It’s a steep but steady hour’s climb up a good path through milpas and thickish forest until you suddenly emerge on the lip of an exposed ridge from where you can see the cone in all its brutal beauty. In front of you is a massive bowl of cooled lava, its fossilized currents flowing away to the right; opposite is the cone itself, a jet-black triangular peak that occasionally spews rock and ash. It’s possible to descend, and pick your way carefully across the lava fields until you reach a section that’s oozing molten lava. If you’ve brought a marshmallow along, toast yourself a snack.
Many standard tours do not allow enough time, but it is a further 45 minutes to the summit of the cone itself. On 11-day Guatemala trips with time in Antigua, choosing the longer Pacaya hike can be worthwhile, as it turns the volcano from a simple half-day excursion into a more memorable active experience. The route passes between charred tree stumps, then climbs the slippery ashen sides of the cone, a terrifying but thrilling ascent that can eventually bring you face to face with bubbling patches of molten magma and minor eruptions, if conditions permit.
A noxious brew of sulphurous fumes swirls around the lip of the crater, choking the throat, and you will feel the heat of the ash and lava beneath your feet. The climb should not be attempted when Pacaya is highly active, so check with your tour agency about the state of the eruptions before setting out.
Start planning your trip to Guatemala by first finding out how many days are best to spend in Guatemala.
