The Mombacho Volcano is located just outside of the city of Granada and combines well with a trip to the colonial city and the Isletas de Granada.
My Experience Hiking Mombacho with a Toddler
I have been to Mombacho many times since I first moved to Nicaragua. The first time that I visited, back in 2009, my friend and I decided to hike all the way up to the summit from the entrance (mostly motivated by being cheap and trying to save the few dollars it would have cost for the shuttle transportation). This hike is on paved roads and a practically 45 degree angle slope.
Long and sweaty story short, I think we made it about half an hour before desperately flagging down one of the trucks to take us up to the summit. Fortunately, they let us board and pay once we arrived at the top. Somehow I don't think that was the first time this had happened to them...
Most recently, I did a day trip to Mombacho with my daughter, who was 2.5 years old, and while I was about 5 months pregnant (that brief moment during pregnancy when I had energy for hikes!). It was a spur of the moment decision to go, and to be honest, I did not plan it very well.
I happened to see a post by Café las Flores, a popular local coffee shop, on Instagram promoting a package that included transportation to the top of the volcano, access to the short hiking trail, and a cappuccino at the coffee shop on Mombacho. I wrote to them to ask if they would charge for a toddler, the answer was no, and so the next day we ventured over to Granada.
Fast Facts about Mombacho
The volcano is about 4,500 ft above sea level.
Mombacho is about 10 km from the city of Granada.
The park is open from 8:30am - 4:30pm each day.
The area is protected and has a lot of wildlife in its unique ecosystem.
Price of entry varies depending on whether you are a resident or tourist and the way you get up to the summit. The Mombacho website has current fees.
How to Get up to the Summit
The three hiking trails advertised by Mombacho begin at the summit of the volcano, so you will need to get up there first!
NOTE: While technically you could walk all the way up, I do not recommend trying to hike up from the entrance to the summit, or even from the coffee shop to the summit, with children. It is, frankly, not a fun hike and is physically painful. As I said before, my friend and I only lasted half an hour when we were in our 20s - I would not recommend that any kid try to do this hike.
Option 1: There is a shuttle truck that can take you up to the summit. This is the easiest, although most expensive, option.
Option 2: You can drive your own vehicle. However, you definitely need a 4x4 and the curves are pretty intense on the way up. I would not recommend this option for anyone new to driving in Nicaragua or who isn't very familiar with the vehicle being driven. If you do drive up, I would turn off the A/C to help prevent the vehicle from overheating.
Option 3: You can also combine the two previous options, as I did. I drove my own vehicle (a Suzuki SUV) up to the coffee shop, then took the shuttle up to the summit.
What to Bring
Note that this is not what I brought, but rather what I wish I'd brought! I basically just threw my purse into the car, and in retrospect, that was not the best plan.
Small backpack to carry your things while hiking
Full water bottles
Snacks (especially if you want healthy, kid-friendly snacks)
Sunscreen
Hats and sunglasses
Bug repellent (especially if you have a mosquito-magnet child like I do!)
An extra layer for each person - it can be cooler at the top of the volcano
Baby wipes (and diapers of course if you need them)
A little extra cash in Cordobas in case you want to buy food and drinks at the summit
If you're traveling with a baby, a baby carrier is a must.
What to Wear
For the shortest trail, Crater Trail, which is what you will probably do if traveling with children, sneakers / tennis shoes are perfectly fine. I have not hiked the longer Puma Trail, but you may prefer sturdier shoes for the 4-hour trek.
My daughter and I were both comfortable in leggings and a t-shirt. I was glad to have my sunglasses as it was pretty bright out, and I made sure to put sunscreen and bug spray on both of us.
Hiking Mombacho with Kids
As I mentioned before, I drove us up to the coffee shop and from there we hitched a ride on the shuttle truck. There are certainly no seat belts, and there are some curves that might make you sweat, but the truck goes very slowly and I never felt unsafe.
When we got up to the Summit, E was ready to go! We briefly looked at the nature reserve center, which offered space to sit, read about the nature reserve, and buy snacks. It took us a little bit to figure out that the bathrooms are in a separate area. They are pretty rustic but worked for us.
We started the Crater Trail, which is a little less than a mile (1.5 km). The trail is not particularly challenging or hilly. In my case, E did a great job of walking most of the way. She really liked walking up to the lookout points that are placed along the trail.
If you have a child who you think will be less interested in walking, I would highly recommend bringing a baby carrier or backpack. I had to give her a piggy back at the end, and maybe it was just because I was 5 months pregnant, but I definitely worked up a sweat!
We enjoyed looking at all of the rich green vegetation. E loved touching the different types of moss on the ground. There are certain places where you can smell the sulfur odor of the volcano. And the views, of course, are incredible!
After finishing the trail, we ate a banana and some crackers while we waited for the shuttle truck to get ready. The shuttles run periodically, so be prepared that you may have to wait to get back down the hill.
Activities
Mombacho offers a number of tours and activities besides hiking the trails, including:
Organic Coffee Farm Tour - This doesn't seem to be available daily, so I would ask before making the trip if this is of interest.
Café las Flores Coffee Shop - Their website is here. Also not open every day of the week. The food here is better than the food at the summit, and they have good espresso drinks. The menu is pretty limited (fewer options than the typical Las Flores menu in Managua), and there weren't many kid-friendly options, aside from a fruit smoothie that E enjoyed.
Ziplining - run by Canopy Miravalle, whose website is here. Fun for older kids and adventurous adults.
Conclusion
Overall, this was a fun outing for me and my daughter, and I would recommend Mombacho as an all ages tourist attraction!
If you speak Spanish, it's worth a call to Café Las Flores to see whether they are offering any tour combos/packages - especially if you're interested in a coffee with your hike.
Comments