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If you’re travelling to Nicaragua or Central America more broadly, there’s sure to be one major activity on your bucket list – volcano boarding!
This thrilling activity is exactly what the name suggests – boarding down the side of an active volcano. That volcano is the Cerro Negro Volcano, located just outside the colonial city of Leon.
CNN famously labelled volcano boarding in Nicaragua as one of the 50 most thrilling activities to do on vacation, and while I don’t think it’s that adrenaline-inducing, it’s certainly an unmissable activity in this part of the world!
In this post, I’ll share everything you need to know about volcano boarding, so you’re prepared for what will undoubtedly be one of the most epic adventures you have in Nicaragua.
To make it easier to read, this post is divided into two parts:
- The logistics and details of volcano boarding (tours, times, what to bring etc.)
- Our experience volcano boarding in Nicaragua
Get ready to don your token volcano boarding t-shirt that you’ll see on backpackers from Mexico to Panama, and wear it like a badge of honour!
What is volcano boarding?
A fair question!
Volcano boarding involves sitting on a custom-made wooden board with a thin strip of metal underneath and sliding down black, volcanic gravel on the steep slopes of an active volcano.
Some people call it volcano ‘surfing’ but you’re not standing up, so it’s not quite like surfing or snowboarding. Sandboarding or tobogganing are probably the most similar activities to compare it to, just replace sand or snow with volcanic gravel!
We weren’t surprised to learn that volcano boarding was created by an Australian. Darryn Webb was the owner of Bigfoot Hostel in Leon at the time, and after seeing a crazed Frenchman hurtle down nearby Cerro Negro Volcano on his bike (breaking his bike and many bones in the process), he wanted to try a different approach.
Based on his experience sandboarding back in Australia, he went through a few rounds of trial and error to find the perfect medium to slide down the slopes of Cerro Negro. He tried a fridge door, mattress, car hood and traditional snowboard, before figuring out a simple, wooden toboggan-style board was the way to go.
In 2004, volcano boarding was born and Bigfoot Hostel started running their iconic tours which led to volcano boarding becoming a bucket list activity for every backpacker in Central America!
About Cerro Negro Volcano
Volcano boarding was born on Cerro Negro Volcano, and while there are a few other places around the world where the activity has caught on, for the OG volcano boarding experience, it has to be Cerro Negro in Leon, Nicaragua.
Cerro Negro Volcan (meaning Black Hill Volcano) is one of the youngest volcanoes in Central America. It first appeared in 1850 after an eruption of the neighbouring Las Pilas Volcano.
It looks quite different to the surrounding volcanoes and as soon you see the conical-shaped hill, it’s not hard to see why it’s called Cerro Negro. It is made up of black gravelly basalt and is a clear contrast to the greener slopes of the hills and volcanoes around it.
Cerro Negro Volcano is not that tall, just 728 m (2,388 ft) but it is very active. It’s erupted 23 times since it appeared, with the latest being in 1999. The volcano is still active and experts predict an eruption every 20 years, which means we’re well overdue!
The volcano is constantly monitored and if any increased activity is detected, tours won’t be run, so I don’t think you need to worry about an eruption while you’re sliding down.
Is volcano boarding safe? How scary is it?
Cerro Negro is an active volcano, and there is always an inherent risk involved with doing any activity around active volcanoes.
If you’re spending any significant time in Nicaragua or Central America, you’ll be used to active volcanoes. Although the risk never disappears, it’s the reality of life and travel in the region.
You’ll be traipsing up and down active volcanoes every couple of weeks and staying in cities at the foot of active volcanoes (looking at you Antigua Guatemala).
All the active volcanoes in the region (including Cerro Negro) are closely monitored and the chances of a big eruption occurring without any early warning signs are slim.
All tour companies who run activities to volcanoes are constantly monitoring the activity and won’t proceed with tours if there is heightened activity or risk of eruption.
Putting aside the risk of an eruption, volcano boarding is a pretty safe activity. It’s well-run by experienced tour companies who have proper safety equipment and will give you a full briefing on how to slide down the slopes safely.
It’s a bit of a mystery how fast you actually go, as I think the tour companies ‘put a bit of mayo on it’ as we would say in Australia (aka exaggerate). They do use speed guns, but you’ll read wildly varied top recorded speeds ranging from 65 km/h (40 mph) to a whopping 101 km/h (62 mph).
You are in total control of how fast you go though. Before you jet off down the slopes, your tour company will explain how to control your speed.
If you’re not looking for a speedy ride, you can take it slow.
If you want to hurtle down at full speed, trying to beat the speed record and probably taking an epic tumble off the board in the process, you can do that too!
Most of the time people actually go slower than they’d like to, and so many people get stuck halfway down, not able to get enough momentum to slide quickly. So if you’re worried, don’t be! The chances of going faster than you’d like to are slim.
Although the slope is quite steep, we didn’t find it scary at all. The boarding part is over in a matter of minutes. It was a lot of fun and I wish I had gone faster!
Cerro Negro volcano boarding tours
If you want to go volcano boarding at Cerro Negro, you’ll need to take a tour from Leon.
Getting there would be impossible with public transport, and although you could visit independently if you had a vehicle, you’d eventually need to connect with some kind of operator to rent the gear. Joining a tour is the best and simplest way.
Plus it’s a super fun activity to do with other travellers. We’re not usually big on the backpacking, party scene but I have to say, this was one of the funnest days we had on our Central America trip and we were glad we shared the experience with other backpackers!
There are dozens of tour companies in Leon that offer volcano boarding at Cerro Negro, but the two most popular options are Volcano Day and Bigfoot Hostel.
Volcano Day vs Bigfoot Hostel
I would say 99% of all travellers who go volcano boarding in Nicaragua will do so with Volcano Day or Bigfoot Hostel. These are the two most popular tour companies in Leon.
They offer similar tours, but there are a few differences between the two that you’ll want to consider before deciding which company is right for you.
Both companies generally include:
- 🛻 Transport from Leon to Cerro Negro in a 4×4 vehicle
- 🥾 A guide to lead you up the volcano and demonstrate how to safely board down
- 🥽 All gear required for volcano boarding (board, overalls, goggles and gloves)
- 📸 Photos taken by your guide
- 👕 A free branded volcano boarding t-shirt
- 🍻 Alcoholic drinks post-boarding
- 🍉 Fruit snack
- 🍛 A meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner depending on your timing) after the activity
At the moment, Volcano Day’s tours are $35 USD and Bigfoot’s are $37.90 USD, so essentially the price is much of a muchness in deciding between them.
💰 Note that neither tour includes the entrance fee to the national park, which is 370 Cordobas or $10 USD. We actually don’t recall being asked to pay this when we arrived at Cerro Negro, but we would happily have contributed to the park! Be prepared with this amount in cash.
We decided on Volcano Day, so we can’t personally give feedback on Bigfoot, but these are some of the pros and cons from our point of view that we uncovered during our research, and why we eventually landed on Volcano Day.
VOLCANO DAY
PROS 👍🏼
- Locally owned and operated business
- Slightly less of a party focus (but their sunset tour is still a lot of fun and the ride back has a party bus vibe!)
- Classic t-shirt design ‘it’s gonna be a volcano day’
- If you’re on a very tight budget, Volcano Day runs a ‘basic’ tour option without the included extras (no t-shirt, drinks, snacks etc.) for $25
CONS 👎🏼
- The guides on our tour were mostly international backpacker volunteers, which we didn’t love given that Volcano Day heavily advertises being locally owned and empowering the locals
- The sunset tour left slightly later than Bigfoot, so their group went first and were down enjoying drinks and a bonfire as the sun set, whereas we didn’t slide down until the sun had almost disappeared (this schedule may alternate, I’m not sure)
- Our ‘dinner’ back at ViaVia Hostel in Leon (where Volcano Day operates from) was packets of cold tortillas with cold packets of refried beans and a tub of soggy salad to make ‘burritos’, a bit of a sad affair! They may have since improved this.
🌋 Book Volcano Day tours online or in person at ViaVia Hostel in Leon
BIGFOOT HOSTEL
PROS 👍🏼
- The meal included with Bigfoot tours is at a local’s house near the volcano. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, you’ll enjoy a home-cooked local meal versus going straight back to the hostel in the city
- If you want to party, Bigfoot is typically the more rowdy option. Their sunset tours conclude back in Leon just as their nightly hostel party kicks off
- I can’t confirm this but I THINK the guides Bigfoot uses may be locals (if you can confirm either way, I’d love to know!)
CONS 👎🏼
- The party vibe might be a con for you as it was for us. We were happy with Volcano Day’s tame but fun approach to some drinks post-boarding, but I think Bigfoot’s tours can get pretty rowdy, particularly the sunset one
- Their T-shirts aren’t as cool!
- Slightly more expensive ($2.90, which wouldn’t matter to us but I know for some budget travellers it does!)
🌋 Book Bigfoot Volcano Boarding tours online or in person at their hostel in Leon
Other tours
If you’re a, let’s say more mature, type of traveller and the idea of following your volcano boarding experience with a rum and coke that is far, far more rum than coke doesn’t appeal, there are other options.
In saying that, Volcano Day and Bigfoot are both very welcoming of families and older travellers, it’s more whether YOU feel comfortable joining a tour with a hostel.
Here are two tours with non-hostel affiliated operators, that offer a more tame volcano boarding experience suitable for travellers that don’t want to mix volcanoes with parties:
There used to be an excellent tour operator Quetzaltrekkers, who was a not-for-profit organisaiton that offered volcano boarding tours that supported local kids. Sadly they no longer operate in Leon, but they still have plenty of treks in Guatemala, including the popular Xela to Lake Atitlan that we recommend including in your Guatemala itinerary.
What time of day should you go volcano boarding?
This decision kind of goes hand-in-hand with the tour operator you choose and may be the reason you choose one vs the other.
The available times to go volcano boarding are…
Sunrise
- ⏳ Departure time from Leon: 3:15 am (Bigfoot) | 4:00 am (Volcano Day)
- ⌛️ Return time to Leon: 9:45 am (Bigfoot) | 9:00 am (Volcano Day)
- 🌋 Offered by: Bigfoot Hostel and Volcano Day
- 🌅 Best for: a quiet, uncrowded experience without partying
Sunrise is a unique time to go volcano boarding. This option is offered by both Bigfoot and Volcano Day, and you’ll be leaving Leon bright and early. You hike up in the dawn light, before the heat of the day sets in, and enjoy the sunrise from the summit of Cerro Negro, before sliding down the volcano and having breakfast at a local family’s house nearby (Bigfoot) or back at the hostel in Leon (Volcano Day).
Given the timing, this experience is significantly less party-focused than other times of the day. I can’t imagine anyone is drinking rum and coke at 7:00 am, but each to their own!
If you want to do volcano boarding without the party association, this is a good option.
But speaking from the perspective of a non-partier, it was surprisingly fun to do the sunset option and we actually really enjoyed a few drinks with some other travellers. We would suggest saving the sunrise experience for Telica Volcano (which is not really a social, party-focused experience at any time of the day), and having some fun volcano boarding at sunset.
Day
- ⏳ Departure time from Leon: 8:00 am (Bigfoot) | 9:00 am (Volcano Day)
- ⌛️ Return time to Leon: 1:00 pm (both companies)
- 🌋 Offered by: Bigfoot Hostel, Volcano Day
- 🌊 Best for: combining volcano boarding and a beach day
Both Bigfoot and Volcano Day offer a traditional day option, where you’ll leave Leon at a reasonable hour in the morning and be back for lunch.
Volcano Day has two tour options for this time of the day, the ‘basic’ or ‘all-in’.
The basic option is the cheapest volcano boarding experience you’ll find, at just $25 USD but it doesn’t include anything else besides the boarding itself (no t-shirt, no meals or drinks afterwards etc.).
Their other day option, the all-in, combines a morning volcano boarding with an afternoon/evening at Las Peñitas beach, another one of the best things to do in Leon. You’ll board in the morning, have lunch in Leon and then jump in their shuttle to the beach, to enjoy an afternoon of sea, sun and sand with a return to the city after the sunset.
Bigfoot’s day option doesn’t include their beach shuttle, but the timings mean you can easily combine volcano boarding in the morning and then jump on their daily beach shuttle in the afternoon, essentially replicating the same package Volcano Day offers.
The drinks do start flowing after this tour, but it’s not as an iconic party experience as the sunset tours are.
The reason we didn’t opt for a day tour is the heat. You’ll be traipsing up the volcano in full sun, and while it is really windy up there, which keeps things a bit cooler, I think this is definitely the hottest tour option.
We did a sunrise tour to Telica Volcano and then an afternoon at Las Peñitas beach on the same day, which we thought was the best combo. It allowed us to do sunset volcano boarding on a different day, which is the best time!
Sunset
- ⏳ Departure time from Leon: 12:30 pm (Bigfoot) | 1:00 pm (Volcano Day)
- ⌛️ Return time to Leon: 7:30 pm (Bigfoot) | 7:00 pm (Volcano Day)
- 🌋 Offered by: Bigfoot Hostel, Volcano Day
- 🍻 Best for: an epic sunset and party vibes
In my opinion, sunset is the best time to go volcano boarding. Both Volcano Day and Bigfoot offer sunset tours, and I think they are their most popular option.
Sliding down an active volcano is an epic experience at any time of the day, but sitting on the slopes of Cerro Negro watching the sun set behind a chain of other volcanoes made it even more magical.
Yes, you are hiking up in the afternoon which you’d think would be very hot, but I felt like a bit of sting had gone out of the sun by the time we started hiking, and the majority of the trail was actually in the shade.
The sunset tours are where things get rowdy. Once you have finished boarding, the drinks start to flow, both operators usually light a bonfire and you can enjoy some marshmallows and rum and cokes while you watch the last colours leave the sky.
As I’ve stressed a few times, we’re not huge partiers, but we had SO much fun on the ride back to Leon. Both Volcano Day and Bigfoot have a party-bus vibe on the drive back, with music pumping and drinks flowing.
Bigfoot stops for dinner on the way back, at a local’s house (not sure how they feel about hosting a bus full of rowdy backpackers?), so once you hit the city, you roll straight into their nightly party at the hostel.
Volcano Day has dinner included at ViaVia Hostel back in the city, so things quieten down once you arrive, which suited us perfectly.
We didn’t want a huge, rowdy night, but a couple of hours of fun on the way home was great. We kept the drinks going over a chilled dinner with our group, and some of us went out for a late-night street food feast. It ended up being quite a late night but not an overly rowdy one.
What to bring and wear for volcano boarding
You want to wear something comfortable that you are happy to get dirty! You will have a set of overalls from your tour company to wear as you slide down, but it’s windy and dusty the whole way up and some gritty volcanic gravel will inevitably find its way inside your overalls!
We’d suggest wearing exercise shorts and the free T-shirt you get from your tour company. You need to wear closed-toe shoes that are comfortable for hiking, whether that’s runners or hiking boots. You will use your foot to control your descent down the volcano so make them sturdy.
In terms of what to pack:
- 💦 Water: you’ll be hiking for up to an hour in the heat, so bring however much you need to stay hydrated.
- 😷 Buff or bandana: to cover your face as you slide down, or you WILL eat gravel. Volcano Day and Bigfoot both sell these as an extra (for $5 from memory) if you don’t already have one. Our biggest regret was not buying one. We bought an extra T-shirt to wrap around our face and mouth but it didn’t work too well, just buy a bandana!
- 😎 Sun protection: sunglasses, hat, sunscreen etc. Don’t forget you will be hiking for an hour before you slide down so you’ll want these things to be comfortable.
- 🦟 Repellent: we didn’t have any problems with bugs, but we have read at certain times of the year they can be brutal on the summit.
- 💰 Cash: to pay your national park entrance fee of 370 Cordobas or $10 USD.
🎒 Find out exactly what’s in our backpacks! I’ve listed all our travel gear on my Amazon shopfront
Where does your stuff go when you slide down?
It’s a bit tricky to work out what to bring when you know you’re going to be hurtling down the side of a volcano at high speed.
Your tour company will give you a drawstring backpack that contains your overalls, gloves and goggles that you’ll carry up the volcano. When you get geared up to slide down, you’ll switch the backpack to a front pack inside your overalls.
Whatever you carry up, will have to slide down with you in the backpack. If you’re planning to go really fast, you should expect that you will probably fall off or flip from the board. If you’re happy to control your speed, you probably won’t stack (I didn’t).
Anything you don’t want to risk, you can leave on the bus which will always be attended to by the driver so it’s safe.
What about a phone or camera?
It depends on how comfortable you are sliding down with it.
I really wanted to bring my camera to take photos on the hike up and from the summit, so I took the risk of sliding down with it in the backpack.
I controlled my speed and didn’t fall off at all, so the camera was totally fine. I wrapped it in its case, then a dry bag (to avoid any dirt and dust getting in) and then it was inside the drawstring back under my overalls.
I think you’d be fine to carry your phone down with you, just bring something to wrap it in so it doesn’t fill with gravel, and a GoPro would definitely be okay (we’ve actually just upgraded to the Osmo Action 6 and it is SO much better).
Don’t forget your tour company will be taking great photos of you the whole time, so if you’re worried about breaking anything, you can just leave it all on the bus.
Our experience volcano boarding in Nicaragua
To give you an idea of exactly what you can expect going volcano boarding in Nicaragua at Cerro Negro Volcano, this was how our sunset tour with Volcano Day went.
MEETING AT VOLCANO DAY
We arrived at Volcano Day at our dedicated meeting time ready to set off to Cerro Negro.
We’d actually visited their office in ViaVia Hostel a few times over the proceeding days, trying to find a free shirt that we liked!
We booked the tour a few days earlier, and they said we could grab our t-shirts from their huge wall of racks, but we couldn’t find any in our size. We kept checking back in over the next few days for any new deliveries and eventually found some that fit.
The good colours and sizes go like hotcakes so keep that in mind if you’re hoping to score a wearable t-shirt for the rest of your trip.
GETTING TO CERRO NEGRO
With everyone geared up in their Volcano Day shirts, we climbed into our transport. A huge, purpose-built truck with benches in the back. Our guides were international volunteers, and they had some tunes pumping for the ride.
It took a while to get out of the Leon city limits, but eventually, we turned down a dirt road and started bumping along. The soft, volcanic sand was full of ruts and every few minutes a rogue branch would whip past, slicing any extremities hanging outside the vehicle!
Volcan Cerro Negro eventually came into view and we could instantly understand the name. It was the blackest black colour and stuck out so vividly against the surrounding green.
GEARING UP
By the time the truck parked, it felt like we had been deposited on Mars. We had driven onto the lava field, and it was a sea of black, crunching volcanic rock as far as the eye could see. I could only imagine seeing the incandescent glowing lava flying down the slopes, like what we saw at Volcan Masaya.
Looking up to the slopes of Cerro Negro, we could see the group from Bigfoot making their way up to the summit. They looked like tiny ants! It really put into perspective what we were about to do.
The Volcano Day crew unloaded the boards and gave each of us a drawstring backpack with our overalls, gloves and goggles. We sorted out our things and put everything we wanted to bring into the small backpacks.
At this point, there is usually a group of locals who will offer to carry your board for you for a small fee (I believe it is around $5). If you’re apprehensive about the hike, I would suggest taking up this offer. It’s not a long hike, but it’s very steep and the board was quite hard to carry in the wind.
After a group photo, we set off!
HIKING CERRO NEGRO VOLCANO
Up we went! The group started trudging up the side of the volcano.
The board was heavier and more awkward than I expected, and the trail was quite steep. Thankfully the first section of the hike was completely shaded at this time of the day, and it was pretty breezy so we weren’t too hot (iykyk, once you’ve been in Leon you’ll understand what a concern this is!).
After about half an hour of walking, we crested over a small peak and stopped for a break. We got some epic views of the surrounding volcanoes and valley. This is where the wind got hectic.
I can’t say it was unpleasant as we felt quite cool, but carrying that huge board with gale-force winds trying to blow you sideways was tough!
It took about 15 more minutes of hiking along the exposed, narrow ridgeline before we dropped our boards. We went off on a little side mission to see the crater of Cerro Negro.
There were layers upon layers of different-toned rock leading down into the crater, and we could see the result of the previous eruptions in the sea of black gravel that had made its way down the slopes. It was otherworldly, and I was still blown away that I was looking down into the core of the earth, despite seeing so many volcanoes in Central America at this point.
OVERALLS ON
It was time to get our Orange Is the New Black meets Breaking Bad style overalls on and get ready to board!
We geared up, feeling like complete dorks with our t-shirts wrapped around our heads to protect our faces. After plenty of obligatory photos, the group slowly walked across the face of the summit to gather at the top of the slope.
The sun was just starting to turn golden at this point. The views were spectacular, the lighting was magic, and it was a pinch-me moment.
The guides gave us another run-through of how to control the board. Don’t quote me on the instructions, but if you pulled the ropes more you’d slow down, if you leant back you’d go faster, and you used your feet to steer left or right.
We ended up towards the back of our big group (because I was taking so many photos) so we got to watch everyone slide one by one down before us, and enjoy the sunset from the summit.
SLIDING DOWN THE SLOPES
Eventually, we were up! Brayden went first and he was keen to go as fast as possible (he didn’t have anything in his backpack). He flew down the slope in a 10/10 execution I’d say, no stacks and no stopping!
I had a bit of a slow start, I had to stand up and readjust the board to get moving, but once I got some momentum, I picked up some decent speed by the end! I didn’t want to stack or flip with my camera in my backpack, and I didn’t feel at risk of that at any time. I went fast but not too fast.
We both enjoyed the boarding a lot and had tons of fun, but it was not as scary or thrilling as we expected. I know some people think it’s a letdown when they don’t go super fast and realise the boarding only lasts a few minutes, but it didn’t dampen our experience at all. The scenery, the setting and the basic concept of what we had just done (slid down an active volcano?!) were too awesome to be anything less than ecstatic.
SUNSET DRINKS
Brayden and I were one of the last people down the volcano, and by the time we got to the base, the sun was just slipping behind the mountains.
We were a little miffed watching the Bigfoot group finishing much earlier than us. They had a bonfire, music and drinks going before we even slid down.
But it wasn’t long before we had a rum and coke in hand, recounting our thrilling experience with everyone else and munching on some watermelon.
PARTY BUS TO LEON
When the last light had faded from the horizon, we hopped into the truck and started the journey back to Leon.
The tunes really cranked up, and the volunteers haphazardly poured more drinks as we bumped over the sandy track. There was far far more rum than there was coke (rum is actually cheaper than coke in Nica!) so the drinks were stroooong.
When we made it back to ViaVia Hostel an impromptu, rum-fuelled dance party broke out in the street and it felt like a fitting way to cap off an amazing experience.
DINNER AND DRINKS
Although the night was not over yet! There was a big table waiting for our group inside the hostel, and ‘dinner’ was served. I use quotation marks because this was probably the biggest letdown of our day.
Not that we needed a fancy feast, but we got a few packets of tortillas slapped down in the centre of the table, with some cold sachets of refried beans and a tub of soggy salad to make our own burritos with. Maybe they’ve since upped their dinner game?
We stayed and ate and drank some more with everyone, and eventually, a smaller group of us went out in hunt of more food. We ended up at a fritanga (read more about that here) ordering a huge serving of grilled meats, plantains, rice and beans to soak up the alcohol and put us to sleep.
The perfect end to 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
Volcano boarding in Nicaragua: Final thoughts
Volcano boarding in Nicaragua is a truly epic experience that you HAVE to do if you’re in the region.
Although it might not have been as thrilling or adrenaline-inducing as we had read, it was still a lot of fun and an experience we won’t soon forget. We proudly donned our Volcano Day t-shirts for the rest of our journey through Central America, feeling like we were part of an exclusive club.
I hope this post has helped prepare you for volcano boarding and answered some of the questions and apprehensions I’m sure you had.
Don’t forget to check out the other great things to do in Leon, and consider visiting Telica Volcano too. It’s not a thrilling experience like Cerro Negro Volcano, but I have to say, the scenery was even more spectacular.
MORE LEON POSTS
- Leon, Nicaragua Travel Guide: The City of Revolution
- 18 Things to Do in Leon, Nicaragua
- Hiking Telica Volcano in Nicaragua: A Magical Sunrise
