LEON, NICARAGUA

Leon, Nicaragua–home to the most beautiful sunsets and the #2 activity on CNN’s most thrilling activities: VOLCANO BOARDING!

Since I only had one full day here, I decided to book this once in a lifetime experience online. There were many tours to choose from but I decided to go with Bigfoot Hostels, as they were the first to invent this extreme sport.

What to pack:

• WATER!
• Comfortable shoes for hiking
• A shirt to cover your mouth or you can purchase a bandanna with Bigfoot
• $3-5 USD if you would like your board carried by a local

The morning of the tour, I arrived at 9:30AM at Bigfoot. We all packed into the back of an orange truck, and the tour began. The ride was a bit bumpy, but that is a part of the journey! Once we got to the base of the volcano, it was about an hour and a half hike to the top. The board may seem light, but the treck up the volcano is on falling rocks.

I would highly recommend paying for your board to be carried. It can be very difficult to balance yourself up the steep incline of slippery rocks without a board. Also the wind can pick up speed at the top which makes balancing even more difficult.

We stopped twice for some knowledge about how this volcano formed and some pictures. The stops were much needed because the incline becomes incredibly steep after the first 20 minutes of walking. Once at the top you get a chance to feel how hot and ACTIVE this volcano is. Be careful touching the ground with bare hands! You may burn yourself!

Once it was time to slide down, the volcano seemed even steeper from the top. It’s difficult to remember instructions on how to control the board, but never forget to have fun! It’s only about 45 seconds down to the base. But it will be the most thrilling 45 seconds of your life! I found that volcano boarding, to me, was even more extreme than skydiving or bungee jumping because the margin for human error is even greater with volcano boarding as you are sliding down a hill of rocks with nothing but a wooden board and some goggles.

Once at the bottom, we were treated to refreshing watermelons and a beer! If you do not drink alcohol, make sure you let them know in advance and you can get an ice cold coke.

Back at Bigfoot and concluding our tour, we received a free t-shirt and complimentary mojitos. With the tour, we even got a free ride to the beach and back as well! I was debating on whether or not to go to the beach until I spoke to the owner and told him I wouldn’t have enough time to go back to my hostel, change, and make it back to Bigfoot for the shuttle to the beach. Sympathetic to my dilemma, the owner offered to drive me to my hostel to change and then to the beach since he was heading there as well. How could I say no?!

And I am so glad I went. The day was cloudy at first but cleared up when we arrived to the beach. The sun had just began to set and the views were amazing. I enjoyed a beer on the beach with the owner and a couple of the volcano boarders who joined.

Many people have questions about the status of Nicaragua in 2019 and whether it was safe for tourists. I have never NOT felt safe in Nicaragua. More than that, I’ve felt tremendous pride and hospitality from Nicaraguans. This country is a MUST visit!