The Acatenango hike in Guatemala is when you hike a volcano to watch one of Central America’s most active volcanoes erupt.
Yes, this is a real thing that you can do and it definitely needs to be added to your bucket list. I think the Acatenango hike is the best thing to do and see in all of Central America.
You hike 1500m up Acatenango, a 3976m beast, to watch its smaller, very active and appropriately named volcano neighbour, Fuego (fuego means “fire” in Spanish) erupt with lava fireworks and smoke. This will likely be the coolest and most insane thing you’ll ever see in your life. The summit of Acatenango is also where you can see one of the most spectacular sunrises you’ll ever witness. The first time I hiked Acatenango was in 2016 and I loved it all so much that I went back to Guatemala in 2022 to hike it again. And I had a very different experience both times.
But nothing easy is worth having, so you have to work for this incredible view.
THE HIKE STATS
Difficulty – Difficult
Hiking time – 1.5 days (overnight to see sunrise)
Roundtrip – 18km
Elevation Gain – 1500m
Summit altitude – 3976m
Season – Dry season is November to April (yet some rain isn’t uncommon)
ITINERARY
7-8am – Meet your tour and rent additional gear you need.
8-9am – Leave Antigua (1500m altitude) with your tour for an hour drive to the small town of Le Soledad.
10:30am – Start the Acatenango hike from 2500m.
The hike to the camp takes about 4 hours, depending on your group, and this includes a lot of breaks.
1pm – 30 minute lunch break.
3-4pm – Arrive at the camp. You can choose to chill, recover and watch Fuego erupt, or you can choose to hike Fuego for an additional cost. This is about an extra 3-4 hours of a far more difficult hike, most of which will be in the dark.
7pm – Dinner around the campfire (for those who don’t go to Fuego). If you’re lucky (depending on your tour), you’ll get hot chocolate, wine and marshmallows to toast.
4-4:30am – Wake up to leave promptly for the 45-60 minute hike to the summit of Acatenango to see the sunrise and to see Fuego erupt.
6-7am – Back at the camp to eat breakfast, pack up and then hike about 2-3 hours back down.
12pm – Arrive back in Antigua.
THE HIKE
With your tour group, you start the hike with a full backpack at an altitude of 2500m, which will automatically make anything physical far more challenging. If it’s sunny, it will be warm to hot, but if it’s cloudy, it will be chilly. Wear and bring layers.
There is no warm up for the hike- the first part of the hike is fairly demoralizing because it’s steep and the ground is soft, so it’s like climbing a sand dune (you take one step forward and two steps back). But it isn’t like that the whole way, I promise. Lots of breaks are taken along the way.
The hike itself is very beautiful. You hike through four distinct landscapes, starting in farmland, then cloud forest, then alpine forest and finishing with barren volcanic landscape.
And you can see many other volcanoes in the distance.
It gets colder and colder as you ascend. And you can hear Fuego erupting (which you can also hear from Antigua), which sounds like thunder. It’s SO cool.
At your camp, your guides will set up a camp fire to keep warm. And your camp will have a ridiculous view of Fuego right on the doorstep of your tent or cabin:
You will likely barely sleep either due to the cold and altitude, or if you’re lucky, because you were watching Fuego erupting all night. Even if it’s cloudy or rainy when you’re woken up at 4am for the summit hike, go on the hike anyway because you will hike above the clouds and see one of the most epic sunrises you’ll ever see in your life. The hike to the summit is a steep 45-60 minutes in the dark and it feels more difficult than the hike the day before due to the high altitude and the lack of sleep.
Once at the summit, if you’re lucky, you’ll see Fuego erupt and spew lava fireworks. It’s completely surreal.
Then you hike back down to your camp to eat breakfast, pack up and hike back down Acatenango. The hike down is much faster and your backpack is so much lighter after drinking most of your water.
HOW FIT DO YOU NEED TO BE?
Of course it’s definitely beneficial if you are active and exercise regularly, but even if you don’t, don’t let this stop you- you still can and should do the hike. The majority of the people who do the Acatenango hike are not regular hikers or exercisers so the hike is very much accessible and attainable for most. The altitude will be a challenge whether you’re fit or not, and many breaks are taken along the way.
I’m very fit, but in 2016 it was my first time hiking with a big, heavy backpack and I have scoliosis (back problems), so that was definitely a challenge. And for my 2022 hike, I had a freshly reinjured knee and it hurt all the way up and allll the way down, so if I could do it, so can you 😀
Acatenango is a challenging hike, especially with a full backpack at such high altitude (and especially if you live at sea level). But remember that it’s about 20% physical and 80% mental. Listen to upbeat music, put one foot in front of the other and take breaks.
A lot of people say the hike is the hardest thing they’ve ever done, so if you feel the same, you’ll feel incredibly proud accomplished after.
NEED TO KNOW
***The weather and volcanic activity are up to Mother Nature, so there is a possibility you won’t see Fuego erupt***
If you have the luxury of flexibility and time, check Mountain Forecast for weather reports of the peak of Acatenango. Weather reports for Antigua are irrelevant. However, even if the weather report doesn’t look great, you could still end up having good weather and eruptions (and vice versa). Eruptions are in Mother Nature’s hands, so there’s no forecast for this.
You need to carry warm clothes, 4L of water, snacks and some meals, and depending on the tour company you choose, you may also have to carry your tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping mat. Leave everything you don’t need at your accommodation in Antigua. You can pay extra to hire a porter to carry your backpack.
They don’t properly prepare you for how cold Acatenango really is. You need very warm clothes for the night and early morning as it gets to below freezing and it’s extremely windy at the summit. I hiked at the end of February in 2016 and again in mid-March 2022 and it was painfully cold and windy both times. I was more prepared for my second hike, so I wore 3 pairs of leggings, 2 pairs of extremely thick hiking socks, a t-shirt, 4 sweaters, a jacket, a beanie and 2 basic gloves.
The high altitude will affect with you in some way. You might have strange dreams; fatigue, yet difficulty sleeping; headache; loss of appetite; nausea; and shortness of breath. High altitude will dehydrate you and it can diminish your appetite, so make sure you drink a lot of water and force yourself to eat, even if you don’t feel like it, because it will make you feel better. Try to acclimatize in Antigua (1500m) for at least 2 days before doing the Acatenango hike.
The tents and shelters are very small with people crammed in. At first, you’ll be skeptical, but then you’ll be very thankful for the body heat.
The add-on Fuego hike is very popular. In 2016, hiking Fuego wasn’t an option given and I opted out of it on my 2022 hike due to poor visibility (the group did not see anything, which unfortunately seems to be common, but it’s worth taking a chance) and a fresh knee injury.
But know that hiking Fuego is risky. I met a few hikers who hiked Fuego on different dates who said that after they left the viewing spot on Fuego, lava fell on the place they were just standing. Also know that it’s not uncommon for many of the Fuego hikers to be too tired for the Acatenango summit hike at 4:30am, which I think is devastating because the summit is the purpose of the entire hike.
Hiking Acatenango without a tour is not safe or recommended.
There are a few outhouses along the way and there should be an outhouse at your camp. You need to pack toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
You will not be alone at the summit. The Acatenango hike has become extremely popular, so there will be a lot of people at the top.
There is nowhere to buy water, so you must bring all of your water.
Drink lots of water because high altitude dehydrates you. The incentive is that your pack will become lighter.
The tour provides very small meals, so it’s a good idea to pack some of your own snacks (carbs and sugar are key).
Put your phone on airplane mode in order to preserve the battery life.
Stretch before and after. You will likely be sore for days after (myself included).
COSTS & CHOOSING A TOUR COMPANY
The Acatenango hikes run every single day. With some tour companies, you have to carry your tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat; whereas other companies have established camps with basic cabins, so you don’t have to carry sleeping supplies, which will result in a much lighter backpack. This is vital to know when choosing a tour company because it depends on how big of a backpack you’ll need and how heavy it’ll be. The first time I did the Acatenango hike in 2016, there weren’t many tour company options so I had to carry all my sleeping equipment because established camps and cabins weren’t an option then. In 2022, I chose a tour with Tropicana, which has basic cabins, so only having to carry water, warm clothes and snacks felt like a luxury.
Additionally, some tours have the option to hike to Fuego, while some have the option to hike the summit for sunset (in addition to sunrise).
All recommended tour companies below include all meals and bilingual guides.
TOURS COMPANIES WITH CABINS
Tropicana – The company I chose for my hike in 2022. They offer all sorts of food options, depending on your dietary preferences. 450Q ($59US).
Wicho and Charlie – Another popular and reputable company. They serve vegan food to everyone. $75US
TOUR COMPANIES WITH TENTS
Ox Expeditions – You have to carry your tent and sleeping bag etc. $89US for the hike. This doesn’t include the entrance fee (50Q).
ADDITIONAL COSTS
Expect to pay 200-300Q/$26-40US for the optional Fuego hike (depending on how many people go).
The cost of rentals from Tropicana in Quetzales: (8Q = $1US, so it’s only a few dollars to rent most items + the cost of deposit)
Additional costs: hiring a porter and gratuities for the guides.
WHAT YOU NEED TO PACK
- Warm clothes!!! Buy, pack, borrow or rent warm clothes. It can literally get to below freezing temperatures at 3976m and it can be extremely windy, so the wind chill is extra fierce. Most people (myself included) don’t travel to Guatemala with super warm clothes, so you can rent everything you don’t have.
- Snacks! The meals provided are very small. Carbs and sugar are your friends. Definitely bring extra, extra snacks if you hike Fuego.
- 4L of water – it’s heavy, but it’s necessary. It’ll get lighter as you drink it. You have to provide 1L of your water to the tour for cooking.
- Headlamp
- Toilet paper
- Hand sanitizer
- Money- check if your tour includes the entrance fee or not. You also need money for anything you need to rent, if you decide to hire a porter, gratuities for the guides, and a coffee or snack at the entrance.
- Good camera (especially for night shots). The views and potential photos are INSANE. It’s a photographer’s dream.
- Headache pills (for the high altitude)
- Rain jacket/poncho
- Music and headphones (optional)
- Hiking poles
- Good shoes for hiking, if possible. The hike can be done in running shoes (like I did the first time), but you’ll be happier in proper hiking shoes.
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Hat for warmth and sun protection
- Battery pack to charge your camera/phone
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Wipes
For another crazy cool volcano hike, visit Ijen in Indonesia to see the blue fire.