Guatemala’s rugged landscapes offer adventurers a glimpse into the raw power of the Earth, and few experiences capture this better than trekking five of its awe-inspiring volcanoes, often dubbed “The Ring of Fire”.
From the smoldering craters of Pacaya to the breathtaking summit of Acatenango overlooking the erupting Fuego, each climb is a journey through dynamic terrain, lush forests, and surreal volcanic vistas.
In this post, I’ll take you Through the Lens on a journey to uncover the magic of volcano trekking in Guatemala. Whether you’re seeking heart-pounding adventure, jaw-dropping photography, or simply a moment to witness nature’s fiery brilliance, this destination has it all.
I organised the trek through the brilliant Much Better Adventures, which was facilitated by local guide company Old Town Outfitters, based in Antigua, Guatemala.
Here are the volcanos of Guatemala through the lens of my camera.
The stunning Arco de Santa Catalina in Antigua, the starting point of the adventure.Views of Volcan de Agua from Cerro de la Cruz on a short warm up hike, before the real work begins…
Volcano 1 – Pacaya
Volcan de Pacaya this way…Volcan de Agua still in view, though slowly being enveloped by clouds.A quick pitstop early on to drink some tree water(?), that tasted like bitter cucumber. Lovely.The sunglasses were soon to become redundant.The views disappearing.A cow watches on ominously at the weird hairless apes hiking up the volcano.Cow loses interest in hairless apes and instead focusses on a fascinating tree.A little grub going about his day. After bringing him to the attention of our guide, hoping for a bit of info, he was gleefully eaten by the guide… sorry mate.A couple of grazing horses on the day’s highpoint giving us something to look at.Approaching huge piles of newly formed volcanic rocks on our descent.
Up and over we go.Humans in the mist.
Running down the slopes of volcanic ash, the best part of the day.A friendly face welcoming us at the bottom.And another offering a congratulatory handshake for completing volcano number 1.
Entertaining myself with the guide’s machete whilst waiting for others to descend.The group still smiling.
Volcano 2 – Acatenango
A local sweeping up a pesky cat at the start of the trail.Incredible views still eluding us, we held little hope of being able to see Fuego erupting, nevertheless we were heading on up.Winding our way along narrow paths through fields of corn.A beautiful, and muddy, climb through the forest.Skeletal remains of trees from past eruptions.Our glamping spot for the night at 3750m.a.s.l. Ready to stare into the mist, still with little hope of seeing Fuego.We can hear it, but still can’t see it, although a slither of hope begins to emerge from the mistDinner before a show. Our guide Didi cooking up a feast.Fuego finally comes into view.And there she blows!The best camp fire.Showing off now.Ash raining down from the smoke cloud, as lava flows down the slopes.Last views of Fuego in the morning, before the clouds roll in and we descended. Sadly, horrendous weather throughout the night meant summiting Acatenango wasn’t possible.
Volcano 3 – Chicabal
The next challenge.Off we go.A muddy climb. The path had taken a real battering during the rainy season.Shrooms.Views of Laguna Chicabal in the mist, from the mirador.The clouds briefly parting to show us nearby volcanos.550 steps down to the lake.Butterfly?, or a snakes head?Memorial by the lake.Flowers, placed as offerings to the gods.A full squad on volcano number 3.Back down and time to get stuck into some tostados.Football posts? Be rude not to…A sublime finish.
Volcano 4 – Tajumulco
Loaded into the back of a pickup for a back-breaking ride up to the trailhead for Tajumulco.On the trail of number 4.After a quick pitstop at what would be our camp for the night, we set off in a attempt to summit for sunset. But just as we did, the heavens opened. Hard.
A river beginning to form at our feet in the deluge.A smiling (rock)face in spite of the adverse conditions.
After making it about a third of the way to the summit, with everyone soaked through, and zero chance of the views we wanted, we decided to turn back and pinned our hopes on a sunrise summit instead.An evening spent by the fire, despeartely drying our clothes and gear… and obviously toasting a few marshmellow as well.Home for the night.Reaching the summit the next morning as the weather thankfully relented overnight.Sunrise from Central America’s, and Guatemala’s highest point.A waterfall of clouds, cascading down nearby volcanos.Buzzing to have summited.The summiteers.Back at camp, the mules having a chilled start to the day.With the embers of last night’s huge fire STILL glowing, the porters chuck on a couple more logs and make breakfast.Rocky being a good boy and guarding our bags as the tents are packed away.Porters and Mules descending under Rocky’s watchful eye.
Volcano 5 – San Pedro
The park entrance, showing what is apparently a native turkey… looks suspiciously like Feathers McGraw to me.The trail start for the fifth and final volcano.
No mule needed for this guy. Incredible strength.Early views of Lake Atitlan on the trail.A stunning blue moth.Most of the San Pedro trail is endless switchbacks up steps like these, through a beautiful forest.Up on the summit ridge, almost at the viewpoint.The trees beginning to give way to amazing views.Lake Atitlan in all it’s glory.A cloud that, to me, looks like a duckling wearing clown shoes.
