Volcanoes

Depends on the volcanoes area and elevation. Overall, July is a rainy month in CA, and late afternoon rains and showers move in, so mornings are best. Ometepe has two volcanoes on the island....allow 4-5 days for that area alone. Are you an avid hiker, and plan to hike them, which requires guides and 8 hours of non stop hiking?

Have you looked at a guidebook? Moon, LP etc? Have you read the FAQ?

Am not very experienced, happy to do a full day hike with tour group. I havent read the books yet, i was hoping to get some inspiration here first.

Check out these guys:

http://leon.quetzaltrekkers.org/treks/

Lots of options, good prices, quality and the profits go to support kids in the area.

Great recommendation, thanks. Are they safety conscious?

Hi TanSAus - I don't think you'll be disappointed with the volcano options you'll find in Nica! As for safety concerns, you need to look for official tour companies that have INTUR license and endorsement, which comes from the National Board of Tourism. With the boom of visitors, there have been a lot of boot-leg start-up companies.

#4's recommendation for Quetzal Trekkers is fantastic, and as that list reads - there are numerous volcano trekking options in the north. I would also like to highly recommend Green Pathway Tours and Sonati Tours, also in León. It's good to know your options, not so much for costs of what's offered but tour availabilities. Popular day trips leave daily (like for volcano boarding) but some of the others maybe only once a week or once a month. So what you can't book with one agency could likely be available through another.

You've got to try Volcano Boarding on Cerro Negro!!! It's a fantastic, once-in-a-lifetime experience if you're up for it. My other favorite for the north is Volcán Telica and either the nighttime or overnight camping trek. Sunset from atop the volcano can be spectacular and with the lava glow. With the overnight trip, the glow gets more vibrant with the darkness, the galaxies are like nothing I've ever seen, and sunrise is worth the night in a tent!

If you planned to be further north around Juiquilillo, find info for Volcán Cosigüina. For the south, my favorites are Volcán Mombacho and Masaya; accessible from Granada and Masaya, and actually doable using public transportation. For Ometepe, these were both more difficult than any of the others - Concepción for the steep, rough terrain, and Maderas for the mud and at times like bushwhacking. These are done with independent guides and not excursion companies. Find other travelers to help split the cost; plan to stay on/near end of the island with which ever volcano you might want to trek.

For guidebooks, I'm a big Lonely Planet fan but these days think you'll find even more info through web searches, Facebook pages, etc.

Have a blast!

When were on Ometepe the volcanoes were shrouded in clouds and mist, we attempted to climb Maderas but the rains were heavy and they closed the trails after 2 hours as two Swiss hikers went missing..

I climbed Concepcion on Ometepe. It took about 8.5 hours up and down, with breaks.
I am an experienced hiker in fairly good shape and it was a tough day, believe me.
I wouldn't really recommend it. It was a slog up and a difficult descent. There's a difference betweeen enjoyable and tough and something that's just tough because of a bad route.
The views were OK and the 10 mins at the crater were great, but again, not really worth it. Course, I can say I've done it now, and that's good...