Volcán Masaya, Active volcano in Masaya, Nicaragua.
Masaya Volcano is a nested complex of calderas and craters in the Masaya Department, 20 km south of Managua. Its Santiago crater, 635 m high and 500 m wide, holds a persistent lava lake and continuously releases sulfur dioxide. The caldera floor is covered by poorly vegetated ʻaʻā lava, and a lake occupies the far eastern end.
Spanish conquerors placed a cross at the crater rim in the 16th century, believing the devil lived in the fiery depths below. The cross was meant to drive out the demonic forces they saw in the glow.
The Nawat name Popogatepe was recorded for the mountain, and Spanish chronicler Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo wrote about it in 1529 after learning that indigenous people consulted a witch inside the crater. Fray Francisco de Bobadilla planted a large cross on the main crater rim that same year to exorcise the devil, and the Cruz de Bobadilla still marks the spot.
A paved road leads right to the crater edge, letting visitors look into the active vent from close range. Because of the gases, it helps to come on a windy day and not stand at the rim for too long.
Only a few places on Earth let you drive a car right to the edge of an active lava lake. Visitors can see the red glow of molten rock directly below without having to hike for hours.
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