Masaya volcano
one of the most active in Nicaragua

Located not far from the town of the same name, the Masaya vocalno, is one of Nicaragua’s most active volcanoes. It features a lava lake and enormous lava fields, made up of ancient flows. The volcano is made up of several craters. The largest and most active of these is the one you can observe most closely after sunset

How do I get to Masaya volcano?

The volcano is accessible via a park, by day for hiking and by night for observation. Don’t be surprised, though: you’re not allowed to stay too long on the ridge where you can observe the red, hot, steaming lake. Safety is paramount. The vehicles are parked together, while the guards keep an eye on things and try to organize the visit. A small museum has recently been set up not far from the entrance, along with a children’s playground and a few craft stalls. All in all, this is one of Nicaragua’s must-sees. Masaya, its volcano and lava lake.

Masaya: one of the world’s only observable lava lakes!

A French vulcanologist based and working in neighboring Costa Rica told me during the last Telica eruption near León in 2016 that he was often in Nicaragua. For work and pleasure, he radiated throughout the region, a sort of eruption hunter. In the end, running into him is not a good sign, I told myself at the time. Nevertheless, despite my non-existent passion for volcanic phenomena, he encouraged me to take an interest and visit certain peaks: « You absolutely must go to Masaya, there are so few places in the world where a lava lake can be observed by mortals and non-scientists alike!

Walking on a tightrope above the Masaya volcano: the feat of a tightrope walker!

Returning from Granada at nightfall, I pass this enormous piton on my left, the sun no longer shining and smoky colors appear before my eyes. I slow down and remember my first visit to the crater rim. What an impression of smallness when you observe the bowels of the earth. You think of Haroun Tazieff, you smile as you imagine melted marshmallows, and you jump at the slightest noise or passage of groups of birds that bode no good. We think of Dante’s Pico or other sensational films, and the panic we might feel in the event of an explosion. The park is closed! For a few days! I then learn that a tightrope walker from Florida is going to have fun crossing this red-hot gaping hole on a tightrope! Televisions, technicians and rescuers are on hand at the watchtower. Believe me, I tried to get close enough to meet this tightrope walker, but to no avail. Never mind, I’ll be back soon enough. The only thing left for me to do was to scour the Internet for  » Nik Wallenda  » and try to find photos of this American’s feat of balancing. I then got lost on the social networks and the multiple links that exist and disappear, so all you have to do is wait in front of a local channel and wait twenty minutes or so to see the feat.

Browsing, googlingand stumbling across Madame Wallenda on a hoop dangling over molten rock finally got the better of me. I’ll wait a few days and quietly return to contemplate the Masaya volcano’s lava lake once the park has reopened, seeing it again with my own eyes will surely give me that now-familiar sensation of mother earth or pachamama being truly powerful.