Hiking Acatenango: Watching a Volcano Erupt at Sunrise
Hiking Acatenango was the very reason I wanted to visit Guatemala. I knew it was a challenging hike but one with great reward... getting to see an active volcano erupt. It's been on my bucket list for a couple years now, knowing it was something I wanted to do while I was as young and fit as possible. I was both excited and anxious, excited for the once in a lifetime experience, but anxious about the formidable challenge. After a few days settling into Antigua, it was finally time. Looking back, I'm so glad I didn't wait any longer to take this trip and go on this hike. It was tough. It was also one of the most rewarding hikes I've ever done, the kind that reminds you exactly why you should go out and live life.
Getting Ready
The morning of the hike started with a 6am alarm to make sure I had everything packed, ready, and squared away. I checked out of my hostel, housed my leftover cinnamon roll from Once Once, and tried to eat as much of the hostel-offered breakfast as well to fuel a full day of climbing.
I got picked up around 7:25am and we drove out of Antigua toward the trailhead, the road winding higher and higher through the mountains. I pressed my face to the window and watched the small towns blur by, roadside fruit stands, women carrying baskets on their heads, and the air outside cooling with every mile we climbed. I chatted a bit with another girl on the bus, but once we picked everyone up, we all silently rode the bus, awaiting the inevitable.
Before embarking on the hike, we were planned to stop at the tour office, which is right next to the trailhead. At Soy Tours, our group of over 30 hikers gathered in tiled courtyard, gearing up and listening to the safety briefing. I lucked into meeting two German sisters, Alina and Kira, while waiting in line, and I was beyond grateful to have them by my side for the entire journey. We bonded because all three of us looked around at the group, gauging active level, and determining this was in fact a fit crew.
I rented a lot of gear, including a 60L backpack, trekking poles, headlamp, and warm clothes. I had with me the other necessities like quality trail running shoes, hiking socks, 4L of water, snacks and bathroom necessities. In no time, we were all packed up, backpack strapped on, and we were ready for the ascent.
The Climb
The hike itself was no joke, but I knew this. It's a steady, relentless climb of nearly 5,000 feet in elevation, the trail cutting straight up through farmland and then into thick, cool forest, where the air smells like wet earth and pine. My legs burned within the first hour, heck my lungs were struggling in the first 15 minutes. But, I was fully committed to this. No matter how tough or painful it was, I was determined to push through.
The trail came in stretches: push hard for a while, catch your breath at a break, refuel, and go again. I repeated that cycle more times than I could count, occurring every 15 minutes throughout a 6 hour ascend. Sweat soaked through my shirt, this was not just exclusive to me. I had on a long sleeve shirt and I was grateful for that because it helped protect me from the sun and eased the strain of the backpack on me.
We had a lunch break a little before halfway through our hike. I found my two german sisters and we ate together. We were joined by three other germans, Emma, Johann, and Maya.. it was me and the germans! Or can I just say, the germans? I would be honored to be adopted by the Europeans and taken in as their own. Outside of my not knowing the german language, I fit right in. They were the sweetest crew and I felt like I had a solid crew with me.
We continued onward, the lunch and each break really resetting me. The breaks were long enough for your aches, pains, and lungs to recover, as if you haven't been hiking for 1, 2, 3+ hours. It was also a good time to grab a snack, drink water, chat with new friends, check the fitness watch for the elevation gained, and mentally prepare yourself for the next leg. Soon, there had to be no more gain left to make, miles left to hike? It didn't feel so at the time, but surely we would get to that point with great relief.
Along the way I got to know some of our guides, practicing my Spanish and asking them questions about the trail, the volcano, and Guatemala in general. The guides wanted to talk to me because they were intrigued about the solo traveling blonde America, and I enjoyed the chance to speak more Spanish and have some company on the trail. The guides were kind, funny, young! and doing this job to meet travelers from all around the world.
It was clear skies when we started our trek, meaning that on breaks I could look out at the view, impressed at the elevation I gained so far. But, eventually the land disappeared in the clouds and all there was to look at was a sheet of white. I was nervous about getting caught in the rain, for a multitude of reasons. The first being, to have put in all of that effort hiking only to have the volcano hidden by a swarm of clouds. Second being the cold. It is notoriously cold at base camp, and being wet and cold is the worst combination. The guides came prepared, knowing what it means to hike during rainy season, because when it started to drizzle and eventually rain, the guides handed out ponchos to cover our heads and backpacks. I hadn't packed rain gear so this was a life saver.
To my relief, the rain didn't last long, just the last quarter of the hike, and by the time we got to base camp, it had stopped and didn't start up the rest of the time we were there. You heard me right, we made it!!
Basecamp
Like I mentioned, the weather at basecamp was cloudy, and when there'd be a break in clouds, we'd pray for an eruption, manifesting or sheer luck. We sat around the campfire when we first arrived, getting a place to sit, congratulate ourselves for conquering the challenge, and contemplate whether we keep going. From basecamp, we got the option to keep going to Fuego, an additional 5 hours of hiking and 3K feet of elevation to get the best possible view of the volcano erupting. I wasn't sure if I had that left in my tank, and knowing that I really wanted to do the sunrise hike the following morning which was only a 2 hour roundtrip with 1K elevation gain, that was much more in my wheelhouse and I thought best to conserve my energy for that. All my new friends were doing the Fuego hike which was really enticing, but I listened to my gut and stayed back.
I was assigned my cabin where I would sleep for the evening, and I was sharing with Maya, one of the germans I had met earlier. I was so grateful to know my roommate and she was so sweet. I dropped my bags, sorted my things for the stay, and made my way back up to the fire pit, gathering with the group that chose to stick around basecamp.
The crew that stuck around was so solid. We had such great conversations, everyone was so chill and nice, and of course, I was the only American in a group of Europeans and I was a happy camper. Sometimes, I relate to Europeans more than Americans. I am just in shock with the decisions, actions, choices of the American body and government, agreeing with them in just about every count.
We huddled around the fire pit as the temperature dropped fast, that high altitude cold that gets into your bones the second the sun starts to dip. I got to know so many incredible people. An Irish couple, a Dutch exchange student who lived in Fargo for a year, and a British 19 year old who kept me laughing for hours despite the cold and the exhaustion. I was nervous about all my new friends leaving for Fuego, but I made new ones in no time, reliving that fear.
I'll be honest, the altitude caught up with me that evening. Between the elevation, not drinking enough water, and not properly fueling, I ended up feeling pretty unwell and had to call it an early night to rest up in my hut. With eyes shut tight, praying my medication would kick in, I heard the wind rattle the door, the wows of fellow hikers seeing the volcano erupt in the evening, and questioning whether I should fight through the pain and go out there myself. But, my head was spinning and stomach on the fence that if I wanted to feel better for the sunrise hike, I had to get better now.
Lesson learned: elevation is not just "mental" and altitude sickness is very real, I just needed the personal experience to understand it. Knowing this, next time I'll come more prepared with the right medication and a better hydration plan. Oh the things we learn while traveling!
Sunrise at the Summit
The alarm went off at 3:40am for the sunrise hike and I was beyond grateful the my eyes opened feeling loads better and very much in a capable position to make this hike. I had negative calories in my body, and set my strategy to be slowly eating a cliff bar, consuming only as much as calorically necessary. Plus, drink as much water as I could. My roommate Maya, would did Fuego, impressively woke up for this sunrise hike. That's the energy I wish I had, maybe if I come back to Guatemala, I can do Fuego and skip the sunrise hike. We'll see what life has in store for my future!
We had to wear headlamps because we hiked up in the dark in order to watch the sunrise from the summit of Acatenango. Compared to what we hiked yesterday, this climb was a walk in the park. It was less a challenge of distance and more straight upward ascent. We were pretty much stepping up a stair of rocks to get to the top. Almost the entire hike, you could see where the mountain flattened out, giving you visibility on the end and hope that completion is near.
And then we made it! I got to see a Fuego eruption while it was still darker out, and then I walked to the other side of the mountaintop to watch the sunrise over the Pacaya volcano. It was beauty wherever you looked. As if it couldn't get more beautiful, there was a blue overcast that backlit the mountains in the distance, making for a picture perfect sight. I was in awe and beyond glad that I saved my energy for this hike. It was less work for such great reward! I did it! I summited Acatenango!
The hike down was peaceful, almost graceful as you stepped one foot in front of the other, the sky clear that you can see what feels like all of Guatemala before you. It was a quick trek down, enjoying every single second.
When I got back to basecamp, I found Alina and Kira at breakfast and heard about their trip up to Fuego, which they said was incredible, but so so hard. I'm so grateful I got to share this cool experience with people I'd only just met the day before.
The Descent
Getting down took about four and a half hours, longer than expected, with plenty of stops to regroup. The trail down was steep and loose with volcanic dirt, so trekking poles were essential, and there were a few nervous moments watching people slip and slide ahead of me in a little cloud of dust. I kept turning around to look back at the peak we'd just stood on, hardly able to believe we'd made it up there in the dark. I also couldn't fathom how long it took us to get down, processing that this was the same trail we climbed up! How I did all that, I'm still not sure.
When we finally made it back to Soy Tours, there was a genuine sense of relief and celebration in the air. We got a celebration beverage when we got back to the tour office, and they even surprised a pair of sisters in our group with a birthday cake, which felt like a sweet way to end the trip together, everyone cheering and covered in dust and grinning like we'd just done something impossible. Because in a way, we had.
Tips If You Do Acatenango
Below are the things I wish I knew before hiking Acatenango! I wanted to share both my experience along with tips, things I wasn't expecting, and what I wish I knew beforehand.
Things I Didn't Expect
The group can be big, mine had over 30 people, which sounds chaotic but it actually worked out fine because everyone naturally splits into faster and slower clusters within the first hour. Also, the two hiking days are wildly different in difficulty. Day one is the brutal one, nearly 5,000 feet of climbing. The sunrise push on day two is under 1,000 feet and takes less than an hour, so don't let the idea of "two days of hiking" scare you off. The hard part is mostly over by the time you reach basecamp (unless you do Fuego...).
What to Pack
Layers matter more than almost anything else you bring. You'll be sweating through your shirt on the climb up and then shivering in a puffy jacket by the campfire that same evening, and it gets bitterly cold at the summit before sunrise, cold enough that your hands go numb if you're not wearing gloves. I'd rather have packed one more warm layer than needed it and not had it. If you have a 60L backpack, you will have enough room in your bag for it.
Wear shoes you are confident will be comfortable with good grips, not necessarily heavy hiking boots. I wore Hoka Transport trail running shoes and they worked perfectly but I underestimated how much the terrain would test them, especially on the way down when the trail turns to loose, dusty volcanic scree. Trekking poles are not optional in my opinion. They saved me from slipping down the hill and helps you realign your center of gravity when hiking in uneven terrains, used both on the initial climb and especially on the descent.
Bring more water than you think you need, and then actually drink it, even near the top when you're tired and it feels like more effort than it's worth to dig the bottle out of your bag. I made that mistake and paid for it. A refillable bottle with at least three liters of capacity is a good baseline. And pack snacks with calories you can eat in small bites throughout the day, because your appetite disappears at altitude and you need the fuel even when food is the last thing you want.
Health and Altitude
This is the part I'd tell you to take most seriously. Altitude sickness is not just in your head, and I learned that the hard way with a rough night at basecamp that I could have avoided. Ask your tour company or travel clinic nurse about altitude medication ahead of time and actually take it if they recommend it. Hydrate consistently throughout the entire day, not just when you remember to. And try to eat a carb heavy meal the night before, your body will thank you for the stored energy when your appetite disappears the next day.
If you're debating whether to add the optional hike over to Fuego to watch the eruptions up close, think honestly about your energy levels first. Some people are able to do both, but most had to chose between Fuego and sunrise, so decide which you think you'd regret not seeing the most and if you'd have the energy levels for that.
What to Expect Once You're There
Basecamp facilities are basic. Simple huts, shared bathrooms, no real privacy, and depending on your tour, vegetarian and vegan food options can be hit or miss, so it doesn't hurt to bring your own backup snacks just in case. The upside is that basecamp has a genuine community feeling to it. Everyone is cold, tired, and buzzing off the same excitement, which makes it easy to end up in deep conversation with strangers around the fire.
Weather at basecamp is unpredictable. Clouds can roll in and completely block your view of Fuego erupting one evening and then clear up entirely by morning, so don't lose hope if your first look at the volcano is disappointing. The sunrise summit is usually where the real magic happens anyway.
Lastly, give yourself grace on pace. Nearly every guide and fellow hiker told me the same thing: slow and steady gets you there just as well as rushing does, and it's much easier on your body and your mind. Take the breaks when you need them, lean on your poles, and trust that the group will wait.
Acatenango was, without a doubt, one of the hardest and most rewarding things I've done on this trip. Watching an active volcano erupt at sunrise from nearly 13,000 feet, cold hands wrapped around a warm mug, breath fogging in the air, is a memory I'll carry with me for a long time. It's exactly the kind of story, and the kind of feeling, that makes solo travel so worth it.
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