Guatemala for the Weekend

Me: I think I'm going to fly to Guatemala and hike a volcano.

Him: What?

Me: Yeah, It's a two day hike and you camp at the top of the volcano overnight and you wake up at 3am to make coffee on the summit and watch the sunrise.

Him: Who are you going with?

Me: Noone... you don't like to hike.  I'm going to find a hiking group to meet up with in Guatemala.

Him: You want to fly to Guatemala to hike an active volcano with a group of strangers?

Me: Not strangers,  hikers.... or we can call them future friends.

Him: Nope, no way.

Me: So you want to go with me?

Him: Are you going with or without me?

Me: Of Course

This, my friends, is how I got him to realize that, deep deep inside his heart and soul, he too, wanted to climb an active volcano. We did compromise and didnt do the two day overnight adventure, but we still got to roast marshmallows on the lava rocks so it turned out ok.

The morning of our flight, I was reviewing our itinerary and was reminded that day 2 was a historical tour of Guatemala City and Antigua and I commented that this sounds like my kind of day. He responded that this whole weekend sounds like your kind of weekend. Hiking, Hot Springs, History. This is truth.

After work, we took the evening flight from Bogota to Guatemala City.  We had 5 hours from the time we got to the hotel to the time the bus picked us up for our hike. Our guide picked us up and we drove the short distance to Pacaya Volcano to start our hike. Guatemala has 33 volcanos, 3 of them active, and Pacaya is one of them.  Since the time of the Spanish conquest of Guatemala, Pacaya has erupted 23 known times. The last eruption was in February of 2021.  Pacaya is surrounded by the cooled lava beds filled with lava rock.  The contrast between the green lush trees and the black of the lava is beautiful.

We didn't hike to the top, that would be the two day experience, but we did hike to the base of the lava beds. It is not an easy hike, but doable with a little bit of physical fitness, electrolytes, and willpower. It is higher altitude, so its important to both acclimate and hydrate and to wear the proper shoes and clothing.  It was well worth the effort we put in.

After our morning hike, we experienced the termales. These are hot springs with water warmed from the nearby volcanic activity. It was rejuvenating, relaxing, soul enriching. We did a water circuit for an hour, which consisted of moving periodically between chilled, cold baths to hot, steamy baths. After a morning of hiking and an afternoon of healing waters,  we slept good that night!

The next morning, it was up bright and early for our historical based tour of Guatemala City and Antigua. Guatemala City was nice, but the real gem here is Antigua. Such a beautiful, magical place. We spent the majority of our day here walking the cobblestone streets and learning about the city.  Many of the buildings built over the years, starting in the 1600's, have been damaged or destroyed through various earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and fires. Rather than remove the ruins, Antigua built around them or integrated the ruins into new buildings.  It is a perfect combination of old and new and gives the town such charm.

Antigua is in the valley between multiple volcanos. The popular tourist shot is beneath a yellow arch in the center of town.When you see so many people in the same area, sometimes you think that is the place to be. However, if you just keep walking...all the way to the far corner of the street, you can get the shot of the arch, the symbol of Antigua, with the volcano dominating the skyline behind it.

A weekend was great, but the end of the story here is that we will be back. Even if you don't love history and hiking, the beauty and magic of Guatemala will capture you.