Volcán San Cristóbal is the highest volcano in Nicaragua at 1,745 m (5,725 ft). Near the northwest corner of the country, close to the border with Honduras, it forms a backdrop to the city of Chichigalpa, Chinandega. It is also among the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua.
San Cristóbal is part of a 5-member volcanic complex that bears the same name. Chonco is 4 km to the west, and Moyotepe 4 km to the north east. Joined to the volcano's eastern flank is Volcán Casitas, which buried a village with a catastrophic landslide in 1998. The scars from that landslide are still visible today. Finally, La Pelona is on the east end of the complex.[1]
San Cristóbal is the youngest volcano in its complex. It is a nearly symmetrical stratovolcano, rising in a distinctive cone shape. The SW slope is the longest, and the crater rim on that side rises 140 m above the NE end due to prevailing trade winds that distribute tephra to the SW.[1]
The crater is 500 × 600 m in size. While the volcano was at one point covered in tropical forests, the large quantities of gas and smoke that it emits constantly have killed off much of the vegetation.[2]
San Cristóbal remains quite active, continuously expelling copious amounts of gas and smoke. As recent as September 2009, it was reported that ash was falling in nearby towns.[7] In September 2012 it erupted again, spewing ash up to four kilometres (2.5 miles) into the atmosphere, resulting in the evacuation of around 3000 people in the surrounding area.[8]
A further eruption took place, starting on December 25, 2012, and continuing into 2013, causing the evacuation of hundreds of locals.[9]
On Wednesday, March 10, 2021, the volcano had an eruption and sent ash about 10,000 feet into the air and blanketed several towns in ash.[10]
On July 5, 2023, an eruption sent ash about 2 km into the air. Pyroclastic flows were seen near the summit.[11]