The Acatenango Volcano hike in Guatemala is one of the best hikes you can do if you’re fit and are looking for adventure. Sitting at 13,000 feet at the summit, the dormant Acatenango volcano will provide you with once in a lifetime unbelievable, unobstructed views of an active volcano directly in front of you which erupts every 15 minutes or so.
The hike starts in the City of Antigua in Guatemala. Antigua is a quick 2 hour shuttle ride from the Guatemala City airport. I recommend you spend at least 2 days in Antigua, which sits at 5000 feet before the hike to acclimatize to the altitude before you attempt to climb Acatenango. Antigua is the old Spanish capital of Guatemala and it has immense charm.
On the day of the hike the tour company we booked with came and picked us up at our hotel around 8am. It was about a 30 minute ride to the supply center of the company where they offered to rent us gear we needed, plus gave us 3 meals in a hot box which we had to carry ourselves. We brought our own gear so we rented very few things from them other than take an extra cambelbak with 3 liters of water.
After packing our backpacks with all of our clothes, food and water we got back on the shuttle and it was a one hour ride to the trailhead where the hike began. At the trailhead we rented walking sticks and hired a porter to carry our backpack. Our backpack was 17kgs and getting a porter was wise because the hike is very tough. I recommend you get a porter as well, the hike is 4.5 miles one way, and it takes 5.5 hours to get to the top, 3.5 hours of hiking and 2 hours of rest, the first 2.5 hours is a brutal steep climb whereas the last hour is flat, which you’ll enjoy.
At the trailhead we met our 3 guides, took a group picture of the 18 of us and then were on our way. The trailhead is at 8000 feet and the hike starts with a climb literally on the first step and does not get flat until you get to 11,000 feet. We kept our own pace and chatted with our new friends which made the climb bearable. The guides will stop the group every 30 minutes or so for a 10 minute break where we hydrated and chewed on snacks. After 1.5 hours of climbing we got a one hour lunch break.
After lunch it’s one more hour of climbing, another 10 minute rest and then an hour of walking on a flat trail and then the magic starts. First you will hear the rumble of the volcano from a distance, and then if you’re lucky and it’s clear, you will see the Fuego Volcano directly in front of you erupting and spewing lava. It is the most magical sight on first view.
Shortly we arrived at the campsite which is at 11,400 feet, and were assigned our tent. The tent was surprisingly well maintained. It had a rubber floor cover, a synthetic mattress and a -6 degree sleeping bag. The best part, the tents are directly in front of the volcano and you can see the volcano and hear it rumble all night long.
By this time the temperature had been dropping gradually and it was probably around zero degrees Celsius. The guides got a campfire going and we sat around drinking hot chocolate and enjoying the warmth of the fire.
At this juncture there is an option to hike a further 3 hours to get closer to the Fuego volcano. Out of the 18 of us, 11 went, we did not.
I do not recommend you go on this hike. First of all you are super tired after hiking for 4 hours or so, adding another 3 hours hike to your day will tire you to your core, instead do another hike at 4am the next day which we did and I will go into detail later.
The group that did the Fuego hike left around 5pm and came back to camp around 9pm. They were tired beyond belief and super cold walking in the dark and some said they saw very little, we who stayed behind in the camp got great views of Fuego volcano erupting all evening.
We slept around 9pm and at 4am the guides woke us up to take us to the summit of Acatenango volcano which sits at 13,000 feet to see the sunrise and get a magnificent view of Fuego volcano erupting at dawn. Out of the 11 that went to Fuego the previous evening only 3 came for the 4am hike, the other 8 skipped the sunrise hike.
The Acatenango sunrise hike is a 1.5 hour hike and we climbed another 1600 feet to the summit. This was absolutely the hardest part of the climb for me. I had trouble breathing and my legs felt like jelly, it was only because my wife kept walking slowly in front of me that I followed her to the summit.
For the first 30 minutes we literally walked on deep volcanic sand, every step was an effort because our shoes kept getting completely buried in the sand and we went 2 steps forward and 1 step back, all of this while doing a steep climb, in freezing temperature, in total darkness, the path illuminated by our headlamps only. After a grueling 30 minutes the trail turned firm and the walk became better but not easier.
After hiking slowly for around 1.5 hours we finally made it to the summit. I was ecstatic I had done it. What an amazing view we got of the erupting Fuego volcano directly in front of us. I highly recommend you do this 4am hike to the summit of Acatenango, it is absolutely worth it to be above the clouds to see the angry Volcan Fuego spitting smoke and lava at dawn.
After 30 minutes on top of freezing Acatenango and seeing the magnificent Fuego Volcano erupt we hiked back to camp, had breakfast, packed up all of our gear and headed back down. The hike back down takes 3 hours and it’s all downhill. All in all, the Acatenango volcano hike is probably the most memorable trip I have ever been on, if you’re fit and are into this kind of adventure I highly recommend it.
About the author.
Sonam Ukyab is a Futures Trader based in NYC. He travels when he can.
