damian1

Guatemala, a country that has a good number of volcanoes. To be precise, Guatemala has 37 volcanoes, one of which is the Pacaya Volcano. You can see this volcano from Guatemala City and Antigua. In the past I have blogged about my visit to Antigua, but not yet about my visit to the Pacaya Volcano. More about this in this blog.

Pacaya volcano eruption

The Pacaya Volcano is not only well known among the many tourists and the Guatemalans, it is also one of the most active volcanoes in Guatemala. This week the news came to my attention that the Pacaya volcano has erupted. Read more about this at the website below.

https://www.dailysabah.com/world/americas/guatemalas-pacaya-volcano-erupts-for-2nd-time-in-3-days

My visit to Pacaya Volcano

My visit to this volcano dates back to 2016, when I booked a day tour to this unique location. The climb to the volcano itself is quite doable, only the heat and the loose lava sand make the trip a bit tough. The starting point of the Pacaya hike is at 1,680 meters in the town of San Vicente Pacaya while the summit is at 2,500 meters. We did the trek with a tour group, with some people opting not to climb to the top but to rent a horse. To each his own, but if you don't climb you haven't really been to the volcano. :)

The hike does not go all the way to the top of the volcano, as this is not possible due to the volcanic activity of the Pacaya. However, once at the top you do have a great view of the volcano itself, standing on hot lava rocks to enjoy the view. It's a great climb with beautiful views of the surrounding area. In addition, the descent is also very nice, where you can descend through lava sand. Some even chose the fast route, by just jumping down and landing in the soft lava sand.

All in all, a visit to this volcano is well worth your day. A great hike with many beautiful views, and also the volcano itself is very impressive. At the top, the tour guide even made marshmellows warm between the lava rocks. So if you happen to be in the area, be sure to visit the Pacaya Volcano.

Thanks for reading and take care! ✌