The Masaya Volcano National Park was the first national park in the country established as such in 1979. It is located 20 km from the capital of Nicaragua and you can visit the Masaya volcano. The volcano has very easy access and in this post I talk about how to visit the Masaya volcano; tips to climb to the top, how to get there and I'll tell you a little about its history.
HOW TO VISIT THE MASAYA VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
1. History of the Masaya Volcano and the National Park
The Masaya National Park is formed by a chain of two volcanoes, also known as the volcanic caldera, formed by the Masaya Volcano and the Nindirí Volcano, and five more craters.
The Nindirí volcano has three craters, the Santiago (active), the San Pedro and the Nindirí. Its last eruption was in 2003. The Masaya volcano has two inactive craters, San Fernando and San Juan.
The Masaya volcano is a relatively young volcano, it rose a few thousand years ago on a large previous crater plain, forming what we know today as the Masaya Volcano Natural Park. Manuscripts dating from the year 1529 have been found, written by the chronicler Fernández de Oviedo that describe one of its eruptions in great detail.
2. The Flora and Fauna of the Masaya Volcano
Most of the landscape of the Masaya Volcano Natural Park is determined by the impact of the various eruptions of the last centuries. It is mostly volcanic soil and very little vegetation.
Some native animal species, reptiles and insects basically inhabit the park. In the Masaya Volcano museum you can see a representation of plants and animals that currently inhabit the area.
3. How to visit the Masaya Volcano
You can visit the volcano and the National Park for free or with an organized tour. Access is easy, however, you must have a rental car. Tours can be day or night. The nocturne, without a doubt, is quite a spectacle. Next I talk about the price of the entrance and the best tours to visit the Masaya Volcano:
3.1. Entrance fee to the Masaya Volcano
The entrance to the Masaya Volcano National Park is priced at C$30 for residents and nationals and C$100 for foreigners.
It is possible to hire transportation services at the entrance of the Park to get to the top, for a cost of 50C$ per person. The other alternative to get to the top is to follow the path uphill to get there on foot.
3.2. Masaya Volcano National Park Hours
The Park is open to the public from Monday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 5:00 pm. If you want to visit it later, to be able to see the volcano and the lava at night, you must hire the night tour.
3.3. How to get to the Masaya Volcano
On the highway from Managua to Masaya, at km 23 is the detour to the entrance of the Masaya Volcano Natural Park. You can get there by taxi, there are some buses or by rental car. Another recommended option is to book a guided tour to the Masaya volcano.
3.4. Tour to visit the Masaya Volcano
A great option to visit the Masaya volcano is to hire a guided tour. This option includes transportation, a guide, some additional visits, the entrance to the National Park and access to the part after closing time to enjoy the active magma.
PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to Nicaragua a lot and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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A hug and see you soon!