While in Guatemala, I got to experience what every one has seen, but little see in real life: Lava! Yes, you can hike your way up a volcano to see flowing lava. The idea of it almost sounds as crazy as the fact that there are 37 volcanoes in Guatemala. Some are still active today, including Pacaya volcano, where the lava-sighting exceeded my expectations. Based from Antigua, I decided to go on the Pacaya Volcano hike with OX Expeditions. It was a little challenging but well worth it for a spectacular sunset, aforementioned lava, and roasting marshmallows. Yes, you read that correctly – I roasted marshmallows on top of a volcano in Guatemala. Keep reading for how you can too.
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Meeting at OX Expedition and the Drive
Before embarking on this hike it is good to know that although this is one of the easier volcanos to hike in Guatemala, I wouldn’t call easy. You will still want to prepare for a hike in variable weather – I recommend hiking boots over tennis shoes, plenty of water & snacks, rain gear (poncho and/or raincoat), and a headlamp if you are going in the afternoon.
We met up at OX Expedition headquarters, where they reviewed what gear we would need for the hike (we could rent anything that we didn’t have) and what to expect. Our guide also handed out our sandwiches, which smelled amazing. It was hard to resist getting into it right when they handed it to me! We piled into a van and drove a little over an hour to the trailhead. We stopped at a gas station along the way, where you could pick up any additional water or snacks that you might need.
The trailhead parking area was chaotic, but our guide warned us that there would be kids outside asking if we want to buy a walking stick. There are bathrooms here and a small food stand. There is an entrance fee and a fee to have a local guide go with your group, but the price of the tour includes these. The local guide is mandatory to go into the national park. I am a little unclear about the guide’s purpose since we already had one from the company, but I am glad he was there – he made sure everyone got down as our group got a bit separated at the top and eased my concern about rain and lightning. Like rangers in our national parks, I am sure they monitor trail and volcano conditions.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars, would do it again!
- Intensity: Active clothes, hiking boots, rain protection
- Location: Meeting in Antigua, 1.5-hour drive from the city
- Cost: $59/per person
- Distance: about 6.2 miles roundtrip, 1,500 ft elevation gain
- Restrooms: at OX Expeditions, at the Trailhead
- Timing: 4-6 Hours
Highlights:
- Seeing Lava!!!!!!
- Roasting Marshmallows from the heat of the volcano
- Hiking in the natural beauty of Guatemala
- Knowledgeable guide
- Stunning “sunset” and views of other volcanoes
Pacaya Volcano Hike
The hike itself is a consistently moderate incline. In no time at all, I was breathing heavily. Our guide would stop every 5-10 minutes to show us the nearby farm, lake, or plants along the trail. When we got to the first overlook, we could see ominous clouds in the distance and began to hear thunder. The people in our group just kind of looked at each other with a nervous smile. At the second overlook, which has a view of a nearby city, the clouds were moving quickly. We stayed here while a downpour began. After less than 10 minutes, it let up considerably and we continued.
There are little huts along the path, where we would quickly duck into to catch our breath. With the rain sprinkling, the trail was definitely more muddy, but not too slippery. The tree and lush plant-lined trail make it hard to believe you are climbing up the side of the volcano. There was one spot that we could peek through the trees at the top. This is when you are getting close.
During this last bit, I kept hoping the sky would clear enough for a beautiful sunset. Although it continued to drizzle on us for the duration of the hike, when we emerged above the trees, the sky had cleared in one direction! We could see the village below and three volcanos in a line – Augas, Acatenango, and Fuego. I could even see Fuego’s smoke every now and then. Just when I thought this view was the most spectacular, I climbed to the top of the clearing to see the top of Pacaya and LAVA!!!
Lava
The top area of Pacaya is rocky, jagged, and barren of trees. It looked like we were in Mordor and I wondered if anyone in our group was hiding something. We did not climb to the very top – just an overlook with lava. The lava was vibrantly red against the black rock and you can see the river of lighter rock where it was moving and peeking out from underneath. The top of the lava cools quickly and wasn’t completely smooth, like the lava videos from Hawaii. Instead, it was like red hot jagged coals that would move together or push up against each other until one of them falls down the steep slope.
I was in complete and utter shock – I was looking at lava. It was also surprising how much I was surprised and fascinated by it. Lava is one of those things that we all learn about in elementary school, but when you finally see it, you realize the power of mother nature and all of her wonders. I seriously could not get enough of it. My travel partner Kelly was on another plane of existence due to her excitement and joy. It was contagious :).
The storm continued, while we focused on the lava. The static electricity had all of our loose hairs on end and lightning would strike every now and then. It was a little scary to be so exposed, but also magnificent to see the lava with lighting in the background and three other volcanoes beyond that. John Muir would have had a heart attack from all of the nature happening at that moment. The lightning scared me enough that I didn’t go to the highest overlook area. In regards to the storm, I trusted the OX Expedition guide as well as the local guide to know when it was unsafe. They didn’t seem concerned, so I didn’t get overly worried.
Roasting Marshmallows
Our OX Expedition guide found us a hot spot to roast marshmallows. The area was just off the trail, where there is a sign that reads, “leave the trail at your own risk.” It didn’t look like much, but the ground was impressively hot! Though it was not right up next to the lava, I could feel the heat slowly coming through the bottom of my boots and through my tights. It was a welcome warmth from all the drizzling rain. Our OX guide handed me a marshmallow and stick and showed me where to place it.
After a couple of moments in a shallow hole in the ground, I could see toasty edges of my soften marshmallow. What?! I was toasting a marshmallow from the heat of a volcano with a view of lava in the distance as well as three other volcanoes. I kept having to pinch myself to see if it was real. The sweet treat was also a welcome snack! Kelly and I roasted, snacked, a did a little dance in pure joy of having thrown the Pacaya volcano hike to our list at the last moment.
Pack this for the Pacaya Volcano HIke!
The Return Trip
It was hard to tell when the actual sunset happened with the moving cloud cover, but it was starting to get a little darker. As we began to make our way down the barren area, we would look back and see the lava becoming incrementally brighter as the sky got darker. It was at this point that I really noticed the top of Pacaya. The top of the volcano seemed as though it was breathing. It sounded like hot, fast exhales and we could see a triangle of smoke coming out of the top. I could have watched it for hours.
Our group must have taken longer to get up the volcano (due to the rain) and were slow at the top (due to excitement), so we had to make it down the volcano in the dark. I couldn’t tell if it was still raining or if the trees were simply dripping on us, but it was a wet walk down. Most people had headlamps, but it was extremely dark. In the darkness, I couldn’t see any of the places we stopped at, so we simply kept walking down and down the volcano.
Eventually, we made back to the van, where some of our group had already been waiting. We all dug into our sandwiches immediately, since it was too wet to do so at the top of the volcano. The car ride back was moist with everyone being wet but went quickly. Before I knew it, we were back in on the bumpy cobblestone roads of Antigua.
Full Transparency
I partnered with OX Expeditions to produce this blog post. I received a partial discount on the tours for Kelly and myself. We joined a tour that was already scheduled, so I don’t feel as though the experience would be any different (beyond the weather) than any other person would receive. In terms of my blogging career, I am very proud to have gotten the chance to work with OX, even for a partial discount. I do want to consider how this discount would affect my experience:
One impact that not booking the tour well in advance and having the discount was that my expectations were low for the hike. Before going to Guatemala, Kelly and I had it in mind to do the Acatenango volcano hike. We prepared and talked about Acatenango constantly. It was not until about the week before that we found out timing would work out to do the Pacaya volcano hike with OX Expeditions. We prepped the gear, but I didn’t do a deep dive into research, trusting the company. This worked out in that I was truly blown away by the hike.
In my email newsletter and a few other posts, I’ve talked about how expectations affect your view of an experience. As a travel research-enthusiast, I often go deep in the area I will be visiting so I have a good background of knowledge and spend less time on my phone while I am there. Generally, this has aided me in travel, but for this hike, the surprise made it spectacular. It cleared the bar of low expectations by miles. And so I continue my never-ending saga of how to have low expectations on a trip that you are investing time and resources.
Overall Thoughts: Pacaya Volcano Hike with OX Expeditions
While in Guatemala, I ended up hiking three volcanoes – Pacaya, Acatenango, and San Pedro. Each was incredible, but Pacaya will always hold a special place in my heart for being the first place on earth that I got to see moving lava. The spectacular views and ability to roast marshmallows also took this tour to the next level. Apparently, the lava is not always visible, so I feel extremely fortunate to have gotten to see what I did. Consider the sunset tour (or even overnight tour) to see the lava more vibrantly.
Yes, the hike was easier than Acatenango and San Pedro, but it was still a moderate hike with 1,500 feet of elevation gain in about 3 miles, plus altitude. I would say that most active people will be able to do this hike, given the proper gear, and recommend that anyone do it! It is not every day that you get to stand on a volcano in Guatemala and look out at other volcanoes. A worthy trek indeed!
Other things I did in Antigua, Guatemala:
- Chocolate Class at the ChocoMuseo
- Self-Guided walking tour of Antigua
- Coffee Plantation Tour with De La Gente
- Acatenango Hike
Have you hiked a volcano? I am kinda digging it now and want to climb more. Let me know in the comments below so I can check them out during my future travels!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
