In our travels, the overnight Acatenango Volcano Hike was one of the most incredible experiences!
Just outside of Antigua are two gigantic volcanoes, Acatenango and Fuego. Over the past 50 years Acatenango has been inactive, but the neighboring Fuego Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. About every 30 minutes or less the volcano has a mini eruption. But on a good night, every few hours the volcano has an ear pounding explosion that lights up the night sky. It is truly an incredible experience!
So when Em and I found out that we could sleep on the top of Acatenango and watch Fuego erupt overnight we knew we had to try it! (Well I knew we had to do it…Em may have needed a little more convincing to sleep at 13,000 feet elevation on a cold, windy volcano =) But she was super thankful she did!
It is an incredible experience that is definitely a must-do if in Antigua. It is hard to describe the experience. The pictures and videos don’t do it justice. It is truly breathtaking to see the night light up with red lava and watch the fiery rocks tumble down the side of the volcano! Then three seconds later, we could hear the ground-shaking boom of the volcanic explosion! Even the stars are incredible on top of the volcano and the sunrise in the morning is spectacular! We went on a clear night, which is a huge bonus. (I’ve heard of people who have hiked and haven’t been able to see the eruptions on Fuego due to cloud coverage.)
If you decide to experience this bucket list worthy experience, here are some of the logistics and details about the overnight hike.
In addition to cold, windy weather, there is a pretty steep 4-6 hour hike to the top of the volcano. The most important thing is to book a good tour company with great gear, guides, and campsites. There are several hiking companies that offer the overnight volcano experience, but not all tour companies are equal. Some companies have less gear, food, or make you carry all of your own equipment. We did some research and found that one of the highest rated tour companies was Tropicana Hostel. The hostel works with local Guatemalan guides who carry all your sleeping gear and food to the top. But perhaps the best thing about booking with Tropicana Hostel is the campsite location. Based on our research, there seems to only be two tour companies that have campsites that directly overlook Volcano Fuego. It was incredible being able to sit around the warm campfire and watch the erupting volcano.
After hiking up Acatenago, you can actually hike part of Fuego (the active volcano) as well. We have heard that the views are not necessarily better than from the top of Acatenago, but when else do you get to hike on an actual erupting volcano?! The hike is not for the faint of heart as it can get pretty windy and part of the hike is on a narrow ridge. But if you want to experience this part of the hike, be sure to arrange it beforehand with your guide (it costs about $30-40 extra depending on how many people go.) I was a little sad that the people of my group backed out so I wasn’t able to go, but maybe next time ;-)
All of our guides were amazing. In addition to carrying the tents, sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, and sleeping mats, the guides set up camp and prepared the food in record time. I had a bit of an elevation headache, so it was awesome to be able to just take off my shoes and crawl into our already set up tent when we made it to the top! Be prepared to carry warm clothes to sleep in, extra snacks, and at least 4 liters of water (this is what our guide suggested). But in case you aren’t up for carrying the extra weight, you can pay a porter to carry your things for an extra $25 USD. No the meals aren’t gourmet, it’s camping food, but it was prepared quickly, warm, and plenty to eat! If you want your own snacks on the way up, it’s a good idea to bring extra snacks.
Also, it’s a good idea to pay the extra $1.30 for a walking stick. I’m not usually a fan of walking sticks and didn’t use it for the hike up, but it was definitely a welcome addition for the “slide” down the loose volcano gravel.
We also rented other gear, since we didn’t have many warm weather clothes with us while traveling through Central America. The hostel offers jackets, gloves, hats, and boot rentals. We rented all of the warm clothes and Em rented a pair of boots for a total of about $10 USD. It’s not top of the line gear, but it kept us warm. I did the hike in normal sneakers. The path is full of loose rock and probably not the best to do in sneakers, but it’s still doable.
So if you’re in Guatemala, up for an adventure, and don’t mind being a little cold, book a hike up the Acatenango overnight hike!
~ Read our 10 Best Things To Do in Guatemala post for more ideas on what to experience in this beautiful country!
