Pacaya Volcano Day Hike

Pacaya Volcano Day Hike

Pacaya Volcano (8,370 ft/2,552 m) is one of the most impressive volcanic landscapes in all of Central America. It’s also one of the region’s most accessible volcanos and one that can be explored with a moderate day hike. Set in its own National Park, Pacaya is a storybook volcano with a continuous plume of smoke drifting from its summit and a massive dried lava field forming the valley at the base of its caldera.

We’ll depart Antigua at 8:00 am for a 1-hour drive to the volcano. As we move up the myriad of trails on the mountain, Guatemala’s impressive vistas open up before us. As we reach the base of the caldera, our guide will direct the group through the rugged dried lava fields, reformed by a massive eruption in 2010. No matter what conditions we encounter on the mountain, our group will have the opportunity to traverse unique volcanic-rock landscapes as we ascend toward the peak. Here the group will stop for a freshly prepared picnic to enjoy along with views of nearby volcanoes Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. There will be plenty of opportunity to explore geothermal hot spots on the cooled lava formations – which are always available to help roast marshmallows!

Our hike down brings us across the remaining dried lava fields before we begin our descent through Pacaya’s lush forests and farmland. We return to Antigua late afternoon/early evening.