The Masaya Volcano, one of Nicaragua's interesting ecological attractions,

Masaya Volcano Copyright: Thinkquest Team 17749

is the source of a lot of smelly smoke and an interesting legend. The legend originated before the Spanish ever came to Central America and goes like this: There used to be a wise old woman who lived deep in the most active crater of the Masaya Volcano, the Santiago crater. The woman was so wise that she could predict when good or bad fortune such as a famine, rainfall, or wealth was going to befall the people. The Indian leaders called caciques knew this so whenever they needed advice they would walk to the edge of the crater and this old, scraggly woman would creep out and forecast the future. One day, the Spanish landed in Nicaragua but the Indians had no clue what to do about them. So they went to the woman and she told the Indians that the white men were very evil and that she would never reappear until the white men had been banished from the land. And she was never seen again.

Mombacho: The Mysterious Volcano
The Mombacho, whose crest is always enshrouded by mists of clouds, is the guardian of the city of Granada and all the villages around it. The old ones tell that since ancient times the peasants who live around its base have known that a natural fountain of crystal clear water exists within the volcano's crater.

Mombacho Volcano Copyright: Thinkquest Team 17749

Even though the people from the neighboring cities respect the enchanted fountain, there have been many who have disrespected it and have entered the "devil's cauldron," as the people often call the crater. But only those who know the secret of the enchantment can bear witness of the wonders which reside there. According to these testimonies, after climbing up the volcano's flank and smelling the fresh air which pervades everything, one must search for a secret path which leads down into the crater. Once you manage to reach the bottom, you will be surprised by a 200 square meter area where the most beautiful and exotic flowers and butterflies ever seen by human eyes grow. This place is called "the Pit" because it appears to be a hole in the middle of the crater. This garden is always perfectly clean as if tended by a superhuman hand, however, no one lives there. And there, from a rock in that garden, pours the pure waters of the enchanted fountain. All those who have ever drunk its water know that only a drop is required to quench even the thirst of a camel. People have been shocked to witness lions, tigers, monkeys, and all types of animals coming to drink at the same time without ever fighting or attacking each other. If someone tries to shoot these animals, they can fire as many bullets as they like at the animal and they will see it fall down and die. However, when they go to retrieve it, the animal will have disappeared leaving no trace that they were ever there. Similarly, the animals walk quite close to you so that they can be photographed, but when you put the camera to your eye they disappear.

El Secreto del Encanto
The people say that there is a beautiful crater in an extinct volcano which is full of exotic wildlife and flora where many people go to visit. The garden is enchanted, however, so visitors are only allowed to look at the beautiful things and eat the fruit. If ever someone picks a flower or catches a butterfly, their trail home will disappear and they will be completely lost. Only after they have replaced whatever they took will the way appear again.