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The city of Leon in Nicaragua is surrounded by volcanoes. Cerro Negro Volcano gets all the attention, being the site for the famous adventure activity volcano boarding, but we think Telica Volcano is Leon’s best-kept secret!
We had a magical morning watching the sunrise from the summit of Telica. We got the clearest view of the Milky Way we had ever seen, watched the sun peek over the surrounding volcanoes and stared down into the huge, deep crater with gases and steam constantly billowing out.
Telica is one of the easiest volcanoes to hike and it’s a raw, natural experience without the crowds, in some of Nicaragua’s most stunning scenery. Do not miss this!
Here’s everything you need to know about hiking Telica Volcano in Leon, Nicaragua.
About Telica Volcano
Telica Volcano is an active, stratovolcano outside the city of Leon in Nicaragua. Its peak is 1,036 metres (3,399 ft) above sea level.
It is one of almost a dozen volcanoes along the Cordillera de los Maribios, a volcanic chain stretching through western Nicaragua, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
The last major eruption was in 1999 – 2000 when volcanic ash eruptions reached an altitude of 1.5 km high (4900 ft) and a lava lake was visible in the crater. Telica has been experiencing lots of mild activity in 2025 – 2026, with increased gas and ash emissions. The tour companies are across the situation and will cancel tours if it’s not safe, but you get lucky to see some bigger-than-usual plumes coming out!
The most unique part of Telica is its huge, smoking crater. At 700 metres (2,297 ft) wide and over 120 metres (394 ft) deep it is massive. Standing on the edge staring down through the constant billowing steam is an incredible experience.
Like most volcanoes around Leon, being on the summit of Telica affords some epic views of the surrounding volcanoes, with El Hoyo and Cerro Negro in one direction, and San Cristobal and Casita in the other.
There are multiple trails to reach the crater at Telica. The shortest is only about 45 minutes and it is truly an easy hike. It’s a slight incline but nothing too challenging at all. This trail is usually used for sunrise or sunset tours.
There are longer routes that take 3 – 4 hours, approaching the crater from the other side of the summit. This route is generally reserved for daytime hikes or overnight camping tours.
Tours to Telica Volcano
While not quite as popular as volcano boarding at nearby Cerro Negro Volcano, Telica Volcano is a common activity from Leon, with several companies offering different tours.
Volcano Day and Bigfoot Hostel are the most popular volcano tour companies in Leon and both offer multiple experiences at Telica, which I’ll expand more on below.
These tour companies are traditionally thought of as backpacker tours (they do operate out of hostels!), but the Telica tours are not as party-focused as their volcano boarding experiences so I wouldn’t hesitate to book with them if you’re party-averse.
If you’d prefer a less backpacker-targeted tour, you can book a private sunset tour to Telica.
Can you visit Telica independently?
Yes, it’s definitely possible to hike Telica without a guide or tour.
If you’ve got access to a vehicle (a 4×4 one!), you can drive to the trailhead for the short trail. If you’re going via public transport, you’d be signing up for a much longer hike, starting from the small town of San Jacinto.
We wanted to visit Telica at sunrise, and without access to a vehicle that would have been impossible to do via public transport, so we happily joined a tour and unfortunately don’t have any more info on hiking independently, sorry!
Which Telica Volcano tour and time to choose?
There are a couple of different options for visiting Telica at different times throughout the day. We went for sunrise which we highly recommend, but it’s not the only option.
SUNRISE TOUR
- ⏳ Departure time from Leon: 2:30 am (Bigfoot) | 3:00 am (Volcano Day)
- ⌛️ Return time to Leon: 8:30 am (Bigfoot) | 8:00 am (Volcano Day)
- 🌋 Offered by: Bigfoot Hostel and Volcano Day
- 🌅 Best for: Milky Way views, cool temperatures and an epic sunrise
Both Bigfoot and Volcano Day offer sunrise tours to Telica Volcano. We went with Volcano Day and had a great experience.
The sunrise tours take the short hiking route, and it only takes about 45 minutes to hike up to the crater in the dark. The early wake-up time generally keeps the crowds away so you can expect a small group and a really intimate, natural experience.
Seeing the starry night sky was honestly one of the most special moments of our whole Central America trip. The Milky Way was so so clear.
You’ll see a stunning sunrise over the surrounding volcanoes, check out the smoking crater and hike down to a bat cave. The temperature is cool (as in really cold!) at this time of day, so you can hike without the intense Leon heat.
The tours arrive back in the city in time for breakfast with the rest of the day free.
DAY HIKE
- ⏳ Departure time from Leon: 10:00 am
- ⌛️ Return time to Leon: 8:00 pm
- 🌋 Offered by: Volcano Day
- 🥾 Best for: a lengthier hike plus sunset views
If you’re actually interested in the hiking element of this experience, not just the volcano, a day tour with Volcano Day follows the longer trail to the crater.
You’ll leave the city mid-morning, and spend at least 3 – 4 hours hiking to the summit. Beware that the heat in Leon is insane, and you’ll be hiking in the blazing sun all day.
The day tours stick around for sunset, so you get to experience the beautiful glow up from the summit before returning to Leon in the evening, where dinner will be waiting for you.
SUNSET TOUR
- ⏳ Departure time from Leon: 1:00 pm (Bigfoot) | 1:30 pm (Volcano Day)
- ⌛️ Return time to Leon: 9:00 pm (Bigfoot) | 8:00 pm (Volcano Day)
- 🌋 Offered by: Bigfoot Hostel, Volcano Day and private sunset tour to Telica
- 🌞 Best for: epic sunset views, no early wake-up
Similar to the sunrise tour, sunset at Telica Volcano involves the shorter hiking route. The tour is basically the same as the sunrise tour, just in reverse.
Both Volcano Day and Bigfoot offer similar sunset tours to Telica Volcano. You can also book a private sunset tour to Telica if you’re looking for a personalised experience.
You will be hiking up during the day so it may be hotter, but the sun has peaked by then and I can’t imagine it would be stifling. By the time you’re at the summit with the breeze blowing and the sun dipping below the horizon, it will be cool.
You’ll have the chance to explore the crater and visit the bat cave, before sitting down to watch the sunset over the surrounding volcanoes. You’ll be descending in the dark and returning back to Leon around 8:00 – 9:00 pm, depending on your company.
CAMPING AT TELICA VOLCANO
- ⏳ Departure time from Leon: 1:00 pm (Bigfoot) | 10:00 am (Volcano Day) on day 1
- ⌛️ Return time to Leon: 9:30 am (Bigfoot) | 10:00 am (Volcano Day) on day 2
- 🌋 Offered by: Bigfoot Hostel and Volcano Day
- 🌞 Best for: sunset and sunrise, sleeping next to an active volcano
Both Volcano Day and Bigfoot Hostel offer overnight camping tours to Telica Volcano.
Volcano Day’s camping tour uses the lengthier trail (hence the earlier departure), which means hiking for 3 – 4 hours with all your camping gear on day 1. You get to see the sunset from the summit, before settling down for the night in your tent. You’ll have an early wake-up to watch an epic sunrise over Telica before descending via the shorter trail and returning to Leon.
Bigfoot’s camping tour still uses the shorter trail, so it’s not such a lengthy hike. They’ve also recently opened some very cool a-frame cabins near the volcano, so you’ll sleep in them instead of tents! There are bathrooms too, it looks very fancy.
We really wanted to do the overnight camping experience at Telica but we were concerned about the heat so we opted against it.
In hindsight, it was so cold and breezy at the summit, that being hot wasn’t a worry, however, you still have to consider the longer hike with all the gear in the heat of the day (or go with Bigfoot to avoid that). The wind was intense and the campers we met at sunrise didn’t have a good sleep, but they still had the epic experience of seeing sunset and sunrise! Now that Bigfoot has cabins, the wind may not be such a factor?
What to bring to Telica Volcano
This will differ depending on whether you’re doing a day or overnight hike, but some things to pack include:
- 🥾 Runners or hiking boots: whatever sturdy, comfy shoes you have. Boots aren’t necessary but trainers or sandals won’t cut it.
- 💦 Water: 1 – 2 L for a sunrise/sunset tour, 3 – 4 L for an all-day or camping tour.
- 🍪 Snacks: most tours include some snacks during the hike, but if you’re a hungry hiker (me!) it’s a good idea to pack something else to munch on.
- 😎 Sun protection: sunglasses, hat, sunscreen. No matter what time you go, you’ll be out in the sun for at least part of your tour.
- 🔦 Head torch: if you travel with a head torch or flashlight, bring it. It will make your sunrise ascent or sunset descent a lot easier, as a phone torch isn’t bright enough to really illuminate the rocky, slippery path. Plus you can go hands-free with a head torch. We love these ones.
- 🧣 Warm clothes: I know it seems absolutely mad given Leon feels like one of the hottest places on the planet, but it is COLD at the summit. We were absolutely freezing at sunrise, and I was just wearing shorts and a thin long-sleeve top. Pack layers!
- 💰 Cash: there is a 110 Cordoba or $3 USD fee to enter the national park. Some tours include this, but some don’t, so best to be prepared.
🎒 Find out exactly what’s in our backpacks! I’ve listed all our travel gear on my Amazon shopfront
Our experience at Telica Volcano
After some deliberation over the camping option, we decided to do a sunrise tour of Telica Volcano. It turned out to be one of the best sunrises we experienced during our 6 months in Central America!
We booked with Volcano Day, if I was to visit again now, I’d probably go for Bigfoot and do the glamping in their cabins.
Our alarm went off at an ungodly hour, but I was so excited to get started I didn’t even care! After a slight delay in our pick-up, a 4×4 vehicle rolled up in front of our accommodation in Leon and we climbed in the back with one other traveller and our guide, a French volunteer.
That was my only qualm with Volcano Day, both for Telica Volcano and volcano boarding, we never had a local guide, just international volunteers
We set off on the quiet city roads, but it wasn’t long before we turned off in the pitch black to a narrow, unpaved, bumpy track. When I say bumpy, I mean bumpy! It was an incredibly uncomfortable 90-minute ride, bracing for the holes and rivets in the road, that we couldn’t see coming.
But oh boy, was it worth it! We eventually pulled up and clambered out, to the most incredible views of the Milky Way. I had never seen anything like it and to this day, I still haven’t experienced a starry night sky like the one we saw at Telica. Except maybe in the Atacama Desert in Chile (aka one of the world’s best stargazing destinations, Telica can compete!).
We spent the next 40 minutes hiking up a rocky but clearly defined trail that zig-zagged up to the summit. It wasn’t tough at all, and it was refreshing to be walking in cool temperatures without the blazing sun.
The outline of the enormous crater came into view in the very dull, dawn light. Some visitors have reported seeing the glow of lava inside the crater, but we couldn’t see any. The thick steam billowing out concealed any view (we did see lava at Masaya Volcano though!).
We didn’t linger here but continued walking a short distance out onto a ridgeline, where we had a clear view of the horizon starting to light up.
As soon as we stopped walking the wind cooled our body temperature and we were both absolutely freezing! We were wildly unprepared in shorts and a very thin outer layer. It was so hot in Leon we couldn’t fathom being cold, but we cursed ourselves for not being more prepared.
We sat for quite some time watching the sky glow up around the many peaks and volcanoes in the distance. It took ages for the sun to crest over the small peak in front of us, but eventually, the golden rays exploded over and lit up the crater (and warmed us up!).
We turned back towards the steaming crater and went to investigate in the light of day. It was absolutely enormous, I felt like we were on another planet looking down into the depths.
Behind the crater, we could see more volcanoes in the distance, including the tallest in Nicaragua, San Cristobal. Its smoking crater was clearly visible and the peaks were bathed in the most beautiful golden light. I think I took a million photos!
We followed our guide on a trail down the other side of the volcano, towards the bat cave. There is a small opening in the side of the volcano, where you can climb down into a cave full of bats. It was cool to see, and there were dozens of small bats flying around, but it had nothing on the crater.
When our guide finally dragged me off the summit, we descended, getting to see the trail in the light. Our truck was waiting for us, and we were joined by the overnight campers on our trip back to Leon.
We got to see the bumpy, rural roads we missed on the way in. We could see why it was such a rough trip! It was a game of bracing for dear life in the back of the truck, and everyone had very sore bums by the time we got back to the city. We did pass some really lovely rural villages and even a group of cows being herded across the road by a kid on horseback.
We ended up back at ViaVia Hostel where there was a yummy tipico Nica breakfast and coffee waiting for us.
We had the most incredible morning at Telica Volcano, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face!
We went back to our accommodation for a nap after our very early wake-up but re-emerged in the afternoon for the Bigfoot shuttle to Las Peñitas beach, another one of the best things to do in Leon. We had a lazy afternoon on the sand and enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the Pacific Ocean.
Another pinch-me moment, watching the sunrise from an active volcano and the sunset from a beautiful beach. What a perfect day!
Planning a trip to Leon
Planning a trip to Leon? Don’t forget to read our Leon travel guide too. It covers all the important info you need to know about the city, like getting there, getting around, where to stay, the best places to eat and other handy tips to get your bearings.
⛪️ Everything you need to know about Leon, Nicaragua
Telica Volcano: Final thoughts
There are countless volcano experiences in Central America, but if you’re looking for something with minimal effort and maximum reward, Telica Volcano is the pick!
It’s a quick and easy hike to the summit where you get to witness an out-of-this-world crater constantly billowing steam and gases.
Going for sunrise made it even more special, knowing we were awake before the rest of the world, and getting to witness such an incredible sight with barely anyone else around, it was so worth the early alarm.
Don’t forget to check out the other great things to do in Leon, and obviously volcano boarding at Cerro Negro Volcano has to be on your to-do list too!
MORE LEON POSTS
- Leon, Nicaragua Travel Guide: The City of Revolution
- 18 Things to Do in Leon, Nicaragua
- Epic Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua at Cerro Negro Volcano
