Momotombo is a

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

, located near the city of León. It stands on the shores of

Lake Managua Lake Managua (, ), also known as Lake Xolotlán (), is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua. At 1,042 km², it is approximately long and wide. Similarly to the name of Lake Nicaragua, its other name comes from the Nahuatl language, possibly from ...

. An eruption of the volcano in 1610 forced inhabitants of León, in the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

, to relocate about west. The ruins of the city are preserved at León Viejo. It also erupted in 1886, 1905 and most recently on 30 November 2015 and 28 February 2016. The mountain is very symmetrical, and its form is a symbol of Nicaragua, cropping up in locations from matchboxes to revolutionary murals. This volcano was also very popular before

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

began. Many tourists visited, especially in 1904, one year before the eruption. The Nicaraguan poet

Rubén Darío Félix Rubén García Sarmiento (18 January 1867 – 6 February 1916), known as Rubén Darío ( , ), was a Nicaraguan poet who initiated the Spanish-language literary movement known as '' modernismo'' (modernism) that flourished at the end of ...

wrote the poem "Momotombo" in its honour. A major geothermal field is located on the southern flank of the volcano. To climb the mountain, with a permit, cross through the

geothermal power Geothermal power is electricity generation, electrical power generated from geothermal energy. Technologies in use include dry steam power stations, flash steam power stations and binary cycle power stations. Geothermal electricity generation i ...

plant and follow an easily marked trail through the treeline. Due to the active nature of the volcano, as well as the threat of landslides, the route from the treeline to the top is constantly changing. The quickest way is straight up, through the small avalanche paths. It has a younger cone: , which is inside of Lake Managua.

References

External links

Climbing the Momotombo Volcano

Images of Momotombo
Stratovolcanoes of Nicaragua Active volcanoes Mountains of Nicaragua León Department Holocene stratovolcanoes North American 1000 m summits {{Nicaragua-geo-stub

See also

References

External links