Destination
Mombacho
Volcano
When driving south from Managua, it’s difficult to miss Mombacho, and
impossible to ignore him once he’s been seen. An enormous volcano,
dormant but not dead, rears up from the plains west of Granada, so high
that its upper slopes house a cloud forest that is home to Howler
monkeys, Blue Morpho butterflies, and several species found nowhere else
on Earth. Visitors can climb into the back of a large diesel truck and
be taken up the impossibly steep road to the summit. Here there is a
nature station with guides who know all there is to know about the
volcano, and paths that lead around the rims of its several craters. The
shortest,
easiest trail is the best, however, for it eventually breaks free of the
trees to offer an unparalleled view of the surrounding country. Much of
Lake Nicaragua can be seen—including the peaks of Isla Ometepe in the
distance, and the Isletas near Granada. It is truly a feeling of being
on top of the world.
For the more adventurous, Mombacho’s lower slopes house a zipline of
eleven cables. A double-cable provides security, and experienced guides
are there every step of the way. Zip through the air between enormous
Ficus trees, above a coffee plantation. The truly daring can attempt
zipping upside-down or in a Superman position.
For divided groups, when only some people want to do the zipline, others
can take the Coffee Tour through the plantation below the cables. Learn
about coffee growing from people who make their living tending and
harvesting the fragrant beans.
