Huge Meteorite Crater in Nicaragua
By Rolando Tellez Traductores certificados
Awesome experience for adventurous travelers.
Here is a description of how you can enjoy the beautiful views of an impressive
14 km diameter crater known as Pantasma, Jinotega, Nicaragua.
According to a team led by scientist, Pierre
Rochette, the crater structure of Pantasma is the result of an enormous
meteorite impact that occurred in the area about 815,000 years ago. Then the
center of the crater became a lake, which was drained by the rivers for many
years. Today, the administrative center of Pantasma, Las Praderas, is in the
center of the crater. The lush vegetation made it almost impossible to detect
the crater until satellite images revealed such place in 2006.
I've been traveling to Pantasma by bus since
2009, and just the impressive views make the trip worthwhile. Pantasma is 192
km from Managua, the number of each kilometer is now indicated on short white posts
along the road. But the center of the
crater or Praderas is about 210 km from Managua.
If you want to walk and take some beautiful
pictures from the crater you can ask the bus driver to drop you anywhere. Likewise,
you can signal another bus to take you to Praderas or ask for a ride. You can
walk along the road but there are no shoulders on the sides of the paved road. However the walk and the view are just
wonderful. There are about 900 meters in altitude difference between the
entrance of Pantasma and the valley in the center.
Here is how you get to Pantasma. If you´re at
UCA university microbus terminal, you can take a taxi to Mercado Mayoreo Market.
The cost could be US$6 to US$10, depending on how much luggage, or you can take
the urban 110 bus number bus all the way to Mayoreo Terminal called Cotran (koTRAN).
Bus fare is less than 10 cents in US dollar, but busses are usually crowed.
At the Mayoreo Terminal, Cotran you take the
express bus ´Expreso a Jinotega´ to Jinotega city; bus fare is currently 110
cordabas (local currency) and to get a numbered seat you have buy the ticket in
the east part of the bus terminal, and the bus ride will be 3 hours or so. There
are 3 or 4 express busses, starting at 5 am until noon. When you get to the
Jinotega bus terminal (best bathrooms at Cotran Sur), you take a 13 cordoba (less
than US$0.50) taxi to go to Cotran Norte, remember you are going north. At
Cotran Norte you take the Wiwili Pantasma bus, which passes by Pantasma, first
and it continues to the other place called Wiwilli. This bus ride takes about 3
hours because of the curves and steep mountains, a couple of breaks for eating.
Where to stay in Praderas: there are a
couple of new hostals. I prefer to stay at Hotelito el Esfuerzo. The phone of
the owner Teresita Medina is 8418-0234. The rate is about $10 per day: Clean
rooms with private bathrooms. I recommend you a room on the first floor,
because usually the water pressure is not good at noon. There is plenty of
water in the evening at night and in the morning on the second floor.
Las
Praderas is a small safe town and most businesses are on the main road: everything
is within walking distance. If you want to see some rocks you can visit the Mayor's
Office or Alcaldía, which is near the Praderas Bus terminal. To visit other
places like the Hidro Pantasma, a recently built dam, the taxi cab will ask for
about $10. Eventually, Pastasma will become the tourist main attraction in
Central America, because its meteoritic origin. Further details Huge meteorite impact in Nicaragua by Rolando Tellez
Small black particles are melt
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