Everything you need to know about hiking Acatenango and Fuego
The idea of hiking up Acatenango to see lava spurting out of Fuego is enticing to many. However, the trek is not for the faint of heart!
In this blog post we’ll go over the logistics of planning your trek, the best time to go, what to pack, and much more!
If you’re looking for more resources about planning your trip to Guatemala, don’t hesitate to check out my other posts about Guatemala!
When is the best time to hike Acatenango?
If you want to avoid wet, muddy and slippery conditions, the best time to hike Acatenango and Fuego is during the dry season in Guatemala! That would be between the months of November to April.
Plus, during the dry season you’ll be more likely to have clear views and the temperatures will be more comfortable!
How do I book my trek to Acatenango?
First of all, it’s important to note that most (and when I say most I mean 99%) trips depart from Antigua, Guatemala. If you’re needing to get to Antigua, you can check out different routes here.
I do not recommend trying to hike Acatenango or Fuego on your own without a guide. That being said, there are TONS of options for booking your trip!
I highly recommend booking in advance. Different companies will offer tours on different days of the week. Therefore, it’s a good idea to look into booking your trek according to what days you’ll be in the Antigua area.
When trying to choose the company you’re going to book with, you’ll find trips that range from 30€ to 90€. Trust me when I say you do not want to book a trip that is less than 50€. Here’s what the two different trips might look like:
A 30€ trip will have you sleeping in tents, using run down gear and not necessarily giving you all the meals (like snacks & dinner).
A 70€ – 90€ trip will have you sleeping in cabins (depending on the company), good amounts of food and better gear.
You can check out some different booking options here on Get your Guide or on Viator.
After hiking all day and going through an altitude change that’s not super fun (especially if you’re not used to it), you’ll 100% want to be sheltered from the wind and (sometimes rain) in a cabin. Additionally, you will want the food. Food is life. Food is the best.
Though, no matter what you choose you’ll surely be blown away by how incredible the experience is!
Which company should I book my Acatenango trek with?
Here are some of the different companies that offer an overnight trek, like I mentioned there are many different companies, but these are the top 3 that I kept hearing about being the best:
Tropicana Hostel (this is the one I booked)
TIP: If you are wanting to ALSO climb Fuego, make sure you inquire about it before booking. Most tours offer the option as extra!
What’s included? What should I bring?
Depending on who you book with, you’ll have different things (food & gear) that will be included in your trek.
Food
Most of the tours offer 2-4 meals. Overall, you’ll have 4 meals to think about: breakfast / lunch / dinner / breakfast. Double check in advance to know which ones are included and what you need to bring in advance.
I highly recommend bringing a granola bar or two. I got sick from the altitude and it was the only thing I could stomach at one point!
Water
You will get thirsty. Water will be your best friend, so you’ll want to take lots of it up with you! Most tours won’t carry your water for you, so make sure you bring plenty! Additionally, some tours will make you carry an extra liter up ‘for the group’ in order to cook dinner for everyone. Trust me, you’ll be sad to say bye to this extra liter so plan in advance!
I personally drank about 4L of water over the course of the trek. Keep in mind that I hiked Fuego as well, so if you don’t plan on hiking Fuego you could probably get away with 3L.
I can also HIGHLY recommend taking some hydration tablets with you. I personally use the Hydratis tablettes to keep me feeling energized and hydrated! You can check out their produits here.
And here’s a coupon in case you want to try them out! My favorite flavors are Watermelon and Peach!
Gear
Good news friends, you won’t have to think much about gear! In most cases, the company leading the trek gives you the option to rent gear from them! Yes, this does mean you will have to fork out some extra money (don’t worry it’s not too expensive), but it’s definitely worth it.
You’ll have the option to rent: sweaters, sweat pants, gloves, hats, and even a hiking backpack. Meaning you won’t have to get your own backpack covered in dirt and dust. Now, they also give you the option of renting “hiking” books. And by hiking boots, they generally mean worn down timberlands that were meant for the city and not the mountains. I personally opted out and stuck with my running shoes (being assured by the guide that I would be fine). Long story short, I was not fine, and I BEG of you to have proper hiking shoes! Especially if you want to hike Fuego!
Last, but not least, you’ll have the opportunity to rent hiking sticks. Either the company taking you on the trek will propose them, or you can get them at the trailhead. I’ll keep it short and sweet – If you do not rent hiking sticks, you will be sorry.
With that being said, hiking for your Acatenango trek is fairly simple seeing as you can rent most of the stuff you’ll need. Just make sure you don’t forget your camera and some good hiking shoes!
Is hiking Acatenango / Fuego safe?
Some people may be wondering if hiking so close to an active volcano is safe, and the answer is… mostly. There are a few safety and health topics to keep in mind when hiking Acatenango: altitude sickness, weather and eruptions.
Altitude
Over the course of the trek you will be going through some quick changes in altitude. From the trailhead to base camp on Acatenango you’ll be doing about +1300m (4265 ft). Then, if you decide to hike Fuego as well, you’ll have about another +450m (1475 ft) of positive elevation gain.
Note: When hiking Fuego you hike down from base camp then up to Fuego, then do it in reverse to get back to base camp. So you’re hiking an extra positive +900m (2950 ft). Putting you at a whopping +2200m (about 7220 ft) of hiking in one day!
Therefore, with all, your body might not take so well with the changes in altitude over the day. You’ll be at risk of headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sleeping issues…
Not everyone experiences these symptoms, but they are a possibility. To prevent altitude sickness here are some things you can do:
Avoid caffeinated and alcoholic drinks the day before and day of the hike
Drinks lots and lots of water to stay hydrated (personally I can recommend these Hydration tablets to help stay hydrated)
Normally, ascending gradually would be at the top of that list, but with this hike it’s not possible. Therefore, you can plan to be in Antigua for the few days leading up to the hike to already be at a slightly higher altitude of 1545 m (5068 ft).
In order to prepare for the possibility of altitude sickness, you can do bring medication (for nausea, and headaches).
Weather
The weather can be rather unpredictable on Acatenango. There are risks of rain, and thunderstorms! You’ll have a better chance of clearer weather during the dry season that starts in November. But be forewarned that the dry season is also a bit colder!
Additionally, it can get very cold on Acatenango. Due to its high elevation, nights will be cold the entire year with temperatures dropping to freezing levels. Therefore, make sure to pack accordingly or take advantage of the possibility to rent some gear!
Eruptions
Climbing active volcanoes evidently comes with the risk of eruptions. One of the main draws of climbing Acatenango is to witness Fuego continuously erupt!
There will be moments where volcanic activity may be stronger than others, and at these moments there is of course a present danger. Historically, tourists have died, and nearby villages have had causalities.
However, with that being said, they are relatively good at getting warnings out on time for people to get to safety.
A complete overview of what to expect when hiking Acatenango & Fuego
As I mentioned before, I booked my trip with Tropicana Hostel. Most experiences between companies are relatively similar, but certain aspects might differ between companies.
First, I’m going to start by saying that my guided trek with Tropicana was amazing! I had a wonderful time, and the guides were splendid. I can recommend them for your trek. However, when it comes to their hostel, they often overbook. That happened to us, and we ended up having to find a place to sleep at the last minute. Therefore, I highly recommend staying somewhere else, such as Barbara’s, which is around the corner.
Otherwise check out this list of some of the best hostels in Antigua!
Morning of the hike
The morning of, everyone meets at Tropicana hostel around 7 am to start the day. They serve breakfast to those who are going on the trek, and give you the opportunity to lock away your belongings that you aren’t taking with you. During this time, you also have the chance to rent gear for your trek. I highly recommend renting some warm clothing and one of their hiking backpacks.
Once everyone is packed and ready to go, you head out for about an hours drive to the trailhead. There’s a toilet here, and a few locals renting walking sticks. This is also a good moment to fork up some more money for gear rental, because you will absolutely be thankful for the hiking sticks!
The hike itself
Now the fun begins! You signed up for a trek so now it’s time to use those feet!
Once everyone is ready, the tour guide give a brief overview of what to expect during the hike. The rest stops, when you’ll eat lunch, and about what time you can expect to arrive at camp. In my opinion, the amount of rest stops was perfect! They were neither too spaced out nor too close together. Giving you the opportunity to take a breather and of course drink some water.
At the first rest stop, there will be a small restaurant as well as a snack stand where you can stock of up on some last minute snacks. However, keep in mind that the snacks you find here will be a bit more expensive. Up until this first rest stop, the hike is pretty simple. Yet, be aware that after this first stop it’ll be nothing but intense uphill hiking for the next few hours.
As you leave the first resting area, you’ll have lotsssss of stairs to climb up. If you have fragile knees you’ll want to take it slow and also this is one of the moments you’ll be happy to have rented some walking sticks.
You’ll continue to hike up, having a rest every 30 minutes or so. The tour guides do a really good job of making sure the group stays together and that no one gets left behind. Be forewarned that if you are an avid hiker, you might feel frustrated by the speed at which the group advances.
Lunch comes around 13h or so, giving everyone the chance to take a good breather and refuel. As I mentioned before, make sure you check beforehand is lunch is included or not! You don’t want to miss out on this opportunity to eat (personally I got nauseous from the altitude later and could barely eat dinner – therefore I was super happy to have eaten a good lunch).
It’s not hard to guess, but after lunch… you continue hiking! By this time, the altitude gain had already started getting to some people in the group. It’s not an easy thing to combat, and it can hit people at different times. If you feel like you might be prone to it, don’t hesitate to check with a pharmacy about a medication that might help with symptoms.
Personally, I really wish I had brought some Extra Strength Tylenol with me, because I ended up having a migraine later in the day.
Getting to base camp
Around 16h is about when we arrived at our base camp on Acatenango. At last!
Arriving at camp is definitely a moment to rejoice and let your draw drop at the sight of Fuego! With our Tropicana group, the base camp is directly facing Fuego!
Once you arrive at base camp the guides will give you time to marvel at the view, take photos, and set your stuff down near your bunk. Afterwards, they will announce that the extra leg to hike Fuego will leave in about 20 minutes or so. It’s not a mandatory part of the trek and like I mentioned before it does cost extra.
With Tropicana I didn’t have to decide to hike Fuego until I was already up Acatenango and could gauge my energy level for going on another 4–5-hour hike. This being said, if you aren’t signing up for Fuego at the get go, bring some extra cash with you to add it on if you choose to.
At this point, you’re either deciding to accompany the Fuego goers or stay and sit at the campfire while watching Fuego erupt from a distance!
Hiking Fuego
I won’t sugarcoat it; hiking Fuego is gruesome. Yet, as torturous as it may be it’s 1000% worth it.
Hiking Fuego entails descending a portion of Acatenango (but on the opposite side you climbed up) and then ascending Fuego. Then of course, doing that same hike in reverse order to get back to base camp.
These trails are extremely steep. If you are not wearing proper hiking shoes, with great traction – don’t even attempt it. Without getting too much into my own personal experience, just know that even if the guide says your Oasics running shoes will ‘be just fine’ – they won’t be. Additionally, don’t attempt this portion of the trek without walking sticks!
Once you’ve reached the viewpoint on Fuego, get ready for an AMAZING SHOW! It’s not often that you can get so close to an erupting Volcano!
Keep in mind that you will want to have warm clothing with you as it gets quite cold up there!
The guides will give you about 30 minutes to take photos before giving you the signal that it’s time to head back. And you guessed it, now you get to descend Fuego to ascend Acatenango again!
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Once you’ve made it back to camp you’ll have dinner and the fire to sit around. It’s a good moment to laugh with the others, enjoy the view and get ready for a well deserved night of sleep.
Sleeping and bathroom arrangements
No matter who you book with, don’t expect a 5 star hotel or glamping experience. You’re on top of a volcano in the middle of Guatemala.
In the beginning of this post, I talked about how some operators offer the possibility of sleep in cabins vs tents. If you’re looking for some level of comfort, a cabin is a great idea! But keep in mind that even in the cabins you’re sleeping on makeshift bunkbeds and sharing the space with about 10 other people.
With Tropicana we had a separate outhouse set aside for our bathroom needs.
The next morning
After a not so restful night, you can join in for a sunrise hike to the summit of Acatenango! Personally, with my pounding migraine I wasn’t able to take part, but from what I hear it was absolutely incredible! Plus, it’ll be the last uphill challenge before heading back down!
The hike down Acatenango
What goes up must come down! Remember the uphill battle from yesterday? Well it’s time to do it all in reverse!
Normally I’d say going down is easier than going up, but the steep downhill hike comes with it’s own challenges! This is also a moment where you’ll be extremely grateful for your hiking poles!
Nonetheless, the hike down takes a significantly shorter time than the way up. After about 3 hours or so, you end up back where you started with an immense feeling of pride!
And there you go, you’ve trekked Acatenango and maybe Fuego as well!
Final thoughts on the Acatenango overnight trek
So now that you’ve got a better idea of what to expect on your Acatenango and Fuego trek, are you still up for it? It’s honestly one of the most memorable and incredible experiences I’ve ever had! It doesn’t come without its hardships, that’s for sure, but you’ll have an amazing story to tell and some incredible memories!
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