Idea #402 – Watching the volcano Masaya’s lake of magma
Masaya is one of the most active volcanoes of Nicaragua. It is situated in the heart of a 54 km² natural reserve, close to cities of Masaya and Nindiri. The park counts in particular two impressive volcanoes still alive, and five big craters. It is also possible to observe numerous lava tubes there. The Masaya volcano, also called “popogatepe” in the native language of the Chorotega tribe (” the mountain that makes noise “) owns a crater called “Santiago”, even at present alive ; it is possible to see a lake of incandescent lava in its bottom, the magma there, almost liquid, bubbling in 1200°C.
The last eruption of Masaya volcano took place in 1772. The lava of this last eruption left behind her an area burned without vegetation, known today under the name of “Piedra Quemada”. In 1852, a new crater formed between them of the already existing volcanoes. The history of these volcanoes always accompanied the local vicissitudes : the native populations practised human sacrifices intended there to calm the gods; the Spaniards, after the conquest, indicate them at first as the “mouth of Hell”, then under the name of “Cruz de Bonbadilla”, of the name of father François Bombadilla, who had crashed a cross intended there to exorcise the presence of the devil in the course of the XVIth century. Several Spanish expeditions also tried to find “the gold of the volcano”, unsuccessfully, as that of Gonzalo Fernandez of Oviedo in 1529 or brother Blas of Castillo in 1538.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Volcan Masaya, Masaya, Nicaragua
