Scaling an active volcano might not interest everyone. But for me, it was something that had always played on my mind. Mount Acatenango might just be the answer.
When I visited Guatemala in June 2023, I knew I had to make the most of the opportunity. With countless active volcanos spread throughout the Central American country, I’d be silly not to.
I’d seen videos all over social media of the impressive Mount Fuego, which can be seen from its dormant neighbour, Mount Acatenango.
Volcan Feugo erupts roughly every 15 minutes, some bigger than others but all impressive nonetheless. The violent eruptions can be seen from the base camp on Volcan Acatenango.
The hike was challenging, but it wasn’t the hardest thing I’ve done either. Anyone who sets their mind to it can complete this hike and the reward is truly worth it.
In this article, I will explain everything you need to know before the Volcan Fuego hike. What to pack, who to book through and what to expect.
Why Mount Acatenango, Guatemala?
You may wonder why this volcano and not any other. The reasoning is simple, Volcan Acatenango sits directly opposite Volcan Fuego, and you can walk from base camp across the ridge line onto Volcan Fuego. (I will get onto this later)
Acatenango Volcano is a stratovolcano located just outside of Antigua, Guatemala. It has been dormant since the early 2000s, so climbing it is relatively safe.
Volcan de Fuego on the other hand has been violently erupting since the 1500s, with eruptions every 15 minutes Volcan de Feugo is in the highly active class.
Volcan Acatenango and Volcan de Feugo are connected and sit at the same altitude, which provides the perfect hiking and thrill-seeker sightseeing experience.
Since the early 2000s, Mount Fuegos eruptions have become increasingly intense. There are eruptions throughout the day and night with a larger eruption every few years. Most notable was the eruption back in 2018 in which just over 200 people sadly lost their lives with many more injured.
Is Acatenango Volcano safe to hike?
The two volcanos have become so popular because of how active they are, this does bring a level of risk.
There have been 60 major recorded eruptions in the last 400 years, around 1 in every 8 years. Generally, these larger eruptions can be predicted and the local area will be evacuated.
Of course, there is a higher level of risk when hiking Volcan Fuego, however, this risk is so low I wouldn’t let it put you off planning your Mount Acatenango trip.
How hard is the Actatenango hike?
The hike to Mount Acatenango base camp is hard and long. It is a physical and mental struggle and takes the best part of a day.
You will have a group of guides who ensure you are all safe and on track to arrive before it is too dark. The guides will also ensure plenty of water/ snack stops along the way so you can catch your breath.
Mount Acatenango is 3,976 Meters tall, the air gets thinner as you climb which can cause altitude sickness, and the temperature drops as you ascent. What may be 25 Degrees Celsius at the bottom will easily be sub-zero at the top.
This can be a bit of a blessing, as it gets much cooler as the hike goes on which can help to regulate body temperature throughout the Volcan Acatenango hike.
The majority of the hike is a very steep climb, with the last hour of day 1 being the hardest. At this point, you are hiking through volcanic ash and it’s 1 step up just for you to slide back down 2. This combined with low oxygen levels can take it out of you.
I will say, that I am not a seasoned hiker, nor a fitness fanatic and I managed the hike, so anybody with a bit of willpower and determination will be sure to scale it just like I did.
How long does the Mount Acatenango hike take?
The Acatenango Volcano hike takes around 7 hours. This is to reach base camp on day 1. You will have many stops and a longer lunch stop as well.
Once you reach base camp you will be able to see Volcan Fuego erupting. You will spend the night at base camp socialising, drinking wine or hot chocolate and enjoying your warm dinner cooked by the guides.
Weather permitting, you will be able to marvel at the stunning Volcan de Fuego erupting glowing orange lava and feel the ground shaking beneath your feet.
After a few hours of sleep you will wake up around 3:30 am and hike to the summit of Mount Acatenango, this is easily the hardest part of the whole hike. It is pitch dark, freezing cold and you are wading your way through volcanic dust. It seriously takes it out of you!
But the stunning sunrise is one of the best you will ever see, with Volcan de Fuego erupting in front of you and the sun rising to your back, on a clear day, you will be able to see the crests of several other volcanos too. This is a sunrise you will never forget.
The descent was much faster, I decided to jog down with a few friends and we got down in around 90 minutes, the rest of the group took around 3 hours. The trip in total came in at around 20km up and down.
What to pack for the Acatatenango Volcano overnight hike?
You really don’t need that much, you won’t shower and facilities are very limited. It is so cold at base camp that you won’t be able to think of anything other than staying warm.
Be sure to pack gloves, warm socks, thermal layers, a hat, a warm coat, jogging bottoms and any other warm clothing that you have. It is seriously cold once the sun goes down and it’s best to be overprepared.
Make sure to pack some sweets and easy snacks to give you an energy boost throughout the day, as well as plenty of water.
A toothbrush and toothpaste will also come in handy as well as toilet roll if you plan on having a toilet up there. I will warn you, these are just holes in the ground.
If you have your headtorch I would pack it, if not you can rent these from the guides along with walking sticks and other aids.
Side note: I didn’t rent a head torch and it came back to bite me, I ended up trying to hike 1 handed at 4 am with my phone torch in the other and seriously regretted my life choices.
Getting to Volcan Acatenango
Getting to the Acatenango Volcano may sound a bit daunting at first but it isn’t all that bad. Presuming that you are visiting Guatemala anyway, the volcano is easily accessible from Antigua, one of Guatemala’s major cities.
I did the hike through a guide, which I will come on to later. They arranged for pickup from Antigua and drop off the following day.
Antigua sits at an altitude of 1,533 meters so it is a good idea to spend a few days here before the hike to adjust to the altitude before you begin your Acatenango Volcano hike.
Guides, Tours and Costs involved with the Volcan Acatenango Hike.
I booked my tour through Tropicana Hostel, they provided us with food for the duration of the Mount Acatenango hike. This included breakfast at the hostel, a pack lunch as well as noodles, pasta, wine and hot chocolate at base camp. They also served up porridge and banana bread on the morning of day 2.
Prices range depending on the company you go with, there are private tour providers as well as others which are provided by some of the larger hostels in Antigua such as Tropicana.
On average the price is between 50 – 100 USD.
I paid around 60 USD through Tropicana which included everything from park entrance, transport to Mount Acatenango and food.
There are a few more costs involved, I spent around 10 USD on snacks and water for the Volcan Acatenango hike, and I also rented a walking stick which cost around 2 USD. There is other equipment available to rent.
You are also able to pay a porter to carry your gear up and down for you for around 20 USD each way. If you get tired you can pay to ride the rest of the way on horseback, unfortunately, I’m unsure how much this costs.
Volcan Fuego extra hike
Once you reach base camp on Volcan Acatenango, you will have the option to pay an additional 20-30 USD to talk along the ridge and scale the active Volcan Fuego.
This is completely optional and not for the faint-hearted.
The extra hike is a cold, gruelling, tiring and character-testing one. The ground is loose under your feet, the wind can be extreme, temperatures are extremely low and you’re coming off the back end of an already hard 7-hour hike.
The extra Mount Fuego hike takes around 4-5 hours there and back, you will get the opportunity to stand on the erupting Volcan Fuego and feel its full force. This is a seriously impressive experience and something you will never forget.
If you don’t feel up to it, that is fine, you can sit at base camp and drink wine whilst admiring Volcan Fuego erupting from a distance.
Side note: everybody in my group who did the additional Volcan Fuego hike didn’t end up getting up at 3:30 am for the Volcan Acatenango summit, which arguably was one of the best parts of the whole experience.
Tips for Acatenango Volcano overnight hike.
Water – pack loads of water, and then pack more. There is nothing worse than getting dehydrated on such a difficult hike, and it will ruin the Mount Fuego experience.
Snacks – Pack sweets, biscuits and chocolate as well as some breakfast bars to eat along the way, these will provide you with a fast kick of energy when you are feeling most down during the Acatenango Volcano Hike.
Warm Clothes – I know I stressed it earlier, but it is seriously cold. Pack all of your warm clothes, it’s better to be overprepared and warm than shivering all night.
Suncream – You are in the sun for the majority of the time and the UV is much stronger at this altitude, make sure to apply suncream to avoid getting sunburn.
Painkillers – It is completely normal to get altitude sickness at this height, you may have a pounding headache and feel slightly sick. A few paracetamol will really go a long way.
Prepare – Spend a bit of time enjoying Antigua before the hike, this will help you acclimatise to the altitude. The hike is doable but it is difficult, if you’re not prepared you might find that you are really struggling.
Enjoy – Enjoy it! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I mean who else can say they’ve scaled an active volcano?
PS – If you enjoyed this article and are thinking of visiting Guatemala, check out our other articles HERE!
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