Our guide for the day and owner of MAS Adventures; Anry picked us up from our hostel at 8am. Its around a 50 minute journey from León to The Origin Adventure park and we really weren’t sure what to expect for the day ahead. We were still feeling a little weary from volcano boarding and were hoping this wasn’t going to totally finish us off but it was an amazing day and pleasure to meet Anry and enjoy his company.
Anry was kind enough to squeeze us in at late notice through his company Mas Adventures for a day at his newly opened Origin Adventure Park at Asosoca Lagoon. At just one month old, the park is fully functioning and growing every day- We were the first to have drinks from the newly built bar! Anry told us all about his plans for this place including eco cabañas which he hopes to be ready by April. It all sounds really exciting! We loved that Anry is trying to create a place that will remain tranquil, natural and ‘off the beaten path’.
The lagoon is beautiful and peaceful. It is just at the bottom of Asosoca Volcano, with nothing to see other than nature. What more could you ask for? They have got the balance between relaxation and adventure just right with the opportunity to take part in adventure activities including a zip line, free falling down an 80ft tree and a super fun Tarzan swing that you can hang upside-down on. Equally you can just laze on a hammock or tube in the lake.
Personal History of Anry from Mas Adventures
From the moment he picked us up to the moment he dropped us back at our Hostel we were in awe at Anry and his passion and knowledge for everything Nicaraguan. When we asked him what’s his favourite part of Nicaragua he replied “That’s too hard, that’s like trying to choose your favourite child”.
He’s done a lot for his country, including being the REAL 1st person to invent Volcano Boarding and the board itself. However as Anry told us he was only 17 at the time (many years ago now) and didn’t realise he needed to patent his ideas. Then eventually tourists from other countries came and used his designs and ideas, claiming to be the first, and by that time it was too late to patent. However the locals knew the truth and it brought in new tourism and money to the area so he was happy enough with this being a man of the people and since then other companies / hostels have acknowledged this and brought in Anry as a consultant on certain projects.
Another great reason to pick Anry and his company Mas Adventures is they support and donate to a lot of local schools and struggling families in Nicaragua.
Origin Adventure Park – What to expect now and in the future!
The park itself is still a bit of a work in progress but we are really excited to see where this place is at in a few months time. Anry’s ideas and vision for an economical paradise away from the busy towns in a secluded section of Nicaragua surrounded by beauty is incredible. His ideas for the future include, cabañas to stay in, a camping area, a fully functioning bar with food cooked by locals (you can currently do cooking classes with locals through Mas Adventures as well), changing rooms, view points (Miradors) from the volcano including nice hike points.
As for now the Park is still beautiful. You enter through an offroad track that has been built by hand by Anry and some other locals. At the entrance there is an option to either Walk, Take a horseback ride or jump in a 4×4 to the actual lake. Once you have selected your option and get to the lake you are instantly mesmerised by the views.
The lake is situated just at the base of the volcano, surrounded by trees. Here you have the option of relaxing in one of the hammocks, grabbing a cool drink from the hand crafted bar, jumping into the row boat to row yourself around the lake or just grab a ring / tube and go relax on the water. Anry does offer a competition at this stage and will give a free beer to the person who can stand up on the ring / tube on the lake. Which Maddy managed to do and won myself a free beer. Video to follow…
Away from the lake there are 3 main activities that are linked in a kind of action packed course. You start from the Zip line which crosses through the trees and you land at the top of another tree, you reach around 30kmh. From here you are unhooked from the zip line and hooked safely too the platform around the tree.
Once everyone has done the zip line in your party and you are all safely on the platform high in the trees you then have to brace yourselves for the free fall out of the tree to the ground. Its approximately 80ft high and although it is free falling you are safely linked up to a pully like system which Anry will use to break your fall when you close to the ground. Its a exhilarating feeling when you fall and fear may kick in, especially if you are scared of heights. But the speed can be controlled in which you fall so for the feint hearted you can be let down slow.
The final activity from here is a large swing that launches you through the trees with a great view of the lake. You are harnessed in very securely so you have the ability to go upside down or spin yourself if you are a thrill seeker like us.
So these are the main events currently here. You have the option of spending the whole day here and prices can vary from tour company. However as the inventor of this park go through Anry and Mas Adventures who will charge a reasonable $35 for the whole tour, including pick up from hotel / hostel, the activites, full day on the lake and a ride back.
For any further information please ask in the comments below or contact us / follow us on social media. @CoupleExplorers
Recap and Overview
- Organise your trip through Mas Adventures and Anry – Costs around $35 depending on the season
- Pick up is usually around 8am from your hotel / hostel
- Journey is around 50 minutes and will be at the lake by 9am
- Optional Horse Back rides / Local Cooking courses
- At the lake you can:
- Relax in the hammock
- Relax in the Rings / Tubes on the lake
- Grab a drink from the bar
- Row around the lake
- Hike up the volcano
- Activities around the lake:
- Zip line through the trees reaching up to 30kmh
- Free Fall from the top of an 80ft tree
- Swing through the trees and view the lake
- You can spend the whole day here or just get a ride back to your Hotel / Hostel
How to book?
You can book the Origin Adventure Park and many other activites around Leon, Nicaragua through the Mas Adventures Website , Origin Adventure Park Website, or on Facebook – Mas Adventures or Email – anry@masadventures.com. They also can be found on instagram @masadventures and can even be contacted by phone / whatsapp on +505 5765 2838
There is also a possibility of making your own way to the Origin Adventure Park by local Bus from Leon. It runs from the main bus stop near the market and can take up to 2 hours. It costs around $1 to get the bus towards Asosoca Lagoon and from here you have to get off at the main road and walk down the dirt track towards the lake. There is a restaurant and a sign on the side of the main road as an indicator that you are in the right place. From the road to the lake its about 3km up the dirt track and takes about 30 to 40 minutes to walk it. Or you can hire a local horseback ride (not sure on the price). You will have to pay a $2 entry to the person at the first gate but this gives you access to the lake and volcano hike. For the activites it will be an extra $15. So it is slightly cheaper than the packaged tour but will take alot away from the relaxation and tranquillity of the place due to the long journey to get here.
Couple of Explorers 