Acatenango Quick Facts*<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- Distance:<\/strong>\u00a014 kilometers (8.5 miles) return<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Elevation Gain:<\/strong>\u00a01,615 meters (5,300 feet)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Top Elevation:<\/strong>\u00a03,976 meters (13,045 feet)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Duration:<\/strong>\u00a07 \u2013 10 hours return<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Difficulty:<\/strong>\u00a0Hard<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
*These stats are for hiking to Acatenango summit and don\u2019t include the extra\/optional hike to Volcan De Fuego
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![\"Acatenango](\"https:\/\/theworldtravelguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DSCF8273_3x4_900.jpg\")
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Volc\u00e1n De Fuego views from Acatenango<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Acatenango Volcano Tours<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGetYourGuide has Acatenango trekking tours for\u00a01,\u00a02, or\u00a03 days, where you can camp near the Guatemala volcano and watch the eruptions, plus some of them include the optional hike to Volcan De Fuego to see the eruptions even closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These tours are run by Old Town Outfitters in Antigua, Guatemala, and they have hundreds of positive Google reviews from happy customers of all nationalities. Other high rated tour companies for this hike include Wicho & Charlie\u2019s, Soy Tours, Tropicana, OX Expeditions, and Tours & Activities SA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve used GetYourGuide for lots of tours and activities around the world, and they\u2019re great. Highly recommended!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where Is Acatenango & Volcan De Fuego?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe Acatenango volcano is located west of Guatemala City, overlooking the town of Antigua.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most people base themselves in Antigua for this hike, since it has plenty of hotels and restaurants, and it\u2019s only about 30 kilometers from the volcano (a 1.5 hour drive).
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About Volcan De Fuego<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe Volcanes De Fuego is the star of this hike. While Acatenango is an inactive volcano, Fuego is highly active and it sits right across from Acatenango, far enough to be safe for camping, but close enough to give you amazing views of the eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Fuego volcano usually erupts once every 15 to 30 minutes, although it can sometimes do shorter or longer intervals. During my 3 day hike, it was erupting every 10 minutes on the first day. By the second day it had slowed down to every 30 minutes, and on the third day it was only erupting every hour, but each eruption was enormous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The intervals are not completely predictable, but if you spend a couple days on the mountain summit then you can almost be certain that you\u2019ll get to witness multiple eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Acatenango](\"https:\/\/theworldtravelguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DSCF8363.jpg\")
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Volcanes De Fuego normally erupts every 15-30 minutes<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Acatenango](\"https:\/\/theworldtravelguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DSCF8326.jpg\")
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Watching the eruptions from Acatenango base camp<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acatenango Sample Itinerary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHere\u2019s a sample itinerary for a 2 day, 1 night Acatenango volcano hike:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- 07:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Meet up for briefing, preparing gear, etc<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 08:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Transport by bus from Antigua to the trailhead<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 09:15 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start hiking<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 14:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Reach Acatenango base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 15:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start the extra hike to Volc\u00e1n De Fuego (optional) if weather is favorable<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 19:30 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Dinner at base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 04:30 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Summit hike for sunrise (optional)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 07:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Breakfast at base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 08:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start descending<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 10:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Reach the trailhead and start driving to Antigua<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 11:15 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Arrival in Antigua<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Of course, this is just a sample itinerary and your trek may not go exactly like this, but the 2 day treks normally tend to follow this general pattern.
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Acatenango Trekking: What To Expect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2022 Starting The Acatenango Volcano Hike<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Acatenango trek starts with a steep uphill walk on a dirt path that takes you through Guatemalan farmlands and jungle. The grade is tough and unrelenting from the beginning. In fact, this first section is actually one of the hardest parts of the hike!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main path is never dangerous in terms of cliffs or drop-offs, it\u2019s just a grueling workout. For most of the hike, you\u2019ll also be hot and sweaty, and trying to shed every layer possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you reach the jungle, the grade is a bit more manageable and you have some nicer views, plus more shade from the sun. You\u2019ll pass a couple of makeshift drink stands along the way, where you can buy snacks and drinks if you think you might need more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Base Camp<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAfter awhile, you\u2019ll reach Acatenango base camp and witness your first eruptions from Volcan De Fuego in the distance! You\u2019ll most likely hear it before you see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The size and amenities of your camp will depend on which trekking company you book with, and some are higher quality than others. A warm campfire is a given. Some companies even have little cabins, while others have tents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This doesn\u2019t make a huge difference since most people will only be staying one night anyway, and if we\u2019re being honest you probably won\u2019t get an amazing sleep regardless of how nice your camp is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The important thing about base camp is that it has a direct view of the eruptions at Fuego \u2014 you feel like you can reach out and touch it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Volcan De Fuego Saddle Hike<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAfter you reach Acatenango base camp, your trekking company will usually give you an option to hike over to Volcan De Fuego and see the eruptions up close! This was the highlight of the whole trip for me. Roughly half of the trekkers in our group went on this expedition, and we were all so glad we did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this journey, you will temporarily leave the comfort of your beloved camp and hike down the steep and sandy slopes of Acatenango, cross the saddle between these two Guatemala volcanoes, and then climb up the side of the Fuego volcano until you\u2019re standing on a flat ridge less than 1 kilometer from the eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this distance, the eruptions sound like bombs going off, and you can feel the Earth rumbling under your feet. If you go in the evening, you can also see the red lava rocks exploding on the side of the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s impossible to describe how amazing this is, but it requires good fitness. You don\u2019t need any technical skills for this part of the hike, but it\u2019s still going to be very hard for anyone because you\u2019re already exhausted from hiking to Acatenango base camp earlier in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you still have plenty of energy left over when you reach base camp, I would HIGHLY recommend doing the extra hike to Fuego. It\u2019s one of the best things I\u2019ve ever seen in\u00a0my travels around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is one part of the hike where you\u2019ll want to bring layers of clothing. It can get very cold on the Fuego saddle, especially in the evening if there\u2019s a strong wind and the sun goes down. Come prepared!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Summit Sunrise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nLast, but not least, there\u2019s the extra hike to the summit of Acatenango, which most trekking companies do at sunrise. That means a wakeup call at around 4:30 AM. This hike is not near as hard as the Fuego hike, but it\u2019s still a good workout with plenty of slippery sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sunrise on top of Acatenango is incredibly beautiful, with a sea of puffy clouds and great views of Volcan De Fuego erupting, plus you can usually spot Volcan De Agua in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want a picture of yourself (or your group) with the eruption behind you, the summit is one of the best places to do it! It\u2019s very busy in the morning, but there\u2019s more than enough room for everyone to stand and take their pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Acatenango summit is also one of the coldest parts of the hike. We even saw some icicles up there in December. There\u2019s a lot of wind at the summit, but you can duck into the crater for shelter while you wait for sunrise, so it\u2019s manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Acatenango](\"https:\/\/theworldtravelguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DSCF8402.jpg\")
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Waiting for sunrise at the Acatenango summit<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Color](\"https:\/\/theworldtravelguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DSCF8395.jpg\")
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First color<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Hike Difficulty: How Hard Is It?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Acatenango hike is hard. Very hard. The overall combination of high altitude, a very steep grade, loose rocks that sink under your feet like sand, and cold weather all come together to make this a really tough one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, even if you only make it to base camp, the hike is still worth it. You can see amazing views of the eruptions from the camp site, so it\u2019s not really necessary to do the extra hike to Fuego or to the Acatenango summit unless you still have energy and want to see the action even better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t have to be super fit to make it to Acatenango base camp. The guides give you plenty of breaks along the way, so you can go at your own pace. We had several people in our group who were definitely out of shape, and they still made it to base camp just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another way you can make the hike easier is to hire a local porter to help carry your stuff. The price for this is around 150 Quetzales ($20 USD) depending on the weight of your bag, and they will carry up to 13 kilos (30 pounds) for you up the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Acatenango](\"https:\/\/theworldtravelguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DSCF8419.jpg\")
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Eruption views from the summit. One of the best parts of the Acatenango hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Distance & Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe one way hiking distance from the trailhead to Acatenango base camp is about 4 miles, and it normally takes 4 or 5 hours depending on your pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you decide to go from base camp to the summit for sunrise, that takes another 1 to 1.5 hours. Going back down from base camp to the parking lot is a lot quicker and easier, and only takes 2 or 3 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you decide to do the extra hike from Acatenango base camp to the Volcan De Fuego saddle to see the eruptions up close, that adds another 3 miles (roundtrip), which takes about 4 hours total. It\u2019s tough. We all struggled with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All in all, if you do the entire hike to the Acatenango base camp, summit, and Volcan De Fuego saddle, you\u2019re looking at 10 to 13 hours of total hiking. That\u2019s no joke. However, if you only go to Acatenango base camp and skip the other sections, it\u2019s quite a bit easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news is that you don\u2019t have to make any kind of booking for the extra hikes. You can wait and decide if you want to do them after you reach base camp. If you\u2019re not feeling it, you can rest at the camp instead and enjoy the Guatemala volcano views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Elevation\/Height<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Acatenango summit has an elevation of 3,976 meters (13,045 feet) above sea level, and the Volcan De Fuego has a slightly lower elevation of 3,768 meters (12,362 feet). Base camp is around 3,500 meters (11,000 feet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means there\u2019s less oxygen, and when you\u2019re hiking, you\u2019ll be huffing and puffing to catch your breath with each step. It definitely adds an extra layer of challenge to the hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The elevation at Acatenango is high enough to cause altitude sickness (AMS) for some people, so you might run into at least some degree of headaches, crappy sleep, etc. If your symptoms get too severe, you may have to descend and go back to a lower altitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I haven\u2019t heard of people getting dangerously sick with AMS on the Acatenango volcano hike, although I wouldn\u2019t completely rule it out. We had one young guy in our trekking group who was throwing up a lot, but he improved right away when we descended the next day. Keep in mind, your likelihood of getting AMS is not affected by age or physical fitness. You can be young and perfectly fit, and still get altitude sickness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re coming from sea level, it\u2019s recommended that you spend at least 48 hours in Antigua before the hike to help you acclimatize to altitude. The town of Antigua is 1,545 meters (5,069 feet) above sea level, and Guatemala City is about the same, so being in one of those places gives your body a chance to adjust a little bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that said, I\u2019ve heard of many people doing the Acatenango hike without much acclimatizing at all, and they were still fine. I did the hike with two different groups of 20 people, and most of us had only minor AMS symptoms. Plus, if you do a day hike at Acatenango instead of overnight camping, then it\u2019s not really a concern anyway. You\u2019ll be on the way back down before you even start to feel the effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staying hydrated is supposed to help with altitude sickness. You\u2019ll want to drink lots of water before and during the hike. You\u2019ll also want to avoid alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, and sleeping pills because they can make the symptoms worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have spare time before the Acatenango hike, a great warmup hike to do for acclimatizing is the\u00a0Pacaya volcano trek, which is another one near Antigua. It\u2019s not as spectacular as Fuego and you can\u2019t usually see active eruptions, but it\u2019s still a fun way to train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pacaya hike is easier, shorter, and cheaper than the Acatenango volcano hike, but it still has a high enough elevation to help adjust your body to altitude. Pacaya\u2019s summit is 2,552 meters (8,373 feet), although most tours don\u2019t go all the way to the summit. You can book the Pacaya trek online\u00a0here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Elevation Gain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe vertical elevation gain on the hike to Acatenango base camp is about 1,110 meters (3,650 feet). If you include the summit push, it\u2019s a whopping total of 1,615 meters (5,300 feet). More than a mile straight up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you do the extra hike to the Volc\u00e1n De Fuego saddle, that adds another 480 meters (1,600 feet) roundtrip, because you\u2019re going downhill and uphill both ways when you walk between the two volcanoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In total, if you do the entire hike to Acatenango summit plus the Fuego saddle detour, you\u2019re looking at a grueling elevation gain of almost 2,100 meters (7,000 feet)! Insane!
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\u2022 Acatenango Weather<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe daytime temperatures at Acatenango base camp are pleasant and even warm if the sun is shining. However, the temperatures overnight can get quite a bit colder than in Antigua or the rest of Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the day time when you first start the hike from Antigua, it may be a nice warm 70 \u00b0F (21 \u00b0C), but by night time at base camp it can drop below 32 \u00b0F (0 \u00b0C), and in some cases can even get as low as 23 \u00b0F (-5 \u00b0C). It can also be very windy, especially at the summit for sunrise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On January 8, 2017,\u00a0six Guatemalan tourists died of hypothermia\u00a0on the Acatenango volcano hike after they came unprepared and got caught in a severe cold snap. I don\u2019t want to scare you by mentioning that, and the trek is plenty safe as long as you\u2019re prepared, but don\u2019t underestimate the cold!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most tour companies will provide you with plenty of warm weather gear to borrow, rent, or buy for the Acatenango hike, so you\u2019ll definitely want to take advantage of that. You might also want to keep an eye on any unusual weather warnings for the day you hike, although it\u2019s rare and your guides will probably stay on top of that for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can check a weather forecast for the Acatenango mountain summit\u00a0here, including factors like wind, rain, clouds, and temperatures. This should be a bit more accurate than the average weather report, although it\u2019s still not perfect, so keep that in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What To Bring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- Layers:<\/strong>\u00a0Bring a good jacket and extra layers for the Acatenango hike. I had a t-shirt, two sweatshirts, and a light down jacket. However, you\u2019ll want to start the hike in a t-shirt and wear the layers later.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Headwear:<\/strong>\u00a0You\u2019ll want a warm beanie hat that covers your ears.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Gloves:<\/strong>\u00a0I wore fingerless gloves so I could work my camera while still staying reasonably warm. My hands were the coldest part of my body on this hike.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Footwear:<\/strong>\u00a0Hiking shoes with good grip are ideal for the Acatenango volcano hike. You\u2019ll be walking on slippery gravel and steep inclines or declines at times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Poncho:<\/strong>\u00a0If you climb Acatenango or the Fuego volcano during the rainy season (especially June through September), you will definitely want to bring a rain jacket just in case.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Water:<\/strong>\u00a0There\u2019s no potable water source on the mountain. Bring more water than you think you\u2019ll need. Guides will advise you to bring at least 4 liters of water for the Acatenango hike, and another 500 mL if you plan to do the extra Volcan De Fuego hike to the saddle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Snacks:<\/strong>\u00a0Again, even though most tours include free meals, the quality varies and you may still be hungry after such a whopper hike. I brought snack bars and beef jerky from the U.S. so I would have something extra. I ate all of it and wished for more. YMMV.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Headlight:<\/strong>\u00a0Acatenango trekking tours will provide cheapo headlights, but you\u2019ll at least want to bring some extra batteries. A headlight is absolutely required for the Fuego saddle hike and also the Acatenango summit, because you could get hurt if you\u2019re walking in the dark.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Powerbank:<\/strong>\u00a0If you plan to use your phone for taking pictures or as a flashlight, then you might want to bring a small power bank. I like\u00a0Anker, they\u2019re tough and high quality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Camera:<\/strong>\u00a0Any camera with a bit of zoom is ideal, so you can take great pictures of the Volcan De Fuego eruptions from Acatenango base camp. Most of my pics on this page were taken with a kit lens. If you do the extra hike over to the Fuego saddle to see the eruptions up close, then you\u2019ll probably want to switch to a wide angle lens for that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Normally the best time to hike Acatenango is during the dry season, but you can hike it all year round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Time To Hike Acatenango<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe best time to hike Acatenango is during the dry season in Guatemala, which runs from November to April. It\u2019s clearer and less likely to rain during these months, so overall it\u2019s a great time for mountain trekking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rainy season in Guatemala runs from May to October, and there is quite a bit more rainfall, but it tends to come in the afternoon. Mornings and evenings are usually clear, even in the rainy months. This season may not be ideal for trekking Acatenango, but you can definitely do it. You\u2019re just more likely to get wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As always, since you\u2019re dealing with a mountain, the weather isn\u2019t completely predictable at any time of year, and you could have bad weather in the dry season or good weather in the rainy season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re worried about clouds blocking your view of the Fuego eruptions, I would book a longer Acatenango trip so you have more time at the summit and more chances to see the fireworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In conclusion, dry season is best for trekking Acatenango if you have a choice, but it can be hiked at any time of year, and the small eruptions are happening at Volcan De Fuego all year round except for occasional brief pauses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Mountain](\"https:\/\/theworldtravelguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DSCF8433.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Going back down the mountain<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acatenango Deaths & Safety<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe safety record on the Acatenango volcano hike is pretty spotless so far. I don\u2019t know of any deaths or injuries from the volcano in the many years it\u2019s been open for trekking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, there is always going to be some risk involved in hiking near an active volcano, but the camp is located well away from the eruptions, so you\u2019re not really in the line of fire even if there was some kind of major eruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to be super careful, you could skip the extra hike to Fuego and just watch the eruptions from base camp instead. I\u2019ve never heard of anyone getting hurt on the Fuego hike, but that would probably be the most likely place for something to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other question is robbery. As you might know, Guatemala is not the safest country in the world, and there was a rash of armed robberies on the Acatenango hike back in 2007-2009. However, it seems like safety has improved on the hike ever since they started charging an entrance fee, and I haven\u2019t heard of any crimes like that happening here in at least a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This mountain is providing a lot of income for the local communities in Guatemala nowadays (easily millions of US dollars when you add up all the trekking companies and entrance fees), so it\u2019s in everyone\u2019s best interest for them to let tourists hike in peace and not do anything to disturb the cash cow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want some extra peace of mind, you could also bring a hidden travel belt and put some of your valuables in it. That\u2019s what I did. During the first part of the hike, the views are pretty boring so I stowed my phone, cash, and credit card in a hidden belt to be extra safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that said, it was a great hike and we didn\u2019t have any crime issues at all. Even though Guatemala doesn\u2019t have a very good reputation on safety, I think it\u2019s improved a lot in the last 20 years, and still seems to be getting better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Summit](\"https:\/\/theworldtravelguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DSCF8443-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunrise views with Volcan De Agua in the distance<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Acatenango](\"https:\/\/theworldtravelguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DSCF8411.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A spectacular show on the Acatenango hike<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Acatenango volcano hike is a bucket list trek in Antigua, Guatemala where you can camp on top of a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trip-ideas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
*These stats are for hiking to Acatenango summit and don\u2019t include the extra\/optional hike to Volcan De Fuego
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Volc\u00e1n De Fuego views from Acatenango<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Acatenango Volcano Tours<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGetYourGuide has Acatenango trekking tours for\u00a01,\u00a02, or\u00a03 days, where you can camp near the Guatemala volcano and watch the eruptions, plus some of them include the optional hike to Volcan De Fuego to see the eruptions even closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These tours are run by Old Town Outfitters in Antigua, Guatemala, and they have hundreds of positive Google reviews from happy customers of all nationalities. Other high rated tour companies for this hike include Wicho & Charlie\u2019s, Soy Tours, Tropicana, OX Expeditions, and Tours & Activities SA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve used GetYourGuide for lots of tours and activities around the world, and they\u2019re great. Highly recommended!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where Is Acatenango & Volcan De Fuego?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe Acatenango volcano is located west of Guatemala City, overlooking the town of Antigua.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most people base themselves in Antigua for this hike, since it has plenty of hotels and restaurants, and it\u2019s only about 30 kilometers from the volcano (a 1.5 hour drive).
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Volcan De Fuego<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe Volcanes De Fuego is the star of this hike. While Acatenango is an inactive volcano, Fuego is highly active and it sits right across from Acatenango, far enough to be safe for camping, but close enough to give you amazing views of the eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Fuego volcano usually erupts once every 15 to 30 minutes, although it can sometimes do shorter or longer intervals. During my 3 day hike, it was erupting every 10 minutes on the first day. By the second day it had slowed down to every 30 minutes, and on the third day it was only erupting every hour, but each eruption was enormous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The intervals are not completely predictable, but if you spend a couple days on the mountain summit then you can almost be certain that you\u2019ll get to witness multiple eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Volcanes De Fuego normally erupts every 15-30 minutes<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Watching the eruptions from Acatenango base camp<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acatenango Sample Itinerary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHere\u2019s a sample itinerary for a 2 day, 1 night Acatenango volcano hike:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- 07:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Meet up for briefing, preparing gear, etc<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 08:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Transport by bus from Antigua to the trailhead<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 09:15 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start hiking<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 14:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Reach Acatenango base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 15:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start the extra hike to Volc\u00e1n De Fuego (optional) if weather is favorable<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 19:30 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Dinner at base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 04:30 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Summit hike for sunrise (optional)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 07:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Breakfast at base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 08:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start descending<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 10:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Reach the trailhead and start driving to Antigua<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 11:15 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Arrival in Antigua<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Of course, this is just a sample itinerary and your trek may not go exactly like this, but the 2 day treks normally tend to follow this general pattern.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acatenango Trekking: What To Expect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2022 Starting The Acatenango Volcano Hike<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Acatenango trek starts with a steep uphill walk on a dirt path that takes you through Guatemalan farmlands and jungle. The grade is tough and unrelenting from the beginning. In fact, this first section is actually one of the hardest parts of the hike!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main path is never dangerous in terms of cliffs or drop-offs, it\u2019s just a grueling workout. For most of the hike, you\u2019ll also be hot and sweaty, and trying to shed every layer possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you reach the jungle, the grade is a bit more manageable and you have some nicer views, plus more shade from the sun. You\u2019ll pass a couple of makeshift drink stands along the way, where you can buy snacks and drinks if you think you might need more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Base Camp<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAfter awhile, you\u2019ll reach Acatenango base camp and witness your first eruptions from Volcan De Fuego in the distance! You\u2019ll most likely hear it before you see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The size and amenities of your camp will depend on which trekking company you book with, and some are higher quality than others. A warm campfire is a given. Some companies even have little cabins, while others have tents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This doesn\u2019t make a huge difference since most people will only be staying one night anyway, and if we\u2019re being honest you probably won\u2019t get an amazing sleep regardless of how nice your camp is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The important thing about base camp is that it has a direct view of the eruptions at Fuego \u2014 you feel like you can reach out and touch it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Volcan De Fuego Saddle Hike<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAfter you reach Acatenango base camp, your trekking company will usually give you an option to hike over to Volcan De Fuego and see the eruptions up close! This was the highlight of the whole trip for me. Roughly half of the trekkers in our group went on this expedition, and we were all so glad we did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this journey, you will temporarily leave the comfort of your beloved camp and hike down the steep and sandy slopes of Acatenango, cross the saddle between these two Guatemala volcanoes, and then climb up the side of the Fuego volcano until you\u2019re standing on a flat ridge less than 1 kilometer from the eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this distance, the eruptions sound like bombs going off, and you can feel the Earth rumbling under your feet. If you go in the evening, you can also see the red lava rocks exploding on the side of the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s impossible to describe how amazing this is, but it requires good fitness. You don\u2019t need any technical skills for this part of the hike, but it\u2019s still going to be very hard for anyone because you\u2019re already exhausted from hiking to Acatenango base camp earlier in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you still have plenty of energy left over when you reach base camp, I would HIGHLY recommend doing the extra hike to Fuego. It\u2019s one of the best things I\u2019ve ever seen in\u00a0my travels around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is one part of the hike where you\u2019ll want to bring layers of clothing. It can get very cold on the Fuego saddle, especially in the evening if there\u2019s a strong wind and the sun goes down. Come prepared!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Summit Sunrise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nLast, but not least, there\u2019s the extra hike to the summit of Acatenango, which most trekking companies do at sunrise. That means a wakeup call at around 4:30 AM. This hike is not near as hard as the Fuego hike, but it\u2019s still a good workout with plenty of slippery sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sunrise on top of Acatenango is incredibly beautiful, with a sea of puffy clouds and great views of Volcan De Fuego erupting, plus you can usually spot Volcan De Agua in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want a picture of yourself (or your group) with the eruption behind you, the summit is one of the best places to do it! It\u2019s very busy in the morning, but there\u2019s more than enough room for everyone to stand and take their pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Acatenango summit is also one of the coldest parts of the hike. We even saw some icicles up there in December. There\u2019s a lot of wind at the summit, but you can duck into the crater for shelter while you wait for sunrise, so it\u2019s manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Waiting for sunrise at the Acatenango summit<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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First color<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Hike Difficulty: How Hard Is It?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Acatenango hike is hard. Very hard. The overall combination of high altitude, a very steep grade, loose rocks that sink under your feet like sand, and cold weather all come together to make this a really tough one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, even if you only make it to base camp, the hike is still worth it. You can see amazing views of the eruptions from the camp site, so it\u2019s not really necessary to do the extra hike to Fuego or to the Acatenango summit unless you still have energy and want to see the action even better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t have to be super fit to make it to Acatenango base camp. The guides give you plenty of breaks along the way, so you can go at your own pace. We had several people in our group who were definitely out of shape, and they still made it to base camp just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another way you can make the hike easier is to hire a local porter to help carry your stuff. The price for this is around 150 Quetzales ($20 USD) depending on the weight of your bag, and they will carry up to 13 kilos (30 pounds) for you up the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eruption views from the summit. One of the best parts of the Acatenango hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Distance & Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe one way hiking distance from the trailhead to Acatenango base camp is about 4 miles, and it normally takes 4 or 5 hours depending on your pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you decide to go from base camp to the summit for sunrise, that takes another 1 to 1.5 hours. Going back down from base camp to the parking lot is a lot quicker and easier, and only takes 2 or 3 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you decide to do the extra hike from Acatenango base camp to the Volcan De Fuego saddle to see the eruptions up close, that adds another 3 miles (roundtrip), which takes about 4 hours total. It\u2019s tough. We all struggled with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All in all, if you do the entire hike to the Acatenango base camp, summit, and Volcan De Fuego saddle, you\u2019re looking at 10 to 13 hours of total hiking. That\u2019s no joke. However, if you only go to Acatenango base camp and skip the other sections, it\u2019s quite a bit easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news is that you don\u2019t have to make any kind of booking for the extra hikes. You can wait and decide if you want to do them after you reach base camp. If you\u2019re not feeling it, you can rest at the camp instead and enjoy the Guatemala volcano views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Elevation\/Height<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Acatenango summit has an elevation of 3,976 meters (13,045 feet) above sea level, and the Volcan De Fuego has a slightly lower elevation of 3,768 meters (12,362 feet). Base camp is around 3,500 meters (11,000 feet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means there\u2019s less oxygen, and when you\u2019re hiking, you\u2019ll be huffing and puffing to catch your breath with each step. It definitely adds an extra layer of challenge to the hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The elevation at Acatenango is high enough to cause altitude sickness (AMS) for some people, so you might run into at least some degree of headaches, crappy sleep, etc. If your symptoms get too severe, you may have to descend and go back to a lower altitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I haven\u2019t heard of people getting dangerously sick with AMS on the Acatenango volcano hike, although I wouldn\u2019t completely rule it out. We had one young guy in our trekking group who was throwing up a lot, but he improved right away when we descended the next day. Keep in mind, your likelihood of getting AMS is not affected by age or physical fitness. You can be young and perfectly fit, and still get altitude sickness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re coming from sea level, it\u2019s recommended that you spend at least 48 hours in Antigua before the hike to help you acclimatize to altitude. The town of Antigua is 1,545 meters (5,069 feet) above sea level, and Guatemala City is about the same, so being in one of those places gives your body a chance to adjust a little bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that said, I\u2019ve heard of many people doing the Acatenango hike without much acclimatizing at all, and they were still fine. I did the hike with two different groups of 20 people, and most of us had only minor AMS symptoms. Plus, if you do a day hike at Acatenango instead of overnight camping, then it\u2019s not really a concern anyway. You\u2019ll be on the way back down before you even start to feel the effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staying hydrated is supposed to help with altitude sickness. You\u2019ll want to drink lots of water before and during the hike. You\u2019ll also want to avoid alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, and sleeping pills because they can make the symptoms worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have spare time before the Acatenango hike, a great warmup hike to do for acclimatizing is the\u00a0Pacaya volcano trek, which is another one near Antigua. It\u2019s not as spectacular as Fuego and you can\u2019t usually see active eruptions, but it\u2019s still a fun way to train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pacaya hike is easier, shorter, and cheaper than the Acatenango volcano hike, but it still has a high enough elevation to help adjust your body to altitude. Pacaya\u2019s summit is 2,552 meters (8,373 feet), although most tours don\u2019t go all the way to the summit. You can book the Pacaya trek online\u00a0here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Elevation Gain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe vertical elevation gain on the hike to Acatenango base camp is about 1,110 meters (3,650 feet). If you include the summit push, it\u2019s a whopping total of 1,615 meters (5,300 feet). More than a mile straight up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you do the extra hike to the Volc\u00e1n De Fuego saddle, that adds another 480 meters (1,600 feet) roundtrip, because you\u2019re going downhill and uphill both ways when you walk between the two volcanoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In total, if you do the entire hike to Acatenango summit plus the Fuego saddle detour, you\u2019re looking at a grueling elevation gain of almost 2,100 meters (7,000 feet)! Insane!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Weather<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe daytime temperatures at Acatenango base camp are pleasant and even warm if the sun is shining. However, the temperatures overnight can get quite a bit colder than in Antigua or the rest of Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the day time when you first start the hike from Antigua, it may be a nice warm 70 \u00b0F (21 \u00b0C), but by night time at base camp it can drop below 32 \u00b0F (0 \u00b0C), and in some cases can even get as low as 23 \u00b0F (-5 \u00b0C). It can also be very windy, especially at the summit for sunrise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On January 8, 2017,\u00a0six Guatemalan tourists died of hypothermia\u00a0on the Acatenango volcano hike after they came unprepared and got caught in a severe cold snap. I don\u2019t want to scare you by mentioning that, and the trek is plenty safe as long as you\u2019re prepared, but don\u2019t underestimate the cold!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most tour companies will provide you with plenty of warm weather gear to borrow, rent, or buy for the Acatenango hike, so you\u2019ll definitely want to take advantage of that. You might also want to keep an eye on any unusual weather warnings for the day you hike, although it\u2019s rare and your guides will probably stay on top of that for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can check a weather forecast for the Acatenango mountain summit\u00a0here, including factors like wind, rain, clouds, and temperatures. This should be a bit more accurate than the average weather report, although it\u2019s still not perfect, so keep that in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What To Bring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- Layers:<\/strong>\u00a0Bring a good jacket and extra layers for the Acatenango hike. I had a t-shirt, two sweatshirts, and a light down jacket. However, you\u2019ll want to start the hike in a t-shirt and wear the layers later.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Headwear:<\/strong>\u00a0You\u2019ll want a warm beanie hat that covers your ears.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Gloves:<\/strong>\u00a0I wore fingerless gloves so I could work my camera while still staying reasonably warm. My hands were the coldest part of my body on this hike.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Footwear:<\/strong>\u00a0Hiking shoes with good grip are ideal for the Acatenango volcano hike. You\u2019ll be walking on slippery gravel and steep inclines or declines at times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Poncho:<\/strong>\u00a0If you climb Acatenango or the Fuego volcano during the rainy season (especially June through September), you will definitely want to bring a rain jacket just in case.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Water:<\/strong>\u00a0There\u2019s no potable water source on the mountain. Bring more water than you think you\u2019ll need. Guides will advise you to bring at least 4 liters of water for the Acatenango hike, and another 500 mL if you plan to do the extra Volcan De Fuego hike to the saddle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Snacks:<\/strong>\u00a0Again, even though most tours include free meals, the quality varies and you may still be hungry after such a whopper hike. I brought snack bars and beef jerky from the U.S. so I would have something extra. I ate all of it and wished for more. YMMV.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Headlight:<\/strong>\u00a0Acatenango trekking tours will provide cheapo headlights, but you\u2019ll at least want to bring some extra batteries. A headlight is absolutely required for the Fuego saddle hike and also the Acatenango summit, because you could get hurt if you\u2019re walking in the dark.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Powerbank:<\/strong>\u00a0If you plan to use your phone for taking pictures or as a flashlight, then you might want to bring a small power bank. I like\u00a0Anker, they\u2019re tough and high quality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Camera:<\/strong>\u00a0Any camera with a bit of zoom is ideal, so you can take great pictures of the Volcan De Fuego eruptions from Acatenango base camp. Most of my pics on this page were taken with a kit lens. If you do the extra hike over to the Fuego saddle to see the eruptions up close, then you\u2019ll probably want to switch to a wide angle lens for that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Normally the best time to hike Acatenango is during the dry season, but you can hike it all year round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Time To Hike Acatenango<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe best time to hike Acatenango is during the dry season in Guatemala, which runs from November to April. It\u2019s clearer and less likely to rain during these months, so overall it\u2019s a great time for mountain trekking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rainy season in Guatemala runs from May to October, and there is quite a bit more rainfall, but it tends to come in the afternoon. Mornings and evenings are usually clear, even in the rainy months. This season may not be ideal for trekking Acatenango, but you can definitely do it. You\u2019re just more likely to get wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As always, since you\u2019re dealing with a mountain, the weather isn\u2019t completely predictable at any time of year, and you could have bad weather in the dry season or good weather in the rainy season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re worried about clouds blocking your view of the Fuego eruptions, I would book a longer Acatenango trip so you have more time at the summit and more chances to see the fireworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In conclusion, dry season is best for trekking Acatenango if you have a choice, but it can be hiked at any time of year, and the small eruptions are happening at Volcan De Fuego all year round except for occasional brief pauses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Going back down the mountain<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acatenango Deaths & Safety<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe safety record on the Acatenango volcano hike is pretty spotless so far. I don\u2019t know of any deaths or injuries from the volcano in the many years it\u2019s been open for trekking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, there is always going to be some risk involved in hiking near an active volcano, but the camp is located well away from the eruptions, so you\u2019re not really in the line of fire even if there was some kind of major eruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to be super careful, you could skip the extra hike to Fuego and just watch the eruptions from base camp instead. I\u2019ve never heard of anyone getting hurt on the Fuego hike, but that would probably be the most likely place for something to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other question is robbery. As you might know, Guatemala is not the safest country in the world, and there was a rash of armed robberies on the Acatenango hike back in 2007-2009. However, it seems like safety has improved on the hike ever since they started charging an entrance fee, and I haven\u2019t heard of any crimes like that happening here in at least a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This mountain is providing a lot of income for the local communities in Guatemala nowadays (easily millions of US dollars when you add up all the trekking companies and entrance fees), so it\u2019s in everyone\u2019s best interest for them to let tourists hike in peace and not do anything to disturb the cash cow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want some extra peace of mind, you could also bring a hidden travel belt and put some of your valuables in it. That\u2019s what I did. During the first part of the hike, the views are pretty boring so I stowed my phone, cash, and credit card in a hidden belt to be extra safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that said, it was a great hike and we didn\u2019t have any crime issues at all. Even though Guatemala doesn\u2019t have a very good reputation on safety, I think it\u2019s improved a lot in the last 20 years, and still seems to be getting better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunrise views with Volcan De Agua in the distance<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A spectacular show on the Acatenango hike<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Acatenango volcano hike is a bucket list trek in Antigua, Guatemala where you can camp on top of a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trip-ideas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The Acatenango volcano is located west of Guatemala City, overlooking the town of Antigua.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most people base themselves in Antigua for this hike, since it has plenty of hotels and restaurants, and it\u2019s only about 30 kilometers from the volcano (a 1.5 hour drive).
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Volcan De Fuego<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe Volcanes De Fuego is the star of this hike. While Acatenango is an inactive volcano, Fuego is highly active and it sits right across from Acatenango, far enough to be safe for camping, but close enough to give you amazing views of the eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Fuego volcano usually erupts once every 15 to 30 minutes, although it can sometimes do shorter or longer intervals. During my 3 day hike, it was erupting every 10 minutes on the first day. By the second day it had slowed down to every 30 minutes, and on the third day it was only erupting every hour, but each eruption was enormous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The intervals are not completely predictable, but if you spend a couple days on the mountain summit then you can almost be certain that you\u2019ll get to witness multiple eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Volcanes De Fuego normally erupts every 15-30 minutes<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watching the eruptions from Acatenango base camp<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acatenango Sample Itinerary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHere\u2019s a sample itinerary for a 2 day, 1 night Acatenango volcano hike:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- 07:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Meet up for briefing, preparing gear, etc<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 08:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Transport by bus from Antigua to the trailhead<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 09:15 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start hiking<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 14:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Reach Acatenango base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 15:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start the extra hike to Volc\u00e1n De Fuego (optional) if weather is favorable<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 19:30 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Dinner at base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 04:30 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Summit hike for sunrise (optional)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 07:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Breakfast at base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 08:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start descending<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 10:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Reach the trailhead and start driving to Antigua<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 11:15 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Arrival in Antigua<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Of course, this is just a sample itinerary and your trek may not go exactly like this, but the 2 day treks normally tend to follow this general pattern.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acatenango Trekking: What To Expect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u2022 Starting The Acatenango Volcano Hike<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Acatenango trek starts with a steep uphill walk on a dirt path that takes you through Guatemalan farmlands and jungle. The grade is tough and unrelenting from the beginning. In fact, this first section is actually one of the hardest parts of the hike!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main path is never dangerous in terms of cliffs or drop-offs, it\u2019s just a grueling workout. For most of the hike, you\u2019ll also be hot and sweaty, and trying to shed every layer possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you reach the jungle, the grade is a bit more manageable and you have some nicer views, plus more shade from the sun. You\u2019ll pass a couple of makeshift drink stands along the way, where you can buy snacks and drinks if you think you might need more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Base Camp<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAfter awhile, you\u2019ll reach Acatenango base camp and witness your first eruptions from Volcan De Fuego in the distance! You\u2019ll most likely hear it before you see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The size and amenities of your camp will depend on which trekking company you book with, and some are higher quality than others. A warm campfire is a given. Some companies even have little cabins, while others have tents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This doesn\u2019t make a huge difference since most people will only be staying one night anyway, and if we\u2019re being honest you probably won\u2019t get an amazing sleep regardless of how nice your camp is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The important thing about base camp is that it has a direct view of the eruptions at Fuego \u2014 you feel like you can reach out and touch it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Volcan De Fuego Saddle Hike<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAfter you reach Acatenango base camp, your trekking company will usually give you an option to hike over to Volcan De Fuego and see the eruptions up close! This was the highlight of the whole trip for me. Roughly half of the trekkers in our group went on this expedition, and we were all so glad we did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this journey, you will temporarily leave the comfort of your beloved camp and hike down the steep and sandy slopes of Acatenango, cross the saddle between these two Guatemala volcanoes, and then climb up the side of the Fuego volcano until you\u2019re standing on a flat ridge less than 1 kilometer from the eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this distance, the eruptions sound like bombs going off, and you can feel the Earth rumbling under your feet. If you go in the evening, you can also see the red lava rocks exploding on the side of the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s impossible to describe how amazing this is, but it requires good fitness. You don\u2019t need any technical skills for this part of the hike, but it\u2019s still going to be very hard for anyone because you\u2019re already exhausted from hiking to Acatenango base camp earlier in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you still have plenty of energy left over when you reach base camp, I would HIGHLY recommend doing the extra hike to Fuego. It\u2019s one of the best things I\u2019ve ever seen in\u00a0my travels around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is one part of the hike where you\u2019ll want to bring layers of clothing. It can get very cold on the Fuego saddle, especially in the evening if there\u2019s a strong wind and the sun goes down. Come prepared!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Summit Sunrise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nLast, but not least, there\u2019s the extra hike to the summit of Acatenango, which most trekking companies do at sunrise. That means a wakeup call at around 4:30 AM. This hike is not near as hard as the Fuego hike, but it\u2019s still a good workout with plenty of slippery sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sunrise on top of Acatenango is incredibly beautiful, with a sea of puffy clouds and great views of Volcan De Fuego erupting, plus you can usually spot Volcan De Agua in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want a picture of yourself (or your group) with the eruption behind you, the summit is one of the best places to do it! It\u2019s very busy in the morning, but there\u2019s more than enough room for everyone to stand and take their pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Acatenango summit is also one of the coldest parts of the hike. We even saw some icicles up there in December. There\u2019s a lot of wind at the summit, but you can duck into the crater for shelter while you wait for sunrise, so it\u2019s manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Waiting for sunrise at the Acatenango summit<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First color<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Hike Difficulty: How Hard Is It?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Acatenango hike is hard. Very hard. The overall combination of high altitude, a very steep grade, loose rocks that sink under your feet like sand, and cold weather all come together to make this a really tough one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, even if you only make it to base camp, the hike is still worth it. You can see amazing views of the eruptions from the camp site, so it\u2019s not really necessary to do the extra hike to Fuego or to the Acatenango summit unless you still have energy and want to see the action even better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t have to be super fit to make it to Acatenango base camp. The guides give you plenty of breaks along the way, so you can go at your own pace. We had several people in our group who were definitely out of shape, and they still made it to base camp just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another way you can make the hike easier is to hire a local porter to help carry your stuff. The price for this is around 150 Quetzales ($20 USD) depending on the weight of your bag, and they will carry up to 13 kilos (30 pounds) for you up the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eruption views from the summit. One of the best parts of the Acatenango hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Distance & Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe one way hiking distance from the trailhead to Acatenango base camp is about 4 miles, and it normally takes 4 or 5 hours depending on your pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you decide to go from base camp to the summit for sunrise, that takes another 1 to 1.5 hours. Going back down from base camp to the parking lot is a lot quicker and easier, and only takes 2 or 3 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you decide to do the extra hike from Acatenango base camp to the Volcan De Fuego saddle to see the eruptions up close, that adds another 3 miles (roundtrip), which takes about 4 hours total. It\u2019s tough. We all struggled with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All in all, if you do the entire hike to the Acatenango base camp, summit, and Volcan De Fuego saddle, you\u2019re looking at 10 to 13 hours of total hiking. That\u2019s no joke. However, if you only go to Acatenango base camp and skip the other sections, it\u2019s quite a bit easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news is that you don\u2019t have to make any kind of booking for the extra hikes. You can wait and decide if you want to do them after you reach base camp. If you\u2019re not feeling it, you can rest at the camp instead and enjoy the Guatemala volcano views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Elevation\/Height<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Acatenango summit has an elevation of 3,976 meters (13,045 feet) above sea level, and the Volcan De Fuego has a slightly lower elevation of 3,768 meters (12,362 feet). Base camp is around 3,500 meters (11,000 feet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means there\u2019s less oxygen, and when you\u2019re hiking, you\u2019ll be huffing and puffing to catch your breath with each step. It definitely adds an extra layer of challenge to the hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The elevation at Acatenango is high enough to cause altitude sickness (AMS) for some people, so you might run into at least some degree of headaches, crappy sleep, etc. If your symptoms get too severe, you may have to descend and go back to a lower altitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I haven\u2019t heard of people getting dangerously sick with AMS on the Acatenango volcano hike, although I wouldn\u2019t completely rule it out. We had one young guy in our trekking group who was throwing up a lot, but he improved right away when we descended the next day. Keep in mind, your likelihood of getting AMS is not affected by age or physical fitness. You can be young and perfectly fit, and still get altitude sickness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re coming from sea level, it\u2019s recommended that you spend at least 48 hours in Antigua before the hike to help you acclimatize to altitude. The town of Antigua is 1,545 meters (5,069 feet) above sea level, and Guatemala City is about the same, so being in one of those places gives your body a chance to adjust a little bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that said, I\u2019ve heard of many people doing the Acatenango hike without much acclimatizing at all, and they were still fine. I did the hike with two different groups of 20 people, and most of us had only minor AMS symptoms. Plus, if you do a day hike at Acatenango instead of overnight camping, then it\u2019s not really a concern anyway. You\u2019ll be on the way back down before you even start to feel the effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staying hydrated is supposed to help with altitude sickness. You\u2019ll want to drink lots of water before and during the hike. You\u2019ll also want to avoid alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, and sleeping pills because they can make the symptoms worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have spare time before the Acatenango hike, a great warmup hike to do for acclimatizing is the\u00a0Pacaya volcano trek, which is another one near Antigua. It\u2019s not as spectacular as Fuego and you can\u2019t usually see active eruptions, but it\u2019s still a fun way to train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pacaya hike is easier, shorter, and cheaper than the Acatenango volcano hike, but it still has a high enough elevation to help adjust your body to altitude. Pacaya\u2019s summit is 2,552 meters (8,373 feet), although most tours don\u2019t go all the way to the summit. You can book the Pacaya trek online\u00a0here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Elevation Gain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe vertical elevation gain on the hike to Acatenango base camp is about 1,110 meters (3,650 feet). If you include the summit push, it\u2019s a whopping total of 1,615 meters (5,300 feet). More than a mile straight up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you do the extra hike to the Volc\u00e1n De Fuego saddle, that adds another 480 meters (1,600 feet) roundtrip, because you\u2019re going downhill and uphill both ways when you walk between the two volcanoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In total, if you do the entire hike to Acatenango summit plus the Fuego saddle detour, you\u2019re looking at a grueling elevation gain of almost 2,100 meters (7,000 feet)! Insane!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Weather<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe daytime temperatures at Acatenango base camp are pleasant and even warm if the sun is shining. However, the temperatures overnight can get quite a bit colder than in Antigua or the rest of Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the day time when you first start the hike from Antigua, it may be a nice warm 70 \u00b0F (21 \u00b0C), but by night time at base camp it can drop below 32 \u00b0F (0 \u00b0C), and in some cases can even get as low as 23 \u00b0F (-5 \u00b0C). It can also be very windy, especially at the summit for sunrise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On January 8, 2017,\u00a0six Guatemalan tourists died of hypothermia\u00a0on the Acatenango volcano hike after they came unprepared and got caught in a severe cold snap. I don\u2019t want to scare you by mentioning that, and the trek is plenty safe as long as you\u2019re prepared, but don\u2019t underestimate the cold!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most tour companies will provide you with plenty of warm weather gear to borrow, rent, or buy for the Acatenango hike, so you\u2019ll definitely want to take advantage of that. You might also want to keep an eye on any unusual weather warnings for the day you hike, although it\u2019s rare and your guides will probably stay on top of that for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can check a weather forecast for the Acatenango mountain summit\u00a0here, including factors like wind, rain, clouds, and temperatures. This should be a bit more accurate than the average weather report, although it\u2019s still not perfect, so keep that in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What To Bring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- Layers:<\/strong>\u00a0Bring a good jacket and extra layers for the Acatenango hike. I had a t-shirt, two sweatshirts, and a light down jacket. However, you\u2019ll want to start the hike in a t-shirt and wear the layers later.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Headwear:<\/strong>\u00a0You\u2019ll want a warm beanie hat that covers your ears.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Gloves:<\/strong>\u00a0I wore fingerless gloves so I could work my camera while still staying reasonably warm. My hands were the coldest part of my body on this hike.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Footwear:<\/strong>\u00a0Hiking shoes with good grip are ideal for the Acatenango volcano hike. You\u2019ll be walking on slippery gravel and steep inclines or declines at times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Poncho:<\/strong>\u00a0If you climb Acatenango or the Fuego volcano during the rainy season (especially June through September), you will definitely want to bring a rain jacket just in case.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Water:<\/strong>\u00a0There\u2019s no potable water source on the mountain. Bring more water than you think you\u2019ll need. Guides will advise you to bring at least 4 liters of water for the Acatenango hike, and another 500 mL if you plan to do the extra Volcan De Fuego hike to the saddle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Snacks:<\/strong>\u00a0Again, even though most tours include free meals, the quality varies and you may still be hungry after such a whopper hike. I brought snack bars and beef jerky from the U.S. so I would have something extra. I ate all of it and wished for more. YMMV.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Headlight:<\/strong>\u00a0Acatenango trekking tours will provide cheapo headlights, but you\u2019ll at least want to bring some extra batteries. A headlight is absolutely required for the Fuego saddle hike and also the Acatenango summit, because you could get hurt if you\u2019re walking in the dark.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Powerbank:<\/strong>\u00a0If you plan to use your phone for taking pictures or as a flashlight, then you might want to bring a small power bank. I like\u00a0Anker, they\u2019re tough and high quality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Camera:<\/strong>\u00a0Any camera with a bit of zoom is ideal, so you can take great pictures of the Volcan De Fuego eruptions from Acatenango base camp. Most of my pics on this page were taken with a kit lens. If you do the extra hike over to the Fuego saddle to see the eruptions up close, then you\u2019ll probably want to switch to a wide angle lens for that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Normally the best time to hike Acatenango is during the dry season, but you can hike it all year round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Time To Hike Acatenango<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe best time to hike Acatenango is during the dry season in Guatemala, which runs from November to April. It\u2019s clearer and less likely to rain during these months, so overall it\u2019s a great time for mountain trekking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rainy season in Guatemala runs from May to October, and there is quite a bit more rainfall, but it tends to come in the afternoon. Mornings and evenings are usually clear, even in the rainy months. This season may not be ideal for trekking Acatenango, but you can definitely do it. You\u2019re just more likely to get wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As always, since you\u2019re dealing with a mountain, the weather isn\u2019t completely predictable at any time of year, and you could have bad weather in the dry season or good weather in the rainy season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re worried about clouds blocking your view of the Fuego eruptions, I would book a longer Acatenango trip so you have more time at the summit and more chances to see the fireworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In conclusion, dry season is best for trekking Acatenango if you have a choice, but it can be hiked at any time of year, and the small eruptions are happening at Volcan De Fuego all year round except for occasional brief pauses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Going back down the mountain<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acatenango Deaths & Safety<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe safety record on the Acatenango volcano hike is pretty spotless so far. I don\u2019t know of any deaths or injuries from the volcano in the many years it\u2019s been open for trekking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, there is always going to be some risk involved in hiking near an active volcano, but the camp is located well away from the eruptions, so you\u2019re not really in the line of fire even if there was some kind of major eruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to be super careful, you could skip the extra hike to Fuego and just watch the eruptions from base camp instead. I\u2019ve never heard of anyone getting hurt on the Fuego hike, but that would probably be the most likely place for something to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other question is robbery. As you might know, Guatemala is not the safest country in the world, and there was a rash of armed robberies on the Acatenango hike back in 2007-2009. However, it seems like safety has improved on the hike ever since they started charging an entrance fee, and I haven\u2019t heard of any crimes like that happening here in at least a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This mountain is providing a lot of income for the local communities in Guatemala nowadays (easily millions of US dollars when you add up all the trekking companies and entrance fees), so it\u2019s in everyone\u2019s best interest for them to let tourists hike in peace and not do anything to disturb the cash cow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want some extra peace of mind, you could also bring a hidden travel belt and put some of your valuables in it. That\u2019s what I did. During the first part of the hike, the views are pretty boring so I stowed my phone, cash, and credit card in a hidden belt to be extra safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that said, it was a great hike and we didn\u2019t have any crime issues at all. Even though Guatemala doesn\u2019t have a very good reputation on safety, I think it\u2019s improved a lot in the last 20 years, and still seems to be getting better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunrise views with Volcan De Agua in the distance<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A spectacular show on the Acatenango hike<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Acatenango volcano hike is a bucket list trek in Antigua, Guatemala where you can camp on top of a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trip-ideas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nHere\u2019s a sample itinerary for a 2 day, 1 night Acatenango volcano hike:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- 07:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Meet up for briefing, preparing gear, etc<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 08:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Transport by bus from Antigua to the trailhead<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 09:15 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start hiking<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 14:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Reach Acatenango base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 15:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start the extra hike to Volc\u00e1n De Fuego (optional) if weather is favorable<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 19:30 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Dinner at base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 04:30 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Summit hike for sunrise (optional)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 07:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Breakfast at base camp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 08:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Start descending<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 10:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Reach the trailhead and start driving to Antigua<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 11:15 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Arrival in Antigua<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Of course, this is just a sample itinerary and your trek may not go exactly like this, but the 2 day treks normally tend to follow this general pattern.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nAcatenango Trekking: What To Expect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Starting The Acatenango Volcano Hike<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Acatenango trek starts with a steep uphill walk on a dirt path that takes you through Guatemalan farmlands and jungle. The grade is tough and unrelenting from the beginning. In fact, this first section is actually one of the hardest parts of the hike!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main path is never dangerous in terms of cliffs or drop-offs, it\u2019s just a grueling workout. For most of the hike, you\u2019ll also be hot and sweaty, and trying to shed every layer possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you reach the jungle, the grade is a bit more manageable and you have some nicer views, plus more shade from the sun. You\u2019ll pass a couple of makeshift drink stands along the way, where you can buy snacks and drinks if you think you might need more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Base Camp<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
After awhile, you\u2019ll reach Acatenango base camp and witness your first eruptions from Volcan De Fuego in the distance! You\u2019ll most likely hear it before you see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The size and amenities of your camp will depend on which trekking company you book with, and some are higher quality than others. A warm campfire is a given. Some companies even have little cabins, while others have tents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This doesn\u2019t make a huge difference since most people will only be staying one night anyway, and if we\u2019re being honest you probably won\u2019t get an amazing sleep regardless of how nice your camp is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The important thing about base camp is that it has a direct view of the eruptions at Fuego \u2014 you feel like you can reach out and touch it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Volcan De Fuego Saddle Hike<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
After you reach Acatenango base camp, your trekking company will usually give you an option to hike over to Volcan De Fuego and see the eruptions up close! This was the highlight of the whole trip for me. Roughly half of the trekkers in our group went on this expedition, and we were all so glad we did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this journey, you will temporarily leave the comfort of your beloved camp and hike down the steep and sandy slopes of Acatenango, cross the saddle between these two Guatemala volcanoes, and then climb up the side of the Fuego volcano until you\u2019re standing on a flat ridge less than 1 kilometer from the eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this distance, the eruptions sound like bombs going off, and you can feel the Earth rumbling under your feet. If you go in the evening, you can also see the red lava rocks exploding on the side of the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s impossible to describe how amazing this is, but it requires good fitness. You don\u2019t need any technical skills for this part of the hike, but it\u2019s still going to be very hard for anyone because you\u2019re already exhausted from hiking to Acatenango base camp earlier in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you still have plenty of energy left over when you reach base camp, I would HIGHLY recommend doing the extra hike to Fuego. It\u2019s one of the best things I\u2019ve ever seen in\u00a0my travels around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is one part of the hike where you\u2019ll want to bring layers of clothing. It can get very cold on the Fuego saddle, especially in the evening if there\u2019s a strong wind and the sun goes down. Come prepared!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Summit Sunrise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Last, but not least, there\u2019s the extra hike to the summit of Acatenango, which most trekking companies do at sunrise. That means a wakeup call at around 4:30 AM. This hike is not near as hard as the Fuego hike, but it\u2019s still a good workout with plenty of slippery sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sunrise on top of Acatenango is incredibly beautiful, with a sea of puffy clouds and great views of Volcan De Fuego erupting, plus you can usually spot Volcan De Agua in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want a picture of yourself (or your group) with the eruption behind you, the summit is one of the best places to do it! It\u2019s very busy in the morning, but there\u2019s more than enough room for everyone to stand and take their pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Acatenango summit is also one of the coldest parts of the hike. We even saw some icicles up there in December. There\u2019s a lot of wind at the summit, but you can duck into the crater for shelter while you wait for sunrise, so it\u2019s manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nWaiting for sunrise at the Acatenango summit<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nFirst color<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Hike Difficulty: How Hard Is It?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Acatenango hike is hard. Very hard. The overall combination of high altitude, a very steep grade, loose rocks that sink under your feet like sand, and cold weather all come together to make this a really tough one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, even if you only make it to base camp, the hike is still worth it. You can see amazing views of the eruptions from the camp site, so it\u2019s not really necessary to do the extra hike to Fuego or to the Acatenango summit unless you still have energy and want to see the action even better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t have to be super fit to make it to Acatenango base camp. The guides give you plenty of breaks along the way, so you can go at your own pace. We had several people in our group who were definitely out of shape, and they still made it to base camp just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another way you can make the hike easier is to hire a local porter to help carry your stuff. The price for this is around 150 Quetzales ($20 USD) depending on the weight of your bag, and they will carry up to 13 kilos (30 pounds) for you up the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nEruption views from the summit. One of the best parts of the Acatenango hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Distance & Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The one way hiking distance from the trailhead to Acatenango base camp is about 4 miles, and it normally takes 4 or 5 hours depending on your pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you decide to go from base camp to the summit for sunrise, that takes another 1 to 1.5 hours. Going back down from base camp to the parking lot is a lot quicker and easier, and only takes 2 or 3 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you decide to do the extra hike from Acatenango base camp to the Volcan De Fuego saddle to see the eruptions up close, that adds another 3 miles (roundtrip), which takes about 4 hours total. It\u2019s tough. We all struggled with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All in all, if you do the entire hike to the Acatenango base camp, summit, and Volcan De Fuego saddle, you\u2019re looking at 10 to 13 hours of total hiking. That\u2019s no joke. However, if you only go to Acatenango base camp and skip the other sections, it\u2019s quite a bit easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news is that you don\u2019t have to make any kind of booking for the extra hikes. You can wait and decide if you want to do them after you reach base camp. If you\u2019re not feeling it, you can rest at the camp instead and enjoy the Guatemala volcano views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Elevation\/Height<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Acatenango summit has an elevation of 3,976 meters (13,045 feet) above sea level, and the Volcan De Fuego has a slightly lower elevation of 3,768 meters (12,362 feet). Base camp is around 3,500 meters (11,000 feet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means there\u2019s less oxygen, and when you\u2019re hiking, you\u2019ll be huffing and puffing to catch your breath with each step. It definitely adds an extra layer of challenge to the hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The elevation at Acatenango is high enough to cause altitude sickness (AMS) for some people, so you might run into at least some degree of headaches, crappy sleep, etc. If your symptoms get too severe, you may have to descend and go back to a lower altitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I haven\u2019t heard of people getting dangerously sick with AMS on the Acatenango volcano hike, although I wouldn\u2019t completely rule it out. We had one young guy in our trekking group who was throwing up a lot, but he improved right away when we descended the next day. Keep in mind, your likelihood of getting AMS is not affected by age or physical fitness. You can be young and perfectly fit, and still get altitude sickness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re coming from sea level, it\u2019s recommended that you spend at least 48 hours in Antigua before the hike to help you acclimatize to altitude. The town of Antigua is 1,545 meters (5,069 feet) above sea level, and Guatemala City is about the same, so being in one of those places gives your body a chance to adjust a little bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that said, I\u2019ve heard of many people doing the Acatenango hike without much acclimatizing at all, and they were still fine. I did the hike with two different groups of 20 people, and most of us had only minor AMS symptoms. Plus, if you do a day hike at Acatenango instead of overnight camping, then it\u2019s not really a concern anyway. You\u2019ll be on the way back down before you even start to feel the effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staying hydrated is supposed to help with altitude sickness. You\u2019ll want to drink lots of water before and during the hike. You\u2019ll also want to avoid alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, and sleeping pills because they can make the symptoms worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have spare time before the Acatenango hike, a great warmup hike to do for acclimatizing is the\u00a0Pacaya volcano trek, which is another one near Antigua. It\u2019s not as spectacular as Fuego and you can\u2019t usually see active eruptions, but it\u2019s still a fun way to train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pacaya hike is easier, shorter, and cheaper than the Acatenango volcano hike, but it still has a high enough elevation to help adjust your body to altitude. Pacaya\u2019s summit is 2,552 meters (8,373 feet), although most tours don\u2019t go all the way to the summit. You can book the Pacaya trek online\u00a0here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Acatenango Elevation Gain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The vertical elevation gain on the hike to Acatenango base camp is about 1,110 meters (3,650 feet). If you include the summit push, it\u2019s a whopping total of 1,615 meters (5,300 feet). More than a mile straight up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you do the extra hike to the Volc\u00e1n De Fuego saddle, that adds another 480 meters (1,600 feet) roundtrip, because you\u2019re going downhill and uphill both ways when you walk between the two volcanoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In total, if you do the entire hike to Acatenango summit plus the Fuego saddle detour, you\u2019re looking at a grueling elevation gain of almost 2,100 meters (7,000 feet)! Insane!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u2022 Acatenango Weather<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The daytime temperatures at Acatenango base camp are pleasant and even warm if the sun is shining. However, the temperatures overnight can get quite a bit colder than in Antigua or the rest of Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the day time when you first start the hike from Antigua, it may be a nice warm 70 \u00b0F (21 \u00b0C), but by night time at base camp it can drop below 32 \u00b0F (0 \u00b0C), and in some cases can even get as low as 23 \u00b0F (-5 \u00b0C). It can also be very windy, especially at the summit for sunrise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On January 8, 2017,\u00a0six Guatemalan tourists died of hypothermia\u00a0on the Acatenango volcano hike after they came unprepared and got caught in a severe cold snap. I don\u2019t want to scare you by mentioning that, and the trek is plenty safe as long as you\u2019re prepared, but don\u2019t underestimate the cold!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most tour companies will provide you with plenty of warm weather gear to borrow, rent, or buy for the Acatenango hike, so you\u2019ll definitely want to take advantage of that. You might also want to keep an eye on any unusual weather warnings for the day you hike, although it\u2019s rare and your guides will probably stay on top of that for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can check a weather forecast for the Acatenango mountain summit\u00a0here, including factors like wind, rain, clouds, and temperatures. This should be a bit more accurate than the average weather report, although it\u2019s still not perfect, so keep that in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What To Bring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Layers:<\/strong>\u00a0Bring a good jacket and extra layers for the Acatenango hike. I had a t-shirt, two sweatshirts, and a light down jacket. However, you\u2019ll want to start the hike in a t-shirt and wear the layers later.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Headwear:<\/strong>\u00a0You\u2019ll want a warm beanie hat that covers your ears.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Gloves:<\/strong>\u00a0I wore fingerless gloves so I could work my camera while still staying reasonably warm. My hands were the coldest part of my body on this hike.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Footwear:<\/strong>\u00a0Hiking shoes with good grip are ideal for the Acatenango volcano hike. You\u2019ll be walking on slippery gravel and steep inclines or declines at times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Poncho:<\/strong>\u00a0If you climb Acatenango or the Fuego volcano during the rainy season (especially June through September), you will definitely want to bring a rain jacket just in case.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Water:<\/strong>\u00a0There\u2019s no potable water source on the mountain. Bring more water than you think you\u2019ll need. Guides will advise you to bring at least 4 liters of water for the Acatenango hike, and another 500 mL if you plan to do the extra Volcan De Fuego hike to the saddle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Snacks:<\/strong>\u00a0Again, even though most tours include free meals, the quality varies and you may still be hungry after such a whopper hike. I brought snack bars and beef jerky from the U.S. so I would have something extra. I ate all of it and wished for more. YMMV.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Headlight:<\/strong>\u00a0Acatenango trekking tours will provide cheapo headlights, but you\u2019ll at least want to bring some extra batteries. A headlight is absolutely required for the Fuego saddle hike and also the Acatenango summit, because you could get hurt if you\u2019re walking in the dark.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Powerbank:<\/strong>\u00a0If you plan to use your phone for taking pictures or as a flashlight, then you might want to bring a small power bank. I like\u00a0Anker, they\u2019re tough and high quality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Camera:<\/strong>\u00a0Any camera with a bit of zoom is ideal, so you can take great pictures of the Volcan De Fuego eruptions from Acatenango base camp. Most of my pics on this page were taken with a kit lens. If you do the extra hike over to the Fuego saddle to see the eruptions up close, then you\u2019ll probably want to switch to a wide angle lens for that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Normally the best time to hike Acatenango is during the dry season, but you can hike it all year round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Time To Hike Acatenango<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The best time to hike Acatenango is during the dry season in Guatemala, which runs from November to April. It\u2019s clearer and less likely to rain during these months, so overall it\u2019s a great time for mountain trekking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rainy season in Guatemala runs from May to October, and there is quite a bit more rainfall, but it tends to come in the afternoon. Mornings and evenings are usually clear, even in the rainy months. This season may not be ideal for trekking Acatenango, but you can definitely do it. You\u2019re just more likely to get wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As always, since you\u2019re dealing with a mountain, the weather isn\u2019t completely predictable at any time of year, and you could have bad weather in the dry season or good weather in the rainy season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re worried about clouds blocking your view of the Fuego eruptions, I would book a longer Acatenango trip so you have more time at the summit and more chances to see the fireworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In conclusion, dry season is best for trekking Acatenango if you have a choice, but it can be hiked at any time of year, and the small eruptions are happening at Volcan De Fuego all year round except for occasional brief pauses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nGoing back down the mountain<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acatenango Deaths & Safety<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The safety record on the Acatenango volcano hike is pretty spotless so far. I don\u2019t know of any deaths or injuries from the volcano in the many years it\u2019s been open for trekking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, there is always going to be some risk involved in hiking near an active volcano, but the camp is located well away from the eruptions, so you\u2019re not really in the line of fire even if there was some kind of major eruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to be super careful, you could skip the extra hike to Fuego and just watch the eruptions from base camp instead. I\u2019ve never heard of anyone getting hurt on the Fuego hike, but that would probably be the most likely place for something to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other question is robbery. As you might know, Guatemala is not the safest country in the world, and there was a rash of armed robberies on the Acatenango hike back in 2007-2009. However, it seems like safety has improved on the hike ever since they started charging an entrance fee, and I haven\u2019t heard of any crimes like that happening here in at least a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This mountain is providing a lot of income for the local communities in Guatemala nowadays (easily millions of US dollars when you add up all the trekking companies and entrance fees), so it\u2019s in everyone\u2019s best interest for them to let tourists hike in peace and not do anything to disturb the cash cow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want some extra peace of mind, you could also bring a hidden travel belt and put some of your valuables in it. That\u2019s what I did. During the first part of the hike, the views are pretty boring so I stowed my phone, cash, and credit card in a hidden belt to be extra safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that said, it was a great hike and we didn\u2019t have any crime issues at all. Even though Guatemala doesn\u2019t have a very good reputation on safety, I think it\u2019s improved a lot in the last 20 years, and still seems to be getting better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nSunrise views with Volcan De Agua in the distance<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nA spectacular show on the Acatenango hike<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Acatenango volcano hike is a bucket list trek in Antigua, Guatemala where you can camp on top of a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trip-ideas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bayantravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Headwear:<\/strong>\u00a0You\u2019ll want a warm beanie hat that covers your ears.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 08:00 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Transport by bus from Antigua to the trailhead<\/li>\n\n\n\n