Essential tips to hike the Acatenango volcano

If you are planning to spend some time in Antigua, the former capital city of Guatemala, you are at the right place, because most tours usually start from Antigua. We chose an agency, called CA Travelers, and it was a good decision. They provide transportation from their office in Antigua to the volcano and back via shuttle bus. They operate every day of the week, but expect a lot of people on the tours on weekends.

It is advised to not go up alone, always go with guides! They do this every day, and know the routes like the back of their hands. You don’t want to get lost, right? Or encounter wild animals along the way by yourself. Besides, there are a lot of stray dogs everywhere, most of them are very friendly, but they will follow you for food, because they are hungry. Additionally, if you hire a guide, you support the local community — they have jobs and can provide for their families. Moreover, hiking with guides makes the experience much safer. However, keep in mind that most guides only speak Spanish.

The best time for hiking is between November and May, as this is the dry season there. From May to November is considered the hurricane season and it rains heavily. You can also hike during this period, but be prepared for rain.

The whole tour lasts 1,5 days. On the first day, the hike takes about 5 to 6 hours to reach the basecamp at 3600 meters above sea level, arriving around 4 or 5 in the afternoon. Then you will have two options: relax at camp, have dinner and chat with other hikers, while taking photos and videos of the erupting Fuego volcano. Or you can continue hiking up to volcano Fuego for about 2 hours to reach the viewpoint and then get back to basecamp.
The next morning you will need to rise early to be on Acatenango’s summit at sunrise. It takes about 2 hours to reach the top; despite the difficulty, it is well worth it. After returning and breakfast at the campsite, you will begin your descend, which takes a couple of hours. You will be back in Antigua around 1 in the afternoon.

If you are averagely fit, you can complete the hike, however, be prepared for it to be challenging. The soil and rocks are volcanic and eroded, therefore difficult to hike. You take one step forward and slide back three. The steepness won’t help you either. The beginning of the hike is very steep, the first two hours are probably the most challenging part. However, the rest won’t be easy peasy either.

The price of the hike is between 600 and 700 Quetzales. The price of the tour with CA Travelers covers the transport, the entrance fee, the usage of the equipment in the basecamp, clothes, such as winter jacket, gloves, bandana, a headlamp, rainponcho, sleeping bag liner, camelbak with three litres of water and a lunchbox. After the hike, you can tip the guides, if you think they deserve it and you would like to support the locals.

You should bring your own shoes and backpack around 40 litres. Be sure your backpack is big enough for all items, clothes, your lunch box, and maybe extra drinking water. You can also rent shoes and backpacks, but it is possible that the agency you travel with don’t have many and surely not for everyone.
And you should definitely rent a wooden walking stick. On one hand, it will help you during the hike both ascending and descending, and on the other hand, as I mentioned before, you can support the locals. 

You can find wooden tents up in the basecamp, equipped with mattresses and sleeping bags. The tents are big enough for three person, but usually used by only two people to have enough space for the backpacks. There are nomadic conditions in the basecamp, you can find toilets, but they are not best and they definitely don’t smell like roses. There isn’t any other facility up there.

The weather is changeable, therefore it isn’t easy to predict what will be the weather like. The best time to hike the Acatenango volcano is between November and May, but even in this period it can rain, and there is a possibility that you won’t see anything because of the fog. The nights are usually cold, bring enough warm clothes with you.

After you book the hike, you can choose from different menus based on your preferences (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free etc.) beforehand. On the first morning in the CA Travelers office you get a breakfast, and in the lunchbox you can find one lunch, one dinner and one breakfast – according to your chosen menu. The food is plentiful, not necessary to bring any other meal with you, besides maybe müsli or energy bar. If first thing you need is coffee in the morning, then bring a bottle of coffee with you. You possibly will need it before the hike to the summit.

Yes, you can leave all your things that you don’t need in the agency’s office. Keep in mind to only bring the items you think is necessary with you. You have to carry your backpack yourself and it will feel very heavy after a couple of hours of hiking.
Besides, you also have two option: you can hire any of the guides for a fee to bring your backpack up or you can also hire horses to transport not just your backpack, but yourself, as well, but what is the fun in that? 🙂

As in the high mountains, you have the risk of altitude sickness. It is advised to drink sufficient amount of water. If you have any problem, don’t feel yourself well, tell it to the guides, they have some medicine with them. At the last resort, you should go lower than you are.

Yes, if you are lucky and the weather is nice, you can see Fuego and you can see and hear it erupts. It’s an amazing experience. Additionally, when the weather is clear, Agua and Pacaya volcanoes are also visible.