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What to Expect

Day 1: Hike To Acatenango Camp

Our group leaves from the Old Town Outfitters Shop at 8:00 am, where you can fill up your water bottles and purchase any additional gear you might need. Hikers should eat breakfast beforehand and pack a small snack for the road. A one-hour drive takes us from Antigua to the sleepy mountain village of La Soledad, perched on the ridge of the Pacific slope of Volcan Acatenango. The trail up Volcan Acatenango has four distinct microclimates, each of which will take you about an hour to traverse. We’ll begin by walking up a steep trail through local farm fields - the same trail used by local villagers each morning to access their corn, snow pea and lily fields. Our first hour of hiking will help you acclimatize and warm up the leg muscles for the day’s hike.

The second phase of our ascent passes through an old-growth tropical cloud forest. In this environmental zone, we find some of Acatenango’s oldest trees, incredible biodiversity of flora and fauna, fresh mountain air and the sounds of local birds and wildlife. This type of high-alpine cloud forest is found on the upper slopes of many of Guatemala’s tallest volcanoes and mountains and is home to the famous Quetzal.

After exiting the cloud forest, we will be rewarded with fantastic views of the other highland volcanoes (Atitlan, Toliman, San Pedro, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Tajamulco), along with glimpses of the Cuchumatanes mountain chain. A fresh picnic is prepared mid-day for our group to enjoy.

Temperate coniferous forest and tropical dry forest characterize the 3rd phase of our ascent, which will lead us to the storm-beaten tree-line of the volcano. Our campsite is perched just below the tree line with sweeping views of the Antigua valley and Volcan Fuego. After setting up camp, hikers are free to rest, relax and enjoy their surroundings while our guide prepares a fresh camp dinner at ~3750m with hot tea and coffee.

Day 2: Hike to Fuego Ridge

In the morning, our group will enjoy a hearty breakfast after a mesmerizing sunrise experienced from
above the cloud-line, bringing our next objective, Volcan Fuego, into sight. With expansive views
south towards the tropical Pacific coast of Guatemala, and east across the Antigua Valley towards
towering Volcan Agua, we will begin our 1-hour descent to the saddle between Volcan Acatenango
and Volcan Fuego. After a short rest, we will wind our way up the 1½-hour push to the vertigoinducing ridge of Volcan Fuego. At a responsible distance from the active summit of Fuego, teetering
between the highland valleys and the Pacific slope, our group will rest and eat lunch as we wait for a
chance to witness an eruption at close range. Our group will spend the afternoon hiking back to our
campsite where we will have plenty of time to rest and relax. Another beautiful night on the
mountain, and another delicious dinner prepared by your guide will help ease our tired bodies to
res

Day 3: Summit Acatenango

In the morning, after an early camp breakfast, our group embarks on a 45-minute ascent to the summit on a sand and gravel scree-trail dotted with dwarf pine trees and high alpine mosses. The trail up to the summit is the steepest we will have seen and leads to the rocky summit exposed to the gusty and cold winds which constantly pass over Acatenango’s peak.

At the summit, our group will rest and enjoy unparalleled 360-degree views of the entirety of the Guatemalan highlands – all the way to the border of Mexico. After 45min at the top (depending on conditions and time considerations), the group will begin the 3-hour descent back towards La Soledad. Our group has the opportunity to descend through an alternate route down Volcan Acatenango, experiencing a variety of microclimates and a beautiful trail. From La Soledad, we will transport back to Antigua, arriving in the afternoon with plenty of time for you to enjoy the delights of the old Spanish colonial capital around 1:00 pm.

Trail Map