Description

The Telica volcano is an active volcano 30 kilometers from León. The last violent eruption was in 1948, but since then the volcano has been spewing smoke and roaring. The volcano's height is just over a kilometer (1,061 meters) and it has large craters 120 meters deep and 700 in diameter.

The hot springs of San Jacinto are connected to the Telica volcano despite not being at the foot of the volcano. In fact, San Jacinto is one of the places where you can start your excursion. There is a long way to the volcano, but as there are no roads running through there you have no choice but to spend most of your time hiking TO the volcano instead of IN it.

From San Jacinto what he does is walk out of the way and out of town towards the mountain, just behind the hotspots. This mountain is not the volcano. You have to walk on a volcanic sand path full of stones, only accessible on foot or on horseback. This excursion will be difficult and tiring. Apart from some corn plantations, you will only have nature surrounding you and you will really feel the sensation of being out of civilization.

After three or four hours walking, you will finally be at the foot of the volcano. Sometimes, even though the crater is on the other side, you will see smoke coming out of the volcano. The climb itself is not that difficult, in an hour or two you can be in the crater. It is not that steep and there are trees and plants on the volcano. There are several points where you will have a good view. Before reaching the crater, you will have to cross a beautiful valley with grass, trees and stones. Just seeing the crater walls rise from the valley is impressive.

Then you can walk on the edge of the volcano. If you are lucky - or if you are there at night - you will see the lava boil in the depth of less than 120 meters. This spectacular feeling will be further enhanced by taking it for a spin. The Telica volcano is part of the volcanic chain that descends towards the South of the country and includes the volcanoes of Lake Nicaragua. You will see several volcanoes lined up, some smoking and others sleeping.

Throughout the journey, it is more comfortable to spend the night in the crater. Several tour operators organize this type of trip, which allows you to rest and see the magnificent sunrise from the crater. The valley offers a good place to sleep. In addition to the usual luggage and food, bring an extra sweater, there is a lot of wind around the volcano and if you are quite sweaty this will make it colder. Some tour operators also offer night excursions: stopover at night, without sleeping, and arrive just at dawn. This has the advantage of not walking more than half way in the sun.

The return takes about three or five hours, depending on the group. It is better to hire a guide or tour operator because it is preferable to spend the night in the crater, and also because it is difficult to ascend the volcano if the area is not known. It is also advisable to bring sun cream and be prepared to eat some powder, especially if it is in the dry season.