I went Volcano Boarding! (and lived to tell about it…)
Volcano Boarding is #2 on CNN’s “Thrill seekers bucket list: 50 things to do before you die.” They say Cerro Negro Volcano in Nicaragua is the only place in the world that has it. Naturally I booked my flight right away. It was so much fun!
Here’s the experience, in 26 photos:
Prison Break? Orange Is The New Black? Nope – we’re on the top of a volcano, about to sled down as fast as we can. Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua!Volcano Jumping! – jumping on top of Cerro Negro volcano in Leon, Nicaragua
What is Volcano Boarding? Volcano Sledding
It’s a bit of a misnomer – Volcano Boarding is less like snowboarding, and more like sledding. You’re not standing up; instead you’re
Cerro Negro is a live volcano, which erupted as recently as 1999. They’ll have a speed gun to track you – the record is more than 80 kilometers per hour down the volcano.
this is right after my first time volcano boarding in Leon! That was awesome!Ready to hike the volcano with our volcano boards. You can see how high-tech these boards are (sarcasm…)Climbing up a volcano full of lava rocks carrying plywood sleds and prison suits? check.At the top of Cerro Negro. You can see where the lava wiped out everything in its path
I can hardly believe we climbed this beast
this pic almost doesn’t look real. He’s standing at the edge of the top of the volcanoView from the top of the volcano; it almost doesn’t look real. I’m one step from falling into a huge crater behind me!
Hiking Cerro Negro Volcano – the climb
The hike was just a few hours long, and isn’t as difficult of a hike as it seems. The only challenging part is that you’re awkwardly carrying your board while hiking. There’s barely a trail and no trees to hold for stability. The first third of it is challenging because of the uneven rocks, while carrying a board. The rest is challenging because of the incline, while carrying a plywood board.
there’s no ski lift – we’re about to hike this active volcano in Nicaragua (in Leon)hiking up the edge of a volcano; there’s no rails or trails here!we’re living on the edge!
Breathtaking views from the top
Once you arrive at the top, the views are stunning! They’re also very scary once you realize you’ll be volcano boarding down this volcano.
Volcano jumping! That’s the edge of the cliff of Cerro Negro Volcano below meAre we really doing this?? It looks reeeeally steep. I had a little “stage-fright.” It’s a long scary way down. If there was an easy way to chicken out I might have…Views from the top
What’s it like to go Volcano Boarding?
You get into these (seemingly) former prisoner one-piece outfits. They’re hot so you won’t want to put them on until you need to.
You sit on the board with your hand on the rope, and feet on the board. You can go faster by leaning back; slower by sitting up. You can let your heels go to the outside of the board to apply the brakes. It surprisingly felt like I had some control. If I did it again, I’d certainly let myself go faster.
check out the world-class Volcano Boards we’re about to use, wooden toboggan, made of plywood with a piece of Formica on a strip of metal
introducing…Volcano Boarding! CNN named Volcano Boarding as #2 in the world on the “Thrill seekers bucket list: 50 things to do before you die” That’s a speed gun in the guy’s hand
Is Volcano Boarding safe?
Debatable. From one standpoint, it felt fairly safe, but go at your own risk. They say it is, but then again, they’re collecting your money. You’re flying down an active volcano at crazy speeds. While we had a prison jumpsuit to protect from minor skin abrasions and goggles, there’s no helmet or armor. It feels very unsafe but lots of fun.
Our fearless guide shows us the ropes – he was a traveler until he went volcano boarding 6 months ago and was instantly hooked. Now he volunteers as a guide in exchange for free volcano boarding
With a straight face, the guide said “the secret to the technology is formica on the back” that helps you pick up speed even though we’re on an active volcano. “But don’t leave it out in direct sunlight , or it might peel off.” Yes he actually called it technology.
There’s 1 guy with a camera, and another with a speed gun. Neither has medical training, but that’s rarely needed…Afterward they show closeups of everyone Volcano Boarding at the hostel and provided your speed.
We lived! We survived volcano boarding. Woohoo!
Where can you go Volcano Boarding?
The only place in the world where we’ve heard you can go volcano boarding is in Leon, Nicaragua, at Cerro Negro Volcano. Book it through Bigfoot Hostel.
I had hiked up a volcano before, but this was an active volcano, and we went sledding down it. Add it to your list!
Tip: If you go, it’s an hour ride to the volcano. You’ll be constantly ducking and avoiding tree branches, so keep alert!
Travelers consistently say that Bocas del Toro Panama is among their favorite parts of Central America, especially for backpackers and travelers. Bocas is an archipelago (group of islands) with beautiful beaches, wildlife, adventure, and great backpacker vibe. It also has good food, and a great party scene that attracts backpackers from around the world.
Most people have only heard of Bocas del Toro Panama from the TV series Survivor (17 countries filmed there) – it’s a real place and worth a visit. While many people visiting Panama only get to Panama City, Bocas is a hidden gem.
5 days of Island Hopping in Bocas
Every day we chose an activity or an island to go to – then hopped in a boat to go check it out.
31 photo tour of Bocas del Toro Panama
Here’s a 31-photo tour, with some highlights from our five days of island hopping in Bocas del Toro Panama:
Playa La Estrella – Starfish Beach
While it doesn’t get nearly as much acclaim as the other beaches, Playa La Estrella has easily the most beautiful water next to their nearly private beaches. The name literally translates to Starfish Beach, and you can see why – they’re everywhere!
Starfish everywhere! – Playa La Estrella, Bocas del Toro Panama
Playa La Estrella, the most beautiful beach in Bocas
Have you ever seen this many starfish?
Tip: please do NOT touch the starfish or take them out of water – it actually kills them.
“Star Beach – please don’t touch the stars!”The water at Playa Estrella is as clear as any Caribbean beachWith water up my neck, you can still see the starfish – and my feet. It was THAT clear.
Sunsets in Bocas del Toro Panama:
this was actually part of our hostel, Pukalani Hostel
The views are amazing all over the Bocas del Toro archipelago – it’s even more beautiful after the sun goes down.
Photo from ecocircuitospanamaRoundhouse kick! This was our afternoon workout.
Red Frog Beach on Isla Bastimentos
Red Frog Beach is the most famous of the Bocas del Toro beaches. It includes the combination of hiking and rare Red Frogs in the forests right near the beach. I liked this beach, but found La Estrella to be more of my idea of relaxation.
Red Frogs are fascinating but tiny – most were an inch long (about the size of my pinky finger)
Lots of people were learning to surf at Red Frog Beach. You can see the lush green forest jet out on the right.Jumping pic on Red Frog Beach! I take jumping photos in nearly every country I visitTiny Red Frog from Red Frog Beach – they’re all this small
Dolphins in Bocas del Toro Panama!
There’s dolphins all around the archipelago. You can book a dolphin tour, but we saw lots of dolphins just on our various boat trips to snorkeling while island hopping in Bocas Panama.
Nearly every meal comes with a beautiful view. We couldn’t get enough of the seafood, which was super fresh, being a busy archipelago. Most of the restaurants are on Isla Colon, but a few others are just a short boat ride away. Dress at most restaurants, even the fancier restaurants, are “beach town casual” (as we call it).
Most of the restaurants have seating either overlooking the water or on a deckThe seafood was delicious – one of the benefits of being on islands. This was fresh tuna, caught that morning. Yum!Tasty dinner at Barracuda, which ironically is an italian restaurant with few seafood options. Still it was delicious!Meals are right on the water. Yes! Dress is beach town casual, even at the nicer places.While there’s plenty of inexpensive backpacker options, there’s plenty of of delicious moderately priced seafood. That top photo is a “surf-n-turf” – lobster tail and steak. The bottom included a mix of seafood (calamari, shrimp) in marinara sauce.Hmm…do I want “Chicken in a Hole” or Porridge? Like many countries that don’t natively speak english, there’s a few curious english descriptions. Another example is directly below…Begging for a caption – see sign above us. “Killin me man sauce”The waterfront is this colorful. Loved it!
Surfing in Bocas too!
There’s a bunch of spots for surfing, and each surf company seemed to have their secret spots, depending on what level you are, and what time of day we’re going out. We were complete novices (I learned how to surf in Bali but apparently you don’t become an expert of going just once). There’s apparently really good surfing in Bocas, as the one of the top surfers in Panama is actually from Bocas del Toro.
We snapped this photo after we got back from a morning of surfing. There’s no waves in the photo but there were plenty when we were out on the water.
Tip: Our surf lessons were at a secluded area right off the beach. Do NOT leave anything of any value on the beach. Don’t leave your wallet, phone or camera – it will disappear. While Bocas is generally very safe, it’s not the richest of areas, so leaving anything by the beach is just begging them to walk with your stuff. Bring your rented board and that’s it – we were warned that even t-shirts get disappear. Bocas isn’t dangerous, but your belongings are valuable to others.
Time to find some waves! There’s plenty of places to surf while island hopping in Bocas del Toro Panama. Unfortunately this was not one of them (just a posed photo after our morning of surfing).
Snorkeling & kayaking around the islands
Take a boat trip to go snorkeling – ours was relaxing and came with a delicious lunch. Rent a kayak and enjoy the waters.
The Bocas archipelago has 9 main islands, 52 cays, and thousands of islets with coral reefs and mangroves. Kayaks and boats aren’t the only ways to get around –
Transportation in Bocas
Isla Colon is the main island where the vast majority of restaurants and bars are located. There’s guys on the docks just waiting for your business – it was never difficult to find someone to take us on boat to the other islands. We also took taxis, bikes, kayaks, and more.
The taxi actually drives onto the beach – there’s no road for them to drive on. I assumed I’d have a long walk to the get home. Surprising!
Check out the quality the bicycles before you rent them. We rented bikes for just $5 for the day – as it turns out they were appropriately priced. My didn’t even have handles and had a slow leaking flat.
Getting to Bocas – your only option might be a quick flight on a prop plane from Air Panama from Panama City.
Pukalani Hostel
We stayed at the oceanfront Pukalani Hostel, located right on the water and even includes a pool! It’s located away from the craziness (and noise) of Bocas Town, but close enough to take a quick cheap taxi to and from the party. It was perfect for us, although it’s a bit far from the action.
Pukalani has a swimming pool, pool table, punching bag, BBQ, and decent free WiFi. The family that runs it are super friendly and welcoming. They have a kitchen too – the food was adequate for when you can’t make it into town.
Pukalani “hostel” – photo taken from outside my room. Can you believe this is a hostel?
Location: It’s a short taxi ride, and while it’s walkable during the day, after dark there’s no street lights so you might consider the taxi. At times you might wish you were closer to the restaurants and bars staying in Bocas town, but this location gives you a chance to recharge and actually sleep when some bars are still raging. And did I mention it’s right on the water with a pool?!? It was our home base while island hopping in Bocas del Toro Panama.
A dose of reality –
Keep in mind that it rains quite a bit in Bocas; I was lucky to have a dry week, but I’ve heard that’s not typical. Also, not all beaches are as beautiful as Playa Estrella. We were a little disappointed with the quality of the beaches until we stumbled upon Star Beach. The best part of Bocas was the backpacker community.
Bocas del Toro Panama nighlife!
The best part of Bocas may be the Bocas nightlife, where travelers from around the world all go out and meet each other over a few libations. Check out my post on Bocas after dark.
