One of the coolest activities I did in Nicaragua was sliding down the side of an active volcano on a makeshift wooden sled while wearing an orange jumpsuit.
Welcome to volcano boarding at Cerro Negro.
Nicaragua is a fantastic country for backpackers. There’s a natural backpacking route through the country via typical long distance bus travel in central America, plenty of adventure activities, and traveling there can be considerably more affordable than in neighboring Costa Rica. Of all the things I did during my time in Nicaragua, volcano boarding outside León was easily one of the most memorable.
The experience looks intimidating at first, but I did my volcano boarding tour with Bigfoot Hostel and was impressed from beginning to end. Bigfoot helped pioneer the commercial volcano boarding experience at Cerro Negro and continues to specialize in the activity today.
Cerro Negro is located roughly 25 kilometers outside León and is part of Nicaragua’s volcanic landscape. Formed in 1850, it’s considered the youngest volcano in Central America. It’s still classified as active, although its most recent eruption occurred in 1999.
The barren black volcanic terrain creates a dramatic contrast with the green landscape surrounding it—and also happens to provide an excellent surface for sliding down a volcano at high speed.
Choosing a Cerro Negro Volcano Boarding Tour
Bigfoot currently offers three different volcano boarding experiences at Cerro Negro: Sunrise, Day, and Sunset.
The Sunrise Tour is for serious early birds. It currently departs at 3:15 a.m., allowing you to hike Cerro Negro in the cooler early-morning air and watch the sunrise behind the surrounding volcanoes before making your descent. A minimum of four travelers is required for this tour.
The Day Tour currently departs at 8:00 a.m. and returns around early afternoon. This is probably the most straightforward option if you want to experience Cerro Negro without waking up in the middle of the night or committing to the longer Sunset experience.
Then there’s the Sunset Tour, which currently departs at 12:30 p.m.
This is the tour I chose.
After everyone finishes volcano boarding, the group stays near Cerro Negro for sunset before heading back toward León. Bigfoot’s current Sunset experience also includes dinner with a local family, drinks, a bonfire, and its famous party-bus ride back to the hostel.
If you’re looking for the complete social backpacker experience, this is the one I’d recommend.
My Volcano Boarding Experience at Cerro Negro
Our experience began with an introduction to the bizarre history of volcano boarding, which involved one man’s relentless search for the fastest—and increasingly ridiculous—way to descend Cerro Negro.
I’m not going to give away the entire story because hearing it there was an entertaining way to begin the tour.
After receiving a detailed overview of what our day would look like, we climbed aboard an old-school bus and hit the road.
The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. Everyone introduced themselves during the ride, and by the time we reached the base of Cerro Negro, the group already felt pretty social.
We were then given our volcano boarding equipment and began the ascent.
Hiking Cerro Negro
The hike to the summit takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour.
As we climbed, the scenery became increasingly dramatic. Cerro Negro’s stark black volcanic terrain stretches across the landscape, while several other volcanoes can be seen in the surrounding region.
Our guide used the hike to explain the geology of Cerro Negro and Nicaragua’s volcanic chain, which made the climb much more interesting than simply marching toward the summit.
One of my favorite moments was sticking my hand into the volcanic terrain and feeling just how hot the ground was.
This wasn’t some artificial tourist attraction.
I was standing on an active volcano.
The heat beneath portions of the terrain was scorching, and seeing the hardened volcanic landscape around me made the geology we had been learning about suddenly feel very real. The ground behind me in the photo above was once molten lava. I don’t remember the exact temperature our guide told us, but let’s just say wandering down there would be a very bad idea.
Sliding Down Cerro Negro
After roughly an hour of hiking, we reached the summit.
Our guide gave us a thorough explanation of how to operate the sleds, control our speed, position our bodies, and descend as safely as possible.
Then it was time to look down the slope.
I’ll admit it: I was nervous.
A lot of people in our group were.
You sit on what is essentially a wooden board at the top of a steep black volcanic slope and suddenly realize that you’re actually expected to slide all the way down it.
Once you start moving, however, the intimidation quickly turns into adrenaline.
Your speed depends partly on your body position and how aggressively you want to ride. I was cautious at first, but after reaching the bottom safely, I immediately wished I had gone faster.
Unfortunately, you only get one shot.
There is no casual ride back to the summit for another attempt. After hiking Cerro Negro and carrying your equipment up, that single descent is your moment.
So enjoy it.
Sunset & the Party Bus Back to León
Once everyone in our group had finished volcano boarding, the adrenaline gave way to a much more relaxed atmosphere.
We sat on top of the bus and watched a beautiful sunset over the volcanic landscape.
Then the ride back turned into a party.
Music was blasting, drinks were flowing for anyone who wanted them, and everyone was celebrating the fact that we had just slid down the side of an active volcano.
Drinking obviously isn’t mandatory. You can enjoy the ride back without participating in that part of the experience.
We eventually finished the evening with dinner at a local family restaurant before returning to León.
It was a great ending to an already memorable day.
Is Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua Worth It?
Absolutely.
If you’re backpacking through Nicaragua and spending time in León, volcano boarding at Cerro Negro is one of those experiences that’s difficult to replicate anywhere else.
You get a volcanic hike, incredible scenery, some geology, an adrenaline rush, and—if you choose the Sunset Tour—a very social backpacker experience afterward.
Nicaragua already lends itself extremely well to adventure travel. You can hike volcanoes, explore colonial cities, visit islands like Ometepe Island, relax on beaches, and travel around the country without the costs associated with some of Central America’s more expensive destinations.
Volcano boarding captures that adventurous side of Nicaragua perfectly. Central America gave me some of my favorite adventure experiences, from volcano boarding in Nicaragua to watching the rainforest wake up during a sunrise tour of Tikal National Park in Guatemala.
From beginning to end, I was impressed.
Highly recommended.
Good luck in your travels!
