Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes – Concepción and Maderas. For many people visiting, hiking at least one of the volcanoes is a must. I felt exactly the same when traveling to Ometepe. I am not really a hiker, so I decided to go for ”only” one of them. My decision ended up being the Maderas volcano. Maderas is a non-active volcano with thick, lush rainforest. This blog post will answer all your questions about hiking the Maderas volcano and what you can expect out of it.

The difference between Concepción volcano and Maderas volcano

If you’re like me and want to pick one of the volcanoes to hike, the first question you might want an answer to is which one? Here’s a little comparison of Concepción and Maderas.

Geographical location on the island

The Concepción volcano is located in the northern parts of the island while Maderas is in the south. Depending on your accommodation you might want to hike the one that is closest to you. Hiking tours usually starts early in the morning, around 7AM, so if you pick the one further away it’s gonna be a really early morning for you. If you are staying in Balgue and Santa Cruz (which is quite popular among backpackers), Maderas is closer. If you are staying in Moyagalpa and closer to the port, Concepción will be at your doorstep.

Nature and views

The second question you might want an answer to is what the difference is between them. First of all, Concepción is an active volcano while Maderas is not. Nature-wise, this means that Concepción is a little bit more of how you would imagine a volcano look like, with more ash and rocks. When reaching the summit you will also be able to look down the crater. Maderas on the other hand is more of a rainforest and cloudforest hike. The summit here is a crater lagoon, which you can take a swim in if you want to. If you want more views during your hike, you should pick Concepción. If you want a unique hike with beautiful nature and wildlife, you should pick Maderas.

Difficulty level

Both of the volcano hikes are tough. Concepción might be a little bit steeper in the end, while Maderas is more muddy and slippery and challenging in that way.

What to expect out of the Maderas hike

Now that you have decided you want to hike the Maderas volcano, you might want to know a little bit what to expect. I can tell you this: Expect a green explosion. Since the Maderas volcano is covered in rainforest, the nature is so lush and beautiful. You might see some different monkeys and insects, such as colorful butterflies and cikadas. Something that you also need to be prepared for is that the paths are muddy. Very muddy. Do not bring your new white sneakers because they will not be so pretty afterwards. I quite enjoyed the paths tough. You step on small rocks to enjoy pools of mud, you climb up bigger ones and have to duck under trees. It was quite an adventure, especially the second half. There is a viewpoint over Ometepe island halfway up, and also some more viewpoints of the rainforest along the way. But you don’t do the Maderas volcano hike for the views. You do it for the green surroundings. When you reach the top there is also a lagoon crater. You can either enjoy it from the viewpoint or hike down to it – or both.

Is hiking the Maderas volcano hard?

Honest answer: YES, the hike is tough. The Maderas volcano is approximately 1 400 meters high and the walk back and forth is about 16 kilometers. Plus the paths are muddy and slippery! I am not an experienced hiker and this is by far the longest, most tricky and steepest hike I have done. I do work out, so I am in alright shape. Although, the first two hours, I struggled. We had quite a high pace in the beginning, which took out its right. We had only reached an altitude of 300 meters and I already felt exhausted, thinking ”how the hell am I gonna climb another 1 000 meters?”. But after a while, I got into it. You find your pace, your stride, your breathing. I should warn you though, if you don’t enjoy hiking, you probably won’t enjoy this volcano climb either. It’s challenging and it’s long. I am so happy I did it and I’m very proud of myself for my performance, being my first real hike, but I would not do it again.

How long does the Maderas hike take?

For most people the Maderas hike takes about 7 to 8 hours in total. For me it took about 4 hours to get to the top and then down to the crater lagoon. We had lunch by the lake and then went up again to the viewpoint. After enjoying the lake from above, we started the journey back. Thanks to my long legs the hike down was way faster. I think I might have broken some sort of speed record descending the volcano in 2 hours. My legs felt like spaghetti, but they were on autopilot and just kept going somehow. All in all, I spent 7 hours on this hiking tour.

Do you need a guide for the Maderas hike?

You don’t necessarily need a guide for hiking the Maderas volcano, although it is highly recommended. There are three trails leading up to the summit, with starting points spread out around the volcano. This means it can be a bit tricky from time to time to know where to go, when the trails align. Some people have taken the wrong trails and ended up detouring for hours. Hiking Maderas with a guide will cost you around 20 USD. There is also an extra fee of 3 USD that needs to be paid by everyone before entering the trail.

What to bring for the Maderas hike

Proper hiking shoes is key if you want a good experience when hiking the Maderas volcano. You can do sneakers/running shoes, but since Maderas is muddy and slippery, your grip probably won’t work as well. I had real hiking shoes and I still slipped twice on my way down. Even though the hike can be a bit hot and sweaty, it can be nice to wear long pants. You’ll be hiking through jungle and some plants are actually not so good for you. My guide showed me one, similar to stinging nettle. Long pants or thights is also a good cover for mosquitoes. On that note, do also use mosquito repellent. Bring lots of water. 2 L is recommended. Since the hike takes hours, you’ll also need lunch and some snacks. I can almost guarantee you will need to refuel on your way up and some cookies, chips or bars are so good for that. Even though Maderas is a cloudforest when you hike, you should put on sunscreen. If you are hiking on a sunny day, there might be sunshine when you reach the summit. Since you’re then 1 400 meters closer to the sun, it is strong and you’ll easily burn. A bonus thing to bring for your hike is a hiking pole. My guide got me one and it was so nice to have pushing yourself up among the rocks and supporting you on your way down.