Guide to Hiking Acatenango Volcano
First time seeing lava!
1.) Summary: Acatenango is a stratovolcano in Guatemala, located close to the city of Antigua. It is part of a complex of volcanoes that includes Volcán de Fuego, which is known for its frequent eruptions. Acatenango itself has not erupted in recent history, but it is known for its impressive height and stunning views of the surrounding landscape, including the active Volcán de Fuego. Acatenango shares a ridge with it’s active neighbor, Volcan de Fuego. Acatenango volcano is a popular destination for hikers and adventurers due to its challenging but rewarding trails and the opportunity to witness Fuego’s eruptions from a safe distance. Its ascent is known for its steep terrain and high altitude, requiring a moderate level of physical fitness and proper gear. Acatenango’s summit is just shy of 4000M. Acatenango offers panoramic views of the neighboring peaks, valleys, and even the Pacific coastline on clear days. It is renowned for its diverse ecosystems, including lush forests and high-altitude vegetation. Hiking Acatenango has recently become the most popular tour in Guatemala, and it is important to be well prepared before embarking on the challenging journey. You probably already know about all this general stuff, so below are the nitty gritty details that you need to be prepared.
Volcan de Fuego to the left and Acatenango to the right
Sunrise hike
1.) Picking a tour company
Booking Process
There are plenty(too many) of tour companies offering the Acatenango hike. The recent explosion in popularity has drawn in lots of new tour companies in the last five years. Some are way better than others… Antigua is a very popular destination for tourists and you will be able to easily book your tour in person. You can even book your tour from other places in Guatemala, but it’s best to do in Antigua as it’s only an hour away from the trail head. I reccommend researching & choosing your company of choice in advance but waiting for a day or two before to actually book the hike. The reason I recommend waiting is because the weather can be unpredictable and if you’re locked in on a certain date in advance you’ll be going whether it’s rain or shine. If you have a few days flexibility in Antigua, it’s best to choose the day with good weather forecast. It is reccommended you spend 2 days in Antigua acclimatizing before starting the hike. You can research in advance a legitimate tour company with an online presence, reputable reviews, small group sizes, and a good base camp set up. You can also easily just book at a hostel, but I don’t recommend this as you will be hoarded into a very large group, with low quality gear, and sleep in low quality tents. You get what you pay for when it comes to tour companies leading Acatenango hikes. This hike is not easy and unprepared hikers have died. I was told a horror story of unprepared hikers trying to camp in the crater at summit with no guide and it was storming and so cold that they left their tents and tried to come down to lower elevation in the middle of the night. They all got lost and died of hypothermia or from falling off the side of the volcano. However, if you are prepared and go with a guide you will be fine, most of the guides have been hiking Acatenango their entire lives.
Sustainability:
As mentioned earlier, with the recent explosion in popularity sustainability has become a key issue for Acatenango. From speaking with local guides who have been in Antigua forever, the rise in new tour companies chasing profit has led to some unsustainable practices. Acatenango is not yet a protected UNESCO site, nor even a national park and therefore there are very lax regulations, right now essentially anyone can set up a base camp and start offering tours. While I dont mean to come across snobby or hypocritical as I was unaware of these issues before meeting with local guides… I think it’s important to be aware of these issues when choosing an ethical tour operator that operates in responsible manner. Make sure to leave Acatenango cleaner than you found and leave no trace.
Recommended:
I highly recommend these two tour companies. They have the best local guides, the best gear, an amazing base camp, and have been running this hike since before it was popular.
Go Wild Acatenango Adventure: @gowild_gt
Antigua Old Town Outfitters: @oldtownoutfitters
Porter:
I personally hired a porter and it was the best 200Q I spent. When you start the hike it will be hot, but by the time you reach base camp it will be cold, and summit will be freezing- so you’ll want lots of clothing layers. You also have lots of water, and a couple pre-prepped meals. The porters carry your bag up, but then they leave back down the volcano right when you reach basecamp. You will have to carry your pack down the volcano the following day. So only bring the essentials- your pack will be lighter on the way down as you will have eaten all your meals and drank 3/4 of your water supply. If you are worried about your ability to handle this hike, you should absolutely hire a porter for the hike up.
Trail can get pretty busy, especially in the first half as you pass people coming down
2.) Itinerary
Volcan Agua and Antigua in the distance
Day 1
7:30am-9:30am: 7:30am pickup, 1 hour bus ride, orientation, breakfast,& gear rental
10am- ~12:30pm(depending on how fast you are): initial ascent to lunch break spot. The initial ascent is pretty tough and sort of steep, but the excitement & adrenaline of starting the hike makes it pretty enjoyable. Plenty of short catch your breath breaks taken as needed.
all times are general estimates depending on the slowest person in your group. If you are the first to lunch in your group and you have a slow hiker you may be waiting for them. I was in the front of the group and it was nice because I got longer rest periods while waiting for the rest of the group.
12:30pm- 1:30pm: lunch break. Your tour company should pre-pack a lunch for you. Mine was chicken, rice, and veggies.
1:30pm-4:00pmish: Push to base camp. ~3600M
4:00pm-7:00pm: relax at basecamp, campfire, enjoy views of Fuego and sunset
5:00pm-8:00pm ish Optional night hike to fuego ridge. I would only recommend this for more experienced hikers, It is an extra 200Q and a very challenging endeavor- especially after hiking to basecamp. No one in my group of 7 wanted to do it, we were content chilling around the campfire watching Fuego’s eruptions from basecamp.
7:00pm-9:00pm: dinner, marshmallows around campfire, red wine. My dinner was spaghetti and meat sauce.
9:00ish pm-4:00am: attempt to sleep
Day 2:
4:00am-6:00am: Optional summit of Acatenango and watch sunrise with Fuego eruptions. ~3980M. This is included in the tour price, but if you really struggled on the way up to base camp, it may be best to sit the summit out and sleep in at basecamp. This is the most challenging part of the hike. You will be hiking in the dark with a headlamp. It is very steep and the lava rock gets quite loose and slippery. However, it is also the best part of the hike. You can see all of Guatemala on a clear morning. You will see Guatemala’s volcanoes, cities, and lake Atitlan. The views of Fuego are out of this world. Summiting Acatenango was my favorite hike of my life. Leave your bag at basecamp and only bring a little water.
6:00am-7:00am: challenging descent down loose rock to base camp. It almost feels like you’re skiing down the loose lava rock, you descend so much faster than the ascent.
7:00am-8:00am: Breakfast and pack up. Breakfast was oatmeal and instant coffee.
8:00am-11:00amish: descent down to trail head. I actually found this part the most challenging because of the stress on my knees and hips.
11:00am-12:00pm: return gear, quick breakfast
12:00pm-1:00pm: shuttle back to Antigua. I slept the whole shuttle ride back to Antigua.
First half of day 1
Second half of day 1
Final push day 2 summiting
Day 2 descent skiing down loose lava rock on the descent
3.) What to pack- I did this trip in late September. This list is ideal for spring or fall. So if going in winter increase layers, if going in Summer decrease layers.
What to wear for start of hike:
Hiking shoes with good support
Hiking pants that can unzip to shorts
Comfortable athletic T-shirt
The first half of the hike is hot. Second half is pleasant and cool. Basecamp at night is pretty cold. Push to summit is freezing.
Bring on your own:
Quality ergonomic backpack, can also rent one for a $.
Long John thermal pants
Long sleeve athletic compression shirt
Lightweight hoody
Gloves
Extra pair of socks and underwear
A few small snacks
Camelback
Provided by/Rent from your trekking company
Comfortable jacket
Scarf/Buff
Toboggan
Headlamp
Trekking poles ~ 15Q
3 or 4 litres of water
Lunch, Dinner, and Breakfast in small tupperware containers.
For the start of the hike, I wore shorts and a T-shirt. About halfway up, I transitioned my shorts into hiking pants. At basecamp I added on my lightweight hoody, toboggan, and gloves. I slept in my long john thermal pants and long sleeve athletic compression shirt and socks. For the summit sunrise hike, I wore two pairs of socks, thermal pants, hiking pants, long sleeve compression shirt, lightweight hoody, jacket, toboggan, buff, and gloves. On the descent I wore the same I wore on the way up, slowly shedding layers as it go hotter and hotter.
What i wore at summit
Night time at basecamp
