Volcan Masaya

Another top class Nicaraguan tourist attraction is Volcan Masaya. Here you can drive your car right to the rim of a large, active volcano where molten lava lurks within the deep crater. We were told this sign was put up only 6 months ago and has been eroded by acidic, sulphurous gases.

Our little yellow hire car can be seen alone in the carpark on the left.

We turned up for the twilight tour which involved viewing three large crater from various vantage points whilst trying to avoid clouds of sulphur; walking through tunnels made by lava flow many years ago; sitting in the pitch black at the entrance to a cave as thousands of bats rush past; and looking into the crater after dark to see the glow of the lava.

Sunset over the volcano

Walking through the lava tunnel

Precautionary gas masks as we approached the crater rim.