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The infamous Nevado del Ruiz erupted on November 13, 1985. Landslides and avalanches caused by the eruption killed over 23,000 people and wiped out the village of Armero. Villages around the volcano, which is 5,321 meters high, remain on constant alert to this day.
How to Visit Nevado del Ruiz
In order to learn more about this tragedy and get a good look at a unique landscape, a day trip from Manizales to visit Nevado del Ruiz is well worth the effort. The volcano is located within the spectacular Los Nevados National Park.
So far, we’ve taken two types of visits to Nevado del Ruiz. On our first visit, we went on a guided tour organized by our hostel in Manizales. The entire tour was done in Spanish and included breakfast, lunch, and a stop at a hot springs. Our other visits were done in our car, making a reservation a few days in advance directly with the park. Both visits included park rangers giving explanations at the four different sections along the road up to the volcano.
Before the trip up to Los Nevados, visitors are told to bring plenty of water, warm clothing to layer, including winter hats, comfortable walking shoes, and some snacks such as fruit and nuts. If you’re driving, rangers want you to keep your brights on at all times and your windows down to avoid altitude sickness and shock from the cold weather.
The Road to Los Nevados National Park
It’s a long way to get to the entrance to Los Nevados National Park. If you’re visiting on your own, it’s best to leave at the crack of dawn. Give yourself plenty of time to stop and enjoy some of the sights along the way.
La Esperanza
Some tours make a stop for breakfast at La Esperanza, which is located at the turn to Los Nevados on the main highway to Bogotá. It’s situated in a green valley and they serve a nice hearty breakfast. La Esperanza is a great place to stop and eat whether you’re on a tour or in a private vehicle.
Black Lagoon
Once you turn down the road to the park, the first place to stop is the Black Lagoon (Laguna Negra). This small lake has a black tint to it because of a species of algae that grows inside. There’s a small overlook where you can get great views of the lake.
Across the street is Restaurante Cumanday, which also has public bathrooms and a small shop. You can buy snacks and drinks at the shop, including coca tea to help acclimatize.
Frailejones
Next, as you get closer to the entrance of the park, it’s possible to stop and look at some unique plants that grow in the area. The most interesting of these plants are the frailejones, which are tall plants with thick trunks that grow at high altitudes, just one centimeter per year. They’re an endangered plant and it’s illegal to cut them down.
There are also a couple stops where you can take pictures of the incredible landscape. It changes dramatically as you climb in elevation.
Fork in the Road
On the last stretch up to the entrance, there’s a fork in the road. To the right is the road leading up to Sector Brisas, which is the gateway to Nevado del Ruiz. To the left, you can drive to Murillo, a small town in the Tolima department. There’s some great scenery at this spot, including a waterfall on the road to Murillo.
If the park is at capacity, rangers will stop cars at the fork. On one visit, we had wait about an hour before being allowed to continue.
Sector Brisas
Sector Brisas is the area of the park you can get closest to Nevado del Ruiz. There’s one road up to a certain point, where you then have to turn back and exit the same way you came in.
Visitor Center
At the visitor center at Sector Brisas, you pay the entrance fee, get a wristband, and watch a short video about the park. Rangers give lectures about the park and what visitors can see. They also give a safety briefing about the quick ascent to high altitude.
The visitor center is at around 3,800 meters and we would be going up to 4,500 meters along the route. In the past, visitors were allowed to go all the way up to the crater of the volcano at 5,300 meters, but due to safety reasons, that practice stopped in 2010.
Aguacerales
The first stop in the park is Aguacerales. This is a place where water continuously drips down from the mountain, promoting growth of mosses and lichens. The view is also amazing.
Arenales
Next is Arenales, which was once a ski resort that held international competitions. Due to ash constantly falling in the area and the threat of eruption and landslides, skiing is no longer allowed.
Besides a wonderful view of the mountain, there’s a chalet serving coffee, coca tea, and snacks. Inside are historic photos of the area’s time as a ski lodge and the old chalet that once stood there. It’s a good place to rest for a half hour or so before moving on.
Lunares
Lunares was just up the road from Arenales. There are huge boulders scattered around, many of which visitors climb for photo opportunities. It’s believed the boulders look like the surface of the moon, and that’s how Lunares got its name.
If you’re lucky and the sky is clear, you’ll get a good view of the snow-capped Nevado del Ruiz from Lunares.
Valley of the Tombs
The final stop is at the Valley of the Tombs (Valle de las Tumbas), which is the highest point visitors are allowed to reach. This flat area is a desert above the growth line. The indigenous people used to come up to this point for religious ceremonies. It was quite frightening with bolts of lightning striking nearby and nothing to protect us. Standing at the edge of the cliffs staring straight down also didn’t help.
At the Valley of the Tombs, rangers explain the Armero tragedy in detail. They tell about how experts had warned the Colombian authorities to evacuate the villagers more than two days before the town was destroyed, and that the tragedy was easily preventable, but the government ignored the warnings and told the villagers it was safe to stay. They also explain how the tragedy affects Colombians to this day and that it changed the psyche of the entire nation regarding disaster preparedness.
Snow!
You’re not guaranteed to see snow at Los Nevados, but we were lucky enough to see it on our first visit. On our way back to the park entrance, a light snow had fallen at Lunares and we stopped to play a bit. Many of the guests had never seen snow before so it was an enjoyable experience for all.
Termales El Otoño
On our guided tour, after leaving the park, we drove for about an hour and stopped at a small restaurant, El Mesón Gitano, for a traditional Colombian lunch. From there we went to Termales El Otoño, a hot spring about 20 minutes from Manizales. We were given about 90 minutes to relax in the hot water, and it was a great finish to an amazing day. There were changing rooms and lockers (bring your own lock), and snacks and drinks for sale. There’s also a hotel for those wishing to stay longer.
