Maderas
Encyclopedia
With a height of 1,394 m, Maderas is the smaller of the two volcano
es which make up the island of Ometepe
, situated in Lake Nicaragua
in Nicaragua
, Central America
. Unlike Concepción
, the other volcano on the island, Maderas has not been active in historical times. Its crater contains a crater lake
.
The slopes of Maderas are one of the few places on the Pacific side of Nicaragua where cloud forest
grows. The only other place where this is found is at the Mombacho
volcano. Cloud forests are characterized by a rich plant and animal life, made possible by the high levels of humidity in the climate. Prehistoric petroglyphs have been found at the Maderas volcano.
Climbing to the top of the volcano is a popular tourist activity. Currently, tourists must hire a guide to climb to the top, as several tourists have gotten lost in the past. The hike to the top of the crater can be difficult, with steep inclines that get muddy when it rains. It rains often on Ometepe Island, so a slippery climb is likely.
There are a number of interesting species that dwell on the volcano, including the white-faced monkey, mountain crab, howler monkeys, and a number of butterflies including the well-known blue morphos.
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es which make up the island of Ometepe
Ometepe
Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. Its name derives from the Nahuatl words ome and tepetl , meaning two mountains...
, situated in Lake Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua or Cocibolca or Granada or is a vast freshwater lake in Nicaragua of tectonic origin. With an area of , it is the largest lake in Central America, the 19th largest lake in the world and the 9th largest in the Americas. It is slightly smaller than Lake Titicaca. With an elevation...
in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. Unlike Concepción
Concepción (volcano)
Concepción is one of two volcanoes that form the island of Ometepe, which is situated in Lake Nicaragua in Nicaragua, Central America....
, the other volcano on the island, Maderas has not been active in historical times. Its crater contains a crater lake
Crater lake
A crater lake is a lake that forms in a volcanic crater or caldera, such as a maar; less commonly and with lower association to the term a lake may form in an impact crater caused by a meteorite. Sometimes lakes which form inside calderas are called caldera lakes, but often this distinction is not...
.
The slopes of Maderas are one of the few places on the Pacific side of Nicaragua where cloud forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
grows. The only other place where this is found is at the Mombacho
Mombacho
Mombacho is a stratovolcano in Nicaragua, near the city of Granada. It is 1344 metres high. The Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve is one of 78 protected areas of Nicaragua. Mombacho is an active volcano but the last eruption occurred in 1570...
volcano. Cloud forests are characterized by a rich plant and animal life, made possible by the high levels of humidity in the climate. Prehistoric petroglyphs have been found at the Maderas volcano.
Climbing to the top of the volcano is a popular tourist activity. Currently, tourists must hire a guide to climb to the top, as several tourists have gotten lost in the past. The hike to the top of the crater can be difficult, with steep inclines that get muddy when it rains. It rains often on Ometepe Island, so a slippery climb is likely.
There are a number of interesting species that dwell on the volcano, including the white-faced monkey, mountain crab, howler monkeys, and a number of butterflies including the well-known blue morphos.