Become a Virtual Tourist Member Today!  Sign Up for Free | Sign In

Pacaya Volcano, Antigua Guatemala

Search:
email to friend | help
Antigua Guatemala
Click to get the inside scoop from
real travelers here at VirtualTourist.

Antigua Guatemala Travel Guide

Sponsored Links for Antigua Guatemala

Guatemala Travel
Take Precautions To Reduce Risk Of Contracting Hepatitis-Travel Safely

Private Guided Guatemala
Antigua, Flores, G. City from $1674 Nat'l Geo Adventure, Top Outfitter.

Discover Our Guatemala
Authentic journeys w/top naturalist guides. Small ecolodges and B&Bs.

Antigua Small and Simple
Long Bay Hotel, Antigua, Since 1966 Trip Adviser Top rated by Guests

Kontiki: Guatemala Tours
Great selection of Guatemala Tours 5% off if you book 2 or more trips

Pacaya Volcano, Antigua Guatemala
See all Antigua Guatemala Things To Do
Volcan Pacaya Up Close - Antigua Guatemala
Volcan Pacaya Up Close
by trek06
Things to Do in Antigua Guatemala: Pacaya Volcano tips and photos posted by real travelers and Antigua Guatemala locals.
Pacaya Volcano
• 47 Photos
• 23 Reviews
All Antigua Guatemala Hotels
Check-In Date:
Check-Out Date:
Guests
Hotels by OneTime.com
Antigua Guatemala Pacaya Volcano ReviewsTips 1 - 10 of 23  
Sort By:  Most Recent | Best Rated
Pacaya Volcano: Volcan Pacaya
  • Tip Rating:
  • By Kindra on January 16, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Antigua Guatemala Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • While the volcanoes Agua, Fuego and Acatenango are directly visible from Antigua, Pacaya (near Guatemala city) is also a very popular option (you can summit Agua but it will be a 5am-9pm ordeal and I suspect it is quite physically challenging). The tour will arrange your transportion to and from Antigua to the National Park where you will hike to the top with a guide. Armed security is found throughout various points on the trail. Horses accompany the hikers most of the way so if you become very tired you can hop on. The hike is 2-3 hours uphill (not that easy) where you will reach a point with great views over the valley below and the volcanic crater (the most active volcano in Guatemala). There you can spend the next 30-60 minutes on a very difficult hike to the very top. We encountered 70 km/hr winds, lots of dust, dirt, slippery rocks but it was a great accomplishment to hit the top and ever funner to litterally "ski" down the slope, screaming all the way. Bring lots of water, healthy snacks, a sweater and a good windproof jacket for the windier parts above. A hat and sunglasses (not just for the sun but for the flying volcanic dirt BUT dont bring super good ones as they WILL get scratched). A walking stick would also be useful and/or gloves for the last part when you are summiting practically on your hands and knees.

    Leave a Comment

  • Directions: I did this tour through Gran Jaguar Tours. All agencies offer this tour but dont pay more than $5-7 US for the tour.

    • Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on Pacaya Volcano
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Pacaya Volcano: Climb Volcan Pacaya
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By Babzz on March 10, 2006
  • Email Me
  • See My Antigua Guatemala Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Plateau beneath the peak - Antigua Guatemala
    Plateau beneath the peak
    by Babzz, 3 more photos
    Send Photo to a Friend
    For US$5 you have yourself a half-day climb up Guatemala's most popular volcano. The tourist bus drops you off at the village outside of the entrance to the park, where you buy your entrance ticket (25 quetzales I believe) and some snacks/water/beer if need be. From there it's approximately a 2 hour hike, or so the tour guide told us. Of course, he's been doing this every day for the past 10 years and literally ran up the volcano himself! It got quite strenuous at times, especially near the peak where it was steep and gravely, but definitely worth the climb once we reached the top! Sulpher fumes blocked the view of the crater, but some people claimed they could hear the lava flowing inside. Very cool! The climb down was infinitely easier, more or less skiing on lava rock, fun! I recommend bringing a warm sweater as it gets cold up at the top, lots of water, hat, sunscreen, and some food to replenish your energy. The hike was at a leisurely pace, so when we needed to rest we could sit for a bit, have a snack, etc. Our guide was really friendly too. It was a great experience.

  • Directions: Book a tour with one of the many tour agents in Antigua. Some charge US$7 for the morning trip, but we looked around till we found one asking $5 (forgot the name, but it was on 7a Av Nte north of 3a Calle Pte).

    • Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on Pacaya Volcano
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Pacaya Volcano: Volcano Ascent Part I
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By calcaf38 on December 31, 2006
  • Email Me
  • See My Antigua Guatemala Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Pacaya Volcano - Antigua Guatemala
    by calcaf38, 3 more photos
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Pacaya ascents are a dime a dozen. It would be crazy to reserve in advance from your home country. I paid $10 at the last minute, and I ended up in a small group with people who had booked from Canada with Gap Tours for probably much more. The drive to the beginning of the trail is not attractive (about one hour). Water, coffee and snacks are available at the trail house. The trail is delightful: it starts as cloud forest, and it is pretty steep. There might be children offering you to ride on horses. All of a sudden, in the middle of a verdant meadow, you will find a black stream of sharp-edged, cooled lava.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on Pacaya Volcano
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Pacaya Volcano: Volcano Ascent Part II
  • Tip Rating:
  • By calcaf38 on December 27, 2006
  • Email Me
  • See My Antigua Guatemala Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Pacaya Volcano - Antigua Guatemala
    by calcaf38, 3 more photos
    Send Photo to a Friend
    When you get to the lava, things change dramatically. Walking becomes perilous, as the surface is irregular and brittle. You keep clilmbing, and after a while the ground gets hot. Your guide might insert his walking stick in a crevice, where it will catch on fire. The wind may be chilly, but the heat from the ground is impressive. It's a bit intimidating, yet a lot of fun. In some holes, you will see the red lava glowing faintly. It's a great experience.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on Pacaya Volcano
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Pacaya Volcano: Walk in an active volcano
  • Tip Rating:
  • By IngaRita on June 30, 2006
  • Email Me
  • See My Antigua Guatemala Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Our guide - Antigua Guatemala
    Our guide
    by IngaRita, 3 more photos
    Send Photo to a Friend
    I took a morning trip to Volcan de Pacaya. It was about 1.5 hour drive from Antigua. We made a reservation with Colonial tours and I think it was about $10. I guide brings you the whole way. Its a good hike. Kind of steep in the beginning and on concrete. Then it opens up interesting landscape. It was fun walking on the dried lava. It got chilly while we were at the top so bring a jacket. And there was no food at the top so bring a lunch. There is a little stand where you can buy bread, soda, bananas at the bottom where you start and where you buy your ticket to climb. It was a great thing to do for half a day.

  • Directions: Have a tour company take you like Colonial tours.

    • Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on Pacaya Volcano
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Pacaya Volcano: Pacaya Volcano
  • Tip Rating:
  • By bminorca on December 26, 2005
  • Email Me
  • See My Antigua Guatemala Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • The Active Vent - Antigua Guatemala
    The Active Vent
    by bminorca, 2 more photos
    Send Photo to a Friend
    A trip to Pacaya Volcano is well worth. It is located 30km south of the center of Guatemala City and an hour drive from Antigua Guatemala. Many of the travel agencies in Antigua Guatemala can arrange a trip which includes the transportation and a licensed guide. You need to be physically fit as it takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to climb to the top of the highly active volcano. The published elevation is 2560m, but it varies from year to year, according to the building and destroying volcanic processes. The condition on the top is constantly changing. What you see will be most likely different from the photos I took. Apply sunblock lotion before climbing. Bring drinking water and extra clothes with you as you will sweat a lot and the wind is usually strong on the top. Don't forget your sunglasses. There are usually two trips every day - one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Less people go in the morning as it may be cold and so foggy up there that you end up seeing nothing. But you'd better check with the travel agency before booking as it may also depend on the season and weather.

  • Address: Pacaya Volcano National Park
  • Directions: It is located 30km south of the center of Guatemala City and an hour drive from Antigua Guatemala.

    • Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on Pacaya Volcano
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Pacaya Volcano: Volcan Pacaya
  • Tip Rating:
  • By stevepreece on October 23, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Antigua Guatemala Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • A Grumpy Volcano - Antigua Guatemala
    A Grumpy Volcano
    by stevepreece
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Volcan Pacay is a half day trip from Antigua. You simply get a guide and bus to the volcano and then walk the volcano. Its easy to begin with, nice track through woods. This all ends when the top is reached, an hour or so of scrambling up loose volcanic ash that gets progressively hotter. top is great if its not cloudless and the volcan is grumpy enough to be spitting lava. We were. Going down is a fast controlled slide and extremely good fun.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on Pacaya Volcano
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Pacaya Volcano: Antigua's Volcanos!!!!!!!
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By la_beba on February 10, 2005
  • Email Me
  • See My Antigua Guatemala Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Pacaya Volcano - Antigua Guatemala
    by la_beba
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Volcanos are highlights indeed for Antigua. Looming twelve thousand feet over the city, the volcano Agua rests in century old dormancy. In the shadow of Agua some miles distant is the volcano Pacaya, lava covered and perpetually active. Climbing to the top of the Agua volcano just outside of Antigua can be at first miserable and frightening, but then exhilirating once you grow accustom to the thin air. Looking down on the valleys below is a definite highlight of a trip to Antigua Guatemala. Check out my travelogue "Volcanos"

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on Pacaya Volcano
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Pacaya Volcano: Pacaya volcano
  • Tip Rating:
  • By chrisvandenbroucke on March 15, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Antigua Guatemala Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Antigua: volcano Pacaya - Antigua Guatemala
    Antigua: volcano Pacaya
    by chrisvandenbroucke
    Send Photo to a Friend
    View from halfway up. The volcano trip can be booked anywhere in Antigua and most of the tour operators ask the same price: 10 US$ per person (warning: you have to pay with quetzales and that could vary from 59 to 75 !!!). Watch out. They come to get you at your hotel by 2 pm. Two hours in the 4x4 to arrive at the starting point at 1800 metres. You'll only have to cover 770 meter in altitude but every single meter counts...hard, very hard You arrive on top for the sunset at descend in the dark... Spooky. All the time two uniformed guards accompany the group

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on Pacaya Volcano
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Pacaya Volcano: Pacaya volcano, cloudy view pt. 2
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By chrisvandenbroucke on May 20, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Antigua Guatemala Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Antigua: volcano Pacaya - Antigua Guatemala
    Antigua: volcano Pacaya
    by chrisvandenbroucke
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Another nice picture from nearly above on the Pacaya Vulcano. You can see it's getting dark by that time.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on Pacaya Volcano
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    1 | 2 | 3
    More Antigua Guatemala Tips
    Overview
         		General Tips
    Tips: 56 - Photos: 43
    Restaurants
    Tips: 102 - Photos: 53    		Hotels and Accommodations
    Tips: 84 - Photos: 57
    Things To Do
    Tips: 226 - Photos: 201    		Nightlife
    Tips: 27 - Photos: 11
    Off the Beaten Path
    Tips: 38 - Photos: 34    		Tourist Traps
    Tips: 13 - Photos: 6
    Warnings or Dangers
    Tips: 21 - Photos: 15    		Transportation
    Tips: 29 - Photos: 19
    Local Customs
    Tips: 23 - Photos: 21    		Packing Lists
    Tips: 9 - Photos: 5
    Shopping
    Tips: 38 - Photos: 29    		Sports Travel
    Tips: 4 - Photos: 3
    Flights
    Tips: 10 - Photos: 8

    More Sponsored Links for Antigua Guatemala

    Caribbean Travel Deals
    Caribbean Trips & Packages from Top Regional Tour Companies, More Here!

    Cheap Hotels
    Save up to 50% on Hotels and Now Get Our Best Price Guarantee.

    Hotels cheap
    Find Cheap Hotel Rates & More For Your Next Destination at ORBITZ!

    Popular Hotels and Accommodations in Antigua Guatemala

    » More Hotels and Accommodations in Antigua Guatemala

    Popular Things To Do in Antigua Guatemala

    » More Things To Do in Antigua Guatemala
    Find:        Matching:  Advanced