World Map › Volcán San Cristóbal
Volcano
Volcán San Cristóbal
Stratovolcano · 1,745 m · Nicaragua
Volcán San Cristóbal sits on the Caribbean Plate, in a subduction zone. 38 eruptions are known since the end of the last ice age, the most recent in 2024. Its major eruptions caused at least 1,620 deaths.
Volcán San Cristóbal is the highest peak in Nicaragua, at more than 1,700 m, in the Chinandega region.
It constantly releases a plume of gas, broken by small ash explosions that fall on the crops and villages on its slopes.
- Elevation
- 1,745 m
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Tectonic Setting
- Subduction zone, continental crust
- Dominant Rock
- Basalt / Picro-Basalt
- Plate
- Caribbean Plate
- Country
- Nicaragua
- Last Eruption
- 2024
- Known Eruptions (Holocene)
- 38
- Max. Explosivity (VEI)
- 3
- Known Fatalities
- 1,620
Nearby Cities
Cities of more than 20,000 people within 100 km. At least 139,000 people live in those within 30 km.
- 16 kmChinandega139,000 people
- 33 kmLeón164,000 people
- 70 kmCholuteca99,000 people
- 82 kmEstelí108,000 people
- 97 kmSomoto20,000 people
Notable Eruptions
Eruptions that caused deaths or damage, or with an explosivity index of 4 and above (NOAA).
- 19981998 Eruption1,620 deaths
Eruption Timeline
Each bar is an eruption; its height shows its explosivity (VEI 0 to 8).
Eruption Deadly Eruption (NOAA) Uncertain Date
Sources : Global Volcanism Program, 2026. Volcanoes of the World (v. 5.4.0; 7 Aug 2026), Smithsonian Institution, doi:10.5479/si.GVP.VOTW5-2026.5.4 (volcano.si.edu) · NOAA NCEI · USGS · Wikidata