Mt Acatenango – Hiking An Active Volcano in Guatemala

If you’re travelling to Guatemala, climbing Mt. Acatenango is a must-do experience that I highly recommend!

Acatenango is a volcano outside Antigua, Guatemala, where you can complete the most spectacular overnight hike. The campsite at the top offers views of Volcan Fuego, an active volcano that erupts approximately every 20 minutes. The experience includes incredible sunset and sunrise views, and sleeping in cabins with perfect views of the erupting Fuego overnight.

I completed a guided hike through the company Wicho Charlies. When travelling, particularly in less developed countries, it’s important to me to choose local companies that employ locally and give back to their communities. All the guides from Wicho Charlies are local and are provided English lessons and work to improve their English while on the hikes, creating greater employment opportunities for them in the future.

Mt Acatenango stands 3976 m above sea level. From the top, you can see three other nearby volcanos.  

The Acatenango Volcano last erupted in 1972.

Volcan Fuego is one of the most active volcanos in the world and erupts approximately every 20 minutes.

The dry season is from November to April. The wet season is May to October. I would consider the weather when planning, as the wet season can make the mountain slippery and muddy to climb. Crowds on the volcano are also busier during the Dry Season with more tourists.              

EQUIPMENT:

We arrived at the office for a 7 am briefing and collection of equipment. Breakfast spread was provided with coffee and a range of tea or juice. All the food on the trip was provided and delicious. During the briefing, all equipment and recommendations were explained, and anything you’d not packed was provided. This included backpacks for the hike, some included in the price other pieces for a small additional cost.

Details surrounding packing lists and pricing were sent to participants a week before arrival and are available through the website.   

FOOD:

The guides catered breakfast on the first day, which was incredible. Dietary requirements were well catered for. Participants had to carry their snacks and all the required water. Each person was instructed to carry 1 additional litre of water, to be given to the guides on arrival to camp for cooking purposes. I would highly recommend packing another additional litre, on top of this, you will need more than you think you will!

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed the night in a small four-person shared cabin. There are options for larger six-person shared cabins, private cabins, or double cabins. Through the cabin’s window, we could view the erupting volcano in all its glory, with glowing red lava running down the side. The cabin was simple and warm, with sleeping bags and pillows provided, we were honestly so exhausted that sleep came very easily. I’m not entirely sure of the actual level of comfort it provided.

OUR HIKE:

This is by no means an easy hike. The day was split into three portions described by the guides as “steep”, “zig-zag incline through forest” and “Guatemala flat”.

I personally found the initial incline the steepest and most challenging. My partner, however, firmly believes the forest was the most challenging part of the day. 

Snack and drink breaks were provided. Having three guides, one at the front, one in the middle and another bringing up the back allowed everyone to hike at their own pace and take mini breaks as needed. The day we hiked was perfect conditions, partly cloudy, I would recommend wearing layers as it gets very hot when hiking then became cooler as we stopped. Many dogs followed us up and walked alongside us as we were hiking.

Another factor contributing to the difficulty of the hike for us was the altitude. Having lived at sea level for most of my life, the altitude took its toll. The guides are prepped with medications and oxygen and have a safety route to evacuate people if needed. One person on our hike became quite unwell due to the altitude. Our friend group had taken altitude sickness tablets in the days leading up to the hike and would recommend this. Consult your doctor and find out what would be best for you.

Nothing prepares you for the view when you finally get to the top. This truly makes the whole challenge worth it; photos just do not do it justice. Uninterrupted views of the erupting volcano from the camp are beyond breathtaking.

This is one of the greatest experiences of my life and could not recommend it more.

FUEGO HIKE:

An additional hike from Acatenango base camp, you hike down into the valley before ascending the active volcano of Fuego. This is the closest you can get to the erupting volcano to witness the lava.

Before taking the hike ourselves, we’d heard mixed reviews from so many people about partaking in the additional Fuego hike.

Here’s my take: yes, do it, but highly weather-dependent! We got unbelievably lucky with the weather clear skies and beautiful weather on both days. We had met a girl who had done it in the pouring rain, and after having completed the hike, there’s no way on earth I would have done that in the rain!

It is a very challenging hike with extremely steep ascents and descents. Even harder than the challenging Acatenango you will have just completed. Following the sunset, the hike back to camp was in complete darkness, requiring head torches to find our way back.

It was one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve seen. We were halfway up the ascent to the viewing area of Fuego when all the clouds were incredible cotton candy colours at sunset.

Our group sat a little further back on the ridge of Fuego and watched the glowing lava explode out of the top of the volcano. It’s also known to be relatively dangerous with unpredictable flying volcanic rocks (why we sat a little further back).  It was cold on top, rugged up with beanies and gloves once the sunset.

Overall this is one of my favourite experiences and could not recommend it more! Definitely travel with a local company and persevere through the challenge as it is worth it!