Coyotepe

Just south of the volcano on a hill overlooking the highway, the battlements of Coyotepe fortress (open 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m., 365 days a year, $1) overlook the city of Masaya. Take a cab or hike up the road—the view of Masaya, its lagoon and volcano, both great lakes, and the far-reaching surrounding countryside is worth it; that’s before you even descend into the dungeons. Built at the turn of the 20th century, this site witnessed a fierce battle between national troops and U.S. Marines in 1912. Somoza rehabilitated it as a particularly cruel prison.

Today, Coyotepe is in the hands of the Nicaraguan Boy Scouts, who will accompany you through the pitch-black underground prison facilities in exchange for a small fee (for special attention, or at least a smile, greet your guide with the three-finger Scout salute and their motto in Spanish: Siempre Listo—Always Prepared).

Nindirí

Just north of the highway between the entrance to the national park and the city of Masaya, Nindirí was the most important and densely populated of the indigenous settlements in the area—up to 1,500 years before the arrival of the Spanish. It's name in Chorotega means Hill of the Small Pig, and its principal attraction is the 1,000-artifact collection in the Museo Tenderí (named after a local cacique) that celebrates pre-Columbian culture.

Also, ask around about the Cailagua site, with petroglyphs overlooking the Laguna de Masaya. During the last week of July, the festival for patron saint Santa Ana employs many of the ancient dance, costume, and music rituals popular to the whole Masaya and Carazo region.

Visiting Volcán Masaya

The exhibits at the Visitors Interpretation Center and museum include three-dimensional dioramas of Nicaragua and Central America, models of active volcanoes, and remnants of indigenous sacrifice urns and musical instruments found deep in the volcano’s caves; there is also a display of old lithographs and paintings of the volcano as the Spaniards saw it.

Consider one of the several guided tours ($10 pp, sign up at the visitors center), including an exciting night tour beginning at sunset. Of special interest is the walk to the Tzinancanostoc Bat Cave, a lava tube passageway melted out of solid rock.

Though most visitors only snap a few photos from the crater’s edge before continuing, the park also contains several hiking trails through a veritable moonscape of lava formations and scrubby vegetation, making it easy to spend at least half a day here; carry lots of water and sunscreen (there is little to no shade); the trails are well worth your time and offer good opportunities to cross paths with some of the park’s wildlife, including coyotes, deer, iguanas, and monkeys. The Coyote Trail will lead you east to the shore of the Laguna de Masaya.

© Randall Wood & Joshua Berman from Moon Nicaragua, 4th Edition