at the summit, with souvenirs and a cafeteria. You can also hire a guide to take you around the volcano.

For more information visit www.mombacho.com.

For hiking tours visit www.toursnicaragua.com