Maderas

Hiking Volcano Maderas was a real challenge due to how slippery and muddy the trail was—it’s definitely not a hike for running shoes. Some parts, especially near the lake, were quite tricky, requiring a lot of climbing up and down. We started the hike from El Porvenir Albergue Ecológico and finished at Hostel Finca Magdalena, which is said to be the best and cheapest place to find a guide. The entire hike took us nearly 10 hours. Unfortunately, the lake was covered in mist, so we couldn’t see much. Walking back was tough as my legs were tired, and my shoes weren’t ideal, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The cloud forest was stunning and absolutely worth visiting!

Be prepared to suffer even if you are in a good shape. It took us around 7h to go and back, but that is not really why I gave 1 star. We didn't find it really interesting, you see some monkeys and if you are lucky a good view in the middle of the hikking of the volcano concepción, but not much for all the effort it takes to reach the summit or the crater. Entrance fee is 100 cordobas and definitely you shouldn't need a guide, we did it without a guide without a problem.

The Volcán Maderas is a 1300 meter high volcano with a climb that starts at 100 meters high. You must take a guide because the trail is very complex and not marked at all. It cost us $10 per person in a group of 9 people. It is highly recommended to do the trip with closed shoes, there were some who did with sandals, but it is not recommended. The route is very slippery terrain with very narrow areas, the trip is a very difficult trip, 6 km each way and took 5 hours of walking each way. At the end you get to a lookout above the small water reservoir, you can continue to go down with a more difficult walk for another half hour and get right to a pool of water, but the ground is very muddy and you can't enter the water! There is one beautiful observation point about an hour and a half from the beginning which I think is enough for the trip.

The hike is worth every step, and there are plenty! We started at Finca Magdalena, we had to pay each 3 USD and had to sign a paper because we did not wanted a guide. So it is possible to go on your own!!! The best preparation is to download a offline map on your mobile and use GPS to follow your route. The path is pretty much straight up the vulcano. So you won't get lost. But knowing how high you already are helps, because the only viewing platform is on 700m of altitude. Beside of that there is no landmark to know where you are (GPS helps a lot). With a short break we needed 3 hours to get to the top, where you have an amazing view over the crater lake and down to the big lake. Everything on the maderas is covered in jungle. So there is a lot of wildlife arround you. From arround 800m altitude the path gets muddy, slippery and steep. Now, when it rains during the night, it's even trickier. But still managable. Bring enough water, food and good shoes. The downhill part of the hike is as well challenging. We needed 2h 30min with a short break too. In total the hike took us 5h 45min with lunch on top and two short breaks.

It was a great hike on the volcano. We started at 6:30am and were back at 2:15pm. The hike is going through the rain forest so it is really really muddy. It is real adventure hiking in the rain forest, see all the plants and if your lucky some monkeys hanging in the trees. When you reach the top, don't expect to see something, it is usually really foggy and you can't barly see something. Great experience and adventure, much recommended.

The hike was one of the greatest experiences ever - once you get to the top you will be rewarded with some amazing tranquil lagoon full of birds and beautiful nature

I think it is possibly the best hike in my life. Be careful, you need some previous preparation. Sorry for the lack of pictures, but we tried to enjoy every step. If you love pure hike it’s a must do! You should be doing this hike with a guide or you might get lost!!!!!!⚠️⚠️ Very exhausting hike, you’re going to be climbing the mountain for 4h, there are three different environments, dry forest, wet forest and cloud forest. Last two it’s extremely wet. Bring along a huge amount of water (2-3L per person) The path it’s muddy and slippery, we got pretty dirty by the end of the hike! Also it is a very good place to see some wild animals. We saw white-face monkey and howling monkeys, coral snake, and even a Mountain Crab (huge)

I’m a sportive person, but it took me 9,5 hours for hiking back and down. Around 16/17 kilometers. To be honest, I was never so exhausted in my life. The trail was at the most times muddy, slippery and steep. On the top, we could barely see around 50 meters. Unfortunately, it wasn‘t worth it. Maybe on dry season, the trail isn’t so muddy and slippery and around the vulcano aren‘t so many clounds. But! During rainy season, i can NOT recommend it.