Page Contents
Hiking Acatenango volcano in Guatemala is truly a once in a lifetime experience. After a brutal five hours steep hike up the volcano, you are rewarded with the most magical views. From Acatenango basecamp you’ll be able to look straight onto ‘Volcano de Fuego’, which translates into ‘Volcano of Fire’. The name really does it justice as this active volcano spits lava with such frequency that you will be GUARANTEED to see lava on any day. In fact, we saw it erupt on average every 5-15 min. throughout the night!
This blogpost will hopefully put your mind at ease that anyone, regardless of your fitness level, can handle the hike. What the 2 day excursion entails and how best to prepare and which tour operator to choose.
Hiking volcano Acatenango is not only one of the most spectacular hikes you can do in Guatemala but is probably one of the ultimate travel highlights of Central America!
Why is a hike up Acatenango so special?
Hiking to the basecamp of Volcano Acatenango gives you a direct view over ‘Volcano de Fuego’ which is the most active volcano in Central America. It produces frequent tall ash plumes and you can see intense lava fountaining at night.
The hike will take you through four distinct ecosystems. First you’ll be passing farmland where local farmers harvest corn, flowers and snow peas. Next you’ll be ascending into an old-growth tropical cloud forest where you’ll experience a diversity of flora and fauna. The cloud forest also provides you with shade, which no doubt you’ll be appreciating at this point of the hike. Next you’ll enter sparse high-alpine forests from where you’ll be able to overlook six volcanoes in total and take in stunning panoramic views! The last stretch will take you through the mystical grey and black volcanic terrain.
Can you get Altitude sickness when hiking Acatenango?
Yes. At 3,976 metres (13,044 ft), it is not uncommon to experience symptoms of altitude sickness. So it’s advisable to spend a couple of days in Antigua, which sits at 1,533 metres (5,029 ft) to help you acclimatise. It also helps to keep hydrated throughout the hike!
In our group nobody was having any symptoms. Most people just experienced headaches. However, we did pass one person from another group who was suffering quite badly from altitude sickness.
Best time of the year to hike Acatenango
The best time is generally during dry season which runs from November to April. The views tend to be best in January and February, but the nights are usually also the coldest during this time.
We hiked in December and had blue sky, very sunny weather and gorgeous clear views! But it was also freezing cold at night with temperatures close to -5 degrees Celsius!
During rainy season the mornings are usually dry, midday it’s cloudy and it generally rains for a couple of hours in the afternoon and clears up again in the evening.
How fit do I need to be to hike Acatenango?
Initially Fiona and I decided that we would probably give this experience a pass. The reason? Our general health is pretty good but our fitness level isn’t great. We are also not keen hikers. So whereas we’ll happily walk for an hour or so to catch a nice panoramic view somewhere, you certainly won’t see us on multi-day hikes. When we hike it’s almost always in return for a rewarding view, not just for the love of hiking!
In Guatemala we met Tracy, an inspirational woman in her 50s who was on a solo motorcycle trip from Canada to Patagonia, like ourselves. Again, Tracy would describe her general health as good but wasn’t doing much to keep fit. In addition she likes to smoke and knock back a few beers every night. Why am I telling you all that?
Because between the three of us, none of us felt like we could do it. If three people as unfit as us could do it, then so you can you! Sure, it’s less painful if you have a decent fitness level. But please don’t skip this awesome experience if you can’t describe yourself as fit. If your general health is okay, you’ll probably make it up there, even if you’ll be towards the slower end of the group!
Is it possible to hire a porter to carry my luggage up?
Out of everyone in our group, I was particularly concerned if I would be able to make it to the basecamp. The reason being that I fractured my pelvis in four places during a motorcycle crash only a couple of years before. And although I recovered very well, I struggled with steep inclines about a year after the injury.
I hired a porter because I wasn’t sure if my injury would allow me to make it and I wanted the option of being able to turn back if my pelvis was going to give me any problems. I was very happy that not only did I make it up to the top without my pelvis giving me any issues, but it was the ultimate test that I had fully recovered from my injury.
The porter cost 10 USD and once we reached the top he handed me my bag and made his way back down, so I only had to carry my backpack down the next day!
Can anybody hire a porter?
As for Fiona and Tracy they decided to get a porter also. For no other reason then to make their hike easier. We were the only three people in our group who had porters. And yes I found it a little embarrassing, but ultimately it helped us get up there! So if you are unsure if you can make it, remember you have this option too. In our case, the porter received the full amount of money we paid the tour company for this service!
YOUR LAST RESORT … BY HORSE
If you really can’t see yourself hiking up there,
Soy Tours offers the option of doing it by horse!
(not sure how I feel about this option personally though)
Can I hike Acatenango volcano by myself?
Yes, there are people who do this hike independently BUT unless you are a VERY EXPERIENCED hiker I wouldn’t recommend it and here is why:
1) Guided tours are very affordable, only around 20 USD
2) Hikers have died from hyperthermia before as temperatures can reach -7 degrees Celsius
3) It is possible to suffer from altitude sickness
I fully appreciate there is something very rewarding about undertaking this hike without a guide. But please don’t do it unless you are very experienced, are properly prepared and have the right equipment to withstand the freezing cold weather!
How can I book a tour to hike Acatenango Volcano?
Booking a tour to hike Volcano Acatenango is very easy, as there are many tour operators based in Antigua. You don’t really have to book far ahead either. We booked ours one day in advance!
The cost can vary a little depending on a few things:
1) Will the meals provided fill you up, or are there more of a snack?
2) Will you get a good view of Volcano de Fuego?
3) Depending on where your tour operators’ base camp is, you may need to walk further
4) How big is the group you will be hiking in?
5) Can you borrow hiking shoes / extra jackets for free or for a charge if needed?
My recommendation is to book directly with a tour operator from Antigua as it’s often MUCH CHEAPER than booking ahead online!
The best tour operator to hike Acatenango volcano
When we did our research, one company stood out from all the others. Not only does Soy Tours have 5 star reviews but they are also the ONLY tour operator that gives directly back to the local community. Of course we decided to book with them!
With Soy Tours you can expect:
– Experienced Guides
– Decent sized Meals
– Great basecamp with fantastic views
– Borrow hiking shoes / backpacks / extra coats free of charge
We paid about 20 USD for the entire two days excursion and additional 10 USD to hire a porter and carry up our backpack. So in total it worked out at 30 USD per person!
Rough schedule for hiking Acatenango Volcano
Day 1
7:30 am Pick up from your hotel / AirBnB
9:00 am Safety briefing + borrow what you need before leaving
10:00 am The hike starts
You’ll be hiking for about 5 hours which includes regular breaks. The group usually splits up so the faster hikers are at the front and the slower ones at the back. If you hike faster you tend to get longer breaks as this is usually where the group catches up 😉
Acatenango Base Camp has an altitude of 2600 meters. Once you reach it you’ll be allocated a tent. Remember it’s warmer to share so we happily took a tent together with Tracy. You’ll be able to relax and enjoy the view and there will be an option to do a small 20-30 minutes hike to catch sunset from. By the time you get back, dinner is usually ready.
Day 2
4:00 am Hike to the summit of Volcano Acatenango for sunrise (optional)
4:45 am Arrival at the summit
5:00 am Sunrise
5:30 am Hike back down to the basecamp
After sunset you will be able to see the bright red lava spewing out of the volcano. We caught it on a superb day as ‘Volcan de Fuego’ erupted every 5-15 minutes. The only thing that made us go inside the tent eventually was the freezing cold!
Best preparation you can do to hike Acatenango
1. Bring a decent pair of hiking shoes
During the hike you’ll experience pretty lose ground. You’ll encounter everything from soft sand to small little stones. It’s nice to have proper boots that cover your ankles as your trainers would fill up with sand and stones. It’s also pretty chilly at basecamp and especially on top of the summit. A thick pair of sock and decent hiking shoes are highly recommended!
I didn’t have any, so borrowed a pair from Soy Tours. I reached the base camp fine but during the hike to the summit I got a couple of blisters. They were comfy, worn in shoes but the part that is supposed to support your heel was torn and the piece of plastic really irritated me after some time. The hike back down was so painful in these shoes that my group had to wait an entire hour for me to catch up with them. Ouch!
Top Tip: If you need to borrow shoes, ask to try them on a day in advance. You don’t want to be fighting for a pair of shoes with other people in the group on the day!
2. Layer Up
It gets pretty cold up there so I recommend you to layer up! We were very grateful that we had functional base layers for cold weather. We were able to borrow jackets (we took a couple each) but they are not the best quality ones. So we were very grateful for our warm merino wool mid layers underneath.
In short, chances are you’ll be cold so it’s better to bring a couple of layers too many if in doubt. And don’t forget to bring a nice pair of thick socks – you’ll be grateful for them later, trust me!
3. Carry enough Water with you
Your guide will recommend about 3 liters per person. This amount was perfect for us. In fact we had an additional hydrapak with 2 liters to share between Fiona and I so we had some water left over. This was lucky for Tracy who decided to quench the thirst of some dogs at basecamp and found herself thirsty on the hike back down. As we had more than enough we could donate some to her. From our experience the recommended 3 liters per person is a good amount!
4. Bring a proper camera, ideally with a good zoom
Yes, iPhone cameras are amazing these days but you can’t capture the erupting volcano and lava properly with it. Having a tripod to keep your camera steady and a zoom will help you get that perfect shot you are after!
5. Don’t turn down that walking stick
I don’t usually like hiking with a walking stick. But it was highly recommended to take one, so we didn’t turn them down. We could borrow them for 50 cents roughly and they sure came in handy. We found it particularly useful when hiking in deep gravel and while hiking down!
6. If you don’t have a good backpack with proper support, borrow one!
You’ll need to carry your own water, lunch and extra clothing that you’ll need at the summit. You’ll probably also want to carry your camera equipment. Having a good fitting backpack with good back support and ideally one with a hip belt to distribute the weight properly is essential. If you don’t have one, ask to borrow one!
7. Bring some snacks or sweets
As previously said the food quantities provided by Soy Tours were perfect. But when you are super exhausted there is nothing better than a good snack or chocolate bar to provide you with an energy boost and pick you up. So it’s worth bringing a couple of your favourite snacks along!
8. If you have a super light and warm sleeping bag, consider bringing it along
Once we arrived at base camp the tents, matts and sleeping bags were laid out for us already. But even with all our layers, the night was freezing cold. Temperatures were -5 degrees Celsius. I can’t tell you if the isomatts were insulated. And I doubt the sleeping bags were the best quality on the market. We didn’t carry camping gear at the time but we now have super light goose down sleeping bags and a very well insulated isomatt that I know keep us warm in -2 degrees Celsius. If I had to hike up again tomorrow, I’d take them with me.
It’s one more thing to carry of course and ONLY makes sense if you have a super light and very warm sleeping bag. If you don’t, just make do with whatever you are given. It’s only one night after all!
9. Pack a hat and gloves
Yes, you’ll need them as soon as you reach base camp. But especially on top of the summit where it’s even colder. I removed my gloves like most people to take photos and I couldn’t feel them after about 20 minutes. They were so cold they started hurting and took ages to warm up again!
As for the hat, you’ll need one too and we even slept in ours as we were so cold at night!
10. Pack as lightly as possible
You already have to carry a bunch of essential items like water, food and more layers. Any extra items should be carefully considered. A headlamp is definitely a useful thing to bring along. But we relied on our mobile torch and that was okay also.
Every ounce matters so the lighter you can pack, the better!
You won’t get much of a break back at basecamp, as you’ll be expected to start the descent back down almost immediately. This usually takes 2-3 hours. Sadly, my group had to wait an additional hour for my arrival. Although I was one of the first people to reach basecamp, hiking back down was a different story. My feet had a couple of blisters and were hurting real bad. Luckily, there was a sense of team spirit and nobody was upset having to wait for me!
You are usually expected to be back at your hotel around 1pm!
What if the weather isn’t great?
First of all you should know that it’s often very foggy as you climb Acatenango. It usually clears up, but as you probably noticed Fiona and I had exceptionally good weather with clear views all around us. Yep, we got pretty lucky! Just a few months before we hiked Acatenango our friends Andreas & Sabrina did the same hike with less favourable weather conditions. They created a beautiful dedicated video of their hike up Acatenango where you will be able to see what it’s like in foggier conditions and why the hike up is still absolutely worth it. Click here and scroll down to check out their YouTube video!
The Aftermath of Hiking Acatenango Volcano
After a long, hot shower we decided to go into town to celebrate with a glass of wine and good food. We had also pre-booked a massage, knowing what a treat it would be! We didn’t stay out long and collapsed exhausted into bed that night.
There was no way I could see myself jumping back onto the motorbike the next morning to continue towards Lake Atitlan. I was aching seriously bad and felt generally unwell. I can’t tell you how happy we felt when we were able to extend our stay for an additional two nights!
But it wasn’t until we reached Lake Atitlan and put our feet up for a few days that I can say we had truly recovered!
Are you ready to hike Acatenango Volcano?
We hope you found this guide useful. And if we can inspire at least one unfit person to give this hike a go, we will be very happy 🙂 If you have any questions about hiking Acatenango or if you want to share your experience with us then please leave a comment below. As always, we would love to hear from you!
