The Ultimate Volcano Adventure in Nicaragua

Your host will meet you at Managua International Airport, pop you in the van and drive you along the shores of Lake Managua over to the city of León, which takes around 1.5 hours. Settle into the hotel, maybe grab a swim in the pool, before heading out with the rest of your group to get dinner in a nearby restaurant and have a chat about the adventure to come.

Take a short drive to the trailhead of Telica - your first volcano of the trip and one of the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua. The trail winds to the foot of Telica, the air full of sulphur and the roar of the active volcano. A steep switchback leads to the summit where you can - carefully - peer down into the crater and see the fiery magma deep below. Descend Telica and drive back to León, stopping for a short hike through the boiling volcanic mud fields of San Jacinto - a martian landscape that serves as breathing holes for nearby active volcanoes. Grab a cold beer and some dinner in León to toast a cracking first day.

Volcano number two awaits today - the active, cone-shaped San Cristóbal, Nicaragua's highest at 1,745m. This hike is tough, with a full day of trekking up the steep slopes to reach the huge crater rim. The view at the summit is incredible, dotted with the nearby volcanoes La Casita, El Choncho, Moyotepe and La Pelona. On clear days you can see all the way to the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras and El Salvador.

Grab an early breakfast before heading for the black sand, gravel and lava rock of Cerro Negro (Black Peak). Your guide will help with the climb to the summit on the north side. The way down is a thrilling descent as you slip on a boiler suit and goggles, grab a board and swoop your way down the black sand-covered west face. Grab a picnic in the nature reserve and then hike to El Hoyo volcano where you will enjoy dinner beside the crater and camp for the night on its slopes.

Wake up on the slopes of El Hoyo, tuck into breakfast on the volcano, pack up camp and hike back down to the trailhead. Hop in the van and drive over to Asososca Lagoon, also known as El Tigre. This volcanic freshwater lagoon was formed after a violent eruption and makes for a great place to grab a swim before heading back to León where you can enjoy some downtime and explore this brilliant little city at your own pace.

One of Nicaragua's most iconic landmarks, Momotombo is summit five. A perfectly symmetrical volcanic cone nestled on the side of Lake Managua, it is a symbol of Nicaragua, cropping up on many a revolutionary mural. You'll take a 4x4 to 450m beneath the summit and hit the trail from there as you navigate the steep and difficult terrain. From the summit, peer over to the Pacific Ocean, the city of León, and on a clear day, Ometepe Island - your next stop.

Rise early for a 3hr ride from León to San Jorge before hopping on the ferry to Moyogalpa on Ometepe Island - a lush, tropical slab of land in the middle of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. Rest your feet as you explore the waterways of Ometepe by kayak, along the beautiful Istián River, home to tropical birds, reptiles, monkeys, alligators, with views of Ometepe's twin volcanoes towering on both sides of the river.

Today you’ll climb up Concepción, the highest of Ometepe's peaks, passing coffee and banana plantations as you make your way to the base of the volcano. Ometepe was once thought to be the promised land by Aztec explorers, and the lush, green and wild backdrop for today's hike makes you understand why. The climbing can be tough, with harsher terrain near the top and strong sun after the treeline, but you'll be treated to another rewarding summit looking back down over the promised land.

You can't head to Ometepe and only summit one of its volcanos, so today it's over to the dormant Maderas to see what Concepción's twin has to offer. After another early start, you’ll head to the trailhead at Finca Magdalena, a local community farm. Wind through the lush tropical vegetation while white-faced and howler monkeys heckle you from the forests. At the summit, you can look into the crater lake and over towards Concepción. You’ll have a long descent to the base before heading back to the hotel for well-earned beers and a dip in the lake and pool. A shorter 2-3hr cascades hike is possible today if your legs can't face back-to-back summit hikes.

Bid farewell to Ometepe, hop back on the ferry to San Jorge and hotfoot it over to the verdant tropical forested slopes of Mombacho, your first of two bonus volcanoes today. You will be driven to the top (1345m) in a truck from where you'll hike the well-kept crater trail through dense cloud forest home to howler monkeys, sloths and the endemic Mombacho salamander, found nowhere else in the world except here. Head down the mountain for a zip-lining tour of the forest canopy, before moving on to Granada to check into your hotel and enjoy the city. One last epic volcano awaits this evening at Masaya, known as the 'Mouth of Hell' where you'll watch molten lava rumble and glow inside the crater metres away from you - an experience once sacred to the pre-Columbian Nicaraguans.

Your volcano odyssey ends as your host drives you from Granada back to Managua Airport in time for your onward flight.