Volcán de Pacaya

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Rising to a height of 2250m, this volcano regularly spits out clouds of rock and ash in the country’s most dramatic sound-and-light show. The current period of eruption began in 1965, and colonial records reveal it was also active between 1565 and 1775. Today it’s considered one of the most accessible and thrilling volcanoes in Central America, and hiking to the cone is an unforgettable experience — though sulphurous fumes and strong winds can make an ascent impossible on some days. The best time to watch the eruptions is at night, when brilliant orange lava lights up the sky. If you’re planning a trip to Guatemala, be sure to include this volcano on your list of must-do adventures.

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.

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