For a family who has done our fair share of “epic” hikes in our lifetime, we had high expectations for Acatenango, a dormant volcano in Guatemala that sits 14,000 feet high (or 4,200 meters). People had warned us that this trek was difficult for most adults, let alone kids, but that it was worth it. Since we like a challenge, we figured we needed to go for it and prove that hiking Volcano Acatenango with kids is not only do-able, but an experience that is unforgettable for the whole family.
What makes hiking Acatenango so epic? Well for starters, if you time it just right, you might get lucky and see one of the most beautiful sunsets (or sunrises) of your life on the summit. But the real reward and reason why people make this trek? To witness the neighboring volcano, Fuego, erupt in close proximity to you as you stand at the top of Acatenango.
It will take your breath away, and maybe even bring you to tears when you realize not only the feat you just accomplished, but how this experience of seeing such an active volcano in its rawest and most volatile form truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
There are truly no words to describe it.
So, how does one make this epic trek? With kids even, I might add? We’ve got you covered here with everything you need to know and prepare for if you decide to brave the trek to Acactenango.
How to Get There
First of all, you need to know how to get to Acatenango. The best way to get there is to fly to Guatemala City, which has some direct flights from certain cities in the States (if you’re coming from the U.S.) or often, a layover such as Houston, like it was for us. From Guatemala City, we recommend staying in the colonial and picturesque town of Antigua, which is also a UNESCO world-heritage site.
We absolutely loved Antigua! In fact, we spent 6 weeks there and it was fantastic. Lots of outdoor recreation, plenty of great cultural opportunities, and excellent food. Another reason why Antigua is a great base, is you are surrounded by volcanoes here such as Volcano Agua, Pacaya (a great day trip hike we would also highly recommend!), Acatenango and of course, Fuego.
There are plenty of hotel options in Antigua, and we like use Booking.com because we always find the lowest prices on hotels. But if you’re like us, you might consider staying in an Airbnb. From Antigua, it’s about a 45-60 min drive to the base of Acatenango where you will start your hike.
Preparing for Acatenango
As mentioned earlier, Acatenango is no small feat. It’s not that you’re putting on serious mileage, it’s that you’re climbing steep terrain almost the whole way. In around 6 miles (or 10K, you climb over 5100 feet (or 1500 meters). And don’t forget about the altitude change. The summit sits at just under 14,000 feet, so be prepared for your lungs to burn a little. Or a lot.
If you are in good shape, exercise frequently (especially lots of strength and endurance), you will be fine on this hike. That doesn’t mean it won’t be difficult, just that your preparation doesn’t have to be more than what your regular exercise routine consists of.
But that’s to say that you shouldn’t do more. In fact, if you can, the best way to prepare for Acatenango is do a lot of hiking beforehand–preferably with some elevation gain and if and when possible, some altitude training too.
If you’re not super fit, or exercising regularly, Acatenango will be much more challenging. We saw people quit and turn around, or hire a horse to take them up to base camp. It’s not the worse thing in the world to ride a horse vs hike, but personally, I believe this trek is best experienced when you accomplish this feat with your own two feet.
Now a note on hiking Acatenango with kids. Even though we believe that kids are capable of doing this hike, here is our disclaimer: Leave small children at home (we would probably recommend kids under the age of 8). Unless you have kids who do a lot of backpacking and hiking and are used to high altitude and elevation gain, this will be extremely hard on them. And the last thing you want to do is carry them.
For kids older than 8, try to prepare them physically and mentally too, as you would yourself. Do some harder family hikes together beforehand and try doing it wearing a backpack, since you will be hauling up your own water, food, clothing, etc. Make sure to check out our top tips for hiking with kids.
What to Bring
Now, what to bring with you for this trek? Well, for starters, it depends on if you want to haul all your gear to Guatemala. We chose not to since that’s a lot of gear for a family of 4. The good thing is that several guided companies in Antigua provide you all the gear you need. We’re talking tents, sleeping bags, mats, even warm layers like coats, and gloves and hats (yes, believe it or not, it can be very cold on the summit of Acatenango and also at night at base camp!).
We chose to go with OX Expeditions, because not only do they provide all the gear for you, they also include meals (lunch, dinner and breakfast for the following day) and most importantly, experienced guides who are professionally trained and speak English. They are also super fun!
What to pack for this trek:
- Comfortable, sturdy hiking shoes or boots (with good traction!)
- Tent
- Sleeping bag and mat
- Backpack
- Warm layers such as pants, wool socks (and extra socks), down jacket or warm coat, beanie, gloves, t-shirt and thermals for nighttime
- Trekking poles (not required, but helpful)
- Water bottles (we prefer double insulated ones)
- Snacks for the trail
As mentioned earlier, most of the gear you can borrow if you go with a company such as Ox Expeditions, however it’s always a good idea to bring some of your own gear (especially clothing). We would recommend bringing your own mats too, since theirs weren’t great (at least for us adults).
The Hike
As mentioned earlier, the hike itself is very challenging and physically demanding. In fact, we’ve done some pretty tough hikes with our kids such as Havasupai and Half Dome, but this one takes the cake. But it’s also AWESOME and one of the coolest experiences we’ve had as a family.
The trail starts out uphill and pretty much climbs for most of the hike. Our guides with OX Expeditions were great at making sure we weren’t rushed though and could take breaks whenever we needed to (which was necessary for our youngest!). Another thing I will mention about going with Ox, is they keep the groups smaller and they have their own base camp separate from the rest of the tour companies!
It took us about 6 hours to make it from the starting point to base camp (about 6 miles), but that was with plenty of short breaks and also an hour-long lunch break. Once we arrived to base camp, our tents were already set up for us, so all we had to was put our backpacks and gear inside our tent.
After about a two hour break, our guides gave everyone the option of climbing to the summit of Acatenango for the sunset. The final push to the summit is about 1 mile (maybe a little less), but it took us nearly two hours because this part of the hike is the toughest!
Besides the steepness, much of the trail (especially as you get close to the top) is small, loose, volcanic rock which feels like walking up a giant sand dune. You take two steps up and slide back one. It’s frustrating to feel like you aren’t making much progress! The altitude added to the difficulty level too, but ultimately, reaching the summit is rewarding beyond measure!
If you are fortunate like us, you will witness one of the most incredible sunsets above the clouds standing on top of Acatenango at 14,000 feet. It’s definitely one of the most surreal experiences!
After you enjoy the sunset and watch Fuego erupt (which seems to be about every 12-15 min on average), you will make your way back down to basecamp in the dark. This is where the headlamps come in handy! Once you reach basecamp, your guides will have dinner prepared for you and you get to sit around a campfire scarfing down a yummy pasta dish while watching the REAL show–Fuego erupt in the dark!
You will be mesmerized for hours as you watch lava explode from the cone of Fuego. This the reason why you do the overnight hike on Acatenango and not the day hike–so you can witness the lava of Volcano Fuego at NIGHT. During the day, you just see flumes of smoke, but at night, you get to witness nature in its purest form. It’s truly spectacular.
Beware that the eruptions can sometimes be quite loud and unpredictable, and can even occasionally rumble the ground. In fact, while we were sleeping, we were woken up by a very loud “BOOM” that shook the ground pretty intensely below us. (Don’t worry, you are still at a safe distance from Fuego though.)
The next morning, you will eat breakfast and pack up before heading down the trail. There is an option to wake up at 4AM and hike to a ridge on Fuego to get a closer look, but we opted not to as we were pretty exhausted from the hike the day before.
Getting down the trail takes about half the time as getting up, so thankfully, the second day is much easier. When you finish, you will feel exhilarated knowing that you completed such a tough hike, but also got to see something in nature that so few can say they’ve experienced!
If you’re looking for additional outdoor adventures in Guatemala, make sure to check out our blog post on 8 outdoor adventures in Lake Atitlan, as well as our 3 day adventure itinerary in Semuc Champey (both a must if you are traveling to Guatemala)!