Daily Travel Photo: Mouth of Hell
Inside Active Volcano Masaya's Crater
Welcome to the mouth of hell, the active crater of Masaya Volcano outside of Granada, Nicaragua. This volcano has quite a history of human sacrifice. Around 500 years ago local people occasionally offered their virgins & children to the volcano deity called “La Sacerdotisa Aborigen”. More modern sacrifices have happened as well… Only 50 years ago the American-backed Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza Garcia used to fly his political rivals over this crater in a helicopter and drop them inside. 
Special thanks to my awesome lighting assistants VagabondQuest for helping me capture this difficult image!
Enjoy these Photos? Join 10,000+ Monthly Readers
Subscribe to my newsletter & get a FREE ebook of my 25 Favorite Travel Photos.
What a place. It must be really exciting to fly out there.
No need to fly, there’s a road that will take you now.
Although we hiked the volcano at 3am to get this shot on the edge of the crater & watch the sunrise.
Great photo!
America needs you – not better politicians 1 of 3
Great shot and an interesting, yet sad, tidbit.
We Can Already Smell the Adventures
Great photo, I can’t believe they used to drop people in it?!
Photo Essay- Embracing the Aloha Spirit at a Luau in Hawaii
Right? Makes you look at it a bit differently…
Natures crock pot. I have a few red squirrels I’d like to throw in there.
Rum? What about delicious rum? Too much rum and all the stars look good. Send some home. I need to see stars too.
Amazing shot
I love the shout out to us in the bottom, what an amazing night!
Paddleboarding 101- How to Paddleboard from Honduras to Belize
Thx for your help guys! Can’t get much better than sharing a bottle of delicious Nicaraguan rum under the stars on an active Volcano.
Haha, yes! Also sharing the bean from a bean bag
10 Most Memorable Travel Moments from 2 Years of Living on the Road
Very powerful shot!!!
Cool photo. It reminds me of Lord of the Rings. Did you see Gollum there?
Travel Tuesday photo of the week- Nekoosa- Wisconsin fisherman
I did hear some strange sounds…
Great shot Matt. My eyes are stinging from the sulfur.
Wow! You are really brave but what a fab photo. Was it as scary as it looks? Weird bit of history there.
Exploring the ruins at Tsankawi- a short drive from Santa Fe
The history made it creepy. I was just praying against landslides, or freak eruptions. This volcano actually erupted not too long ago, check out the video!
Totally want to see this in person.
Go To El Totumo Mud Volcano- Not By Taxi
Wow, that’s one crazy photo! It looks like one of those movies where the Earth is about to swallow the unknowing victim whole. (Have you seen Drag Me to Hell? That’s totally what I’m thinking about!)
A Paddle in Pauoa Bay
Yes! That movie was freaky…
Well I guess that is one way to get rid of your rivals! Great photo how in the world did you get that shot?
Steal A Page From Miami Vice With a South Beach Getaway
My camera was on a Gorilla Pod while I took a 30 second exposure. Because it was pitch black down there (except for the glowing lava), we did a little “light painting”.
While the camera shutter was open for 30 seconds, Ryan & Dina from VagabondQuest helped me paint the surrounding crater with light from our flashlights. It took a few tries to get it right.
Really awesome & splendid