How to spend one week in Guatemala
Base Camp on Volcan Acatenango
Trip Date: Nov 2022
After finding a flight deal for less than $300 roundtrip to Guatemala and having my TikTok fyp filled with the Acatenango volcano trek, it was a no brainer to book. In hindsight I would’ve added a few days since travel distances and timing is far, but was glad I was able to fit so much in a short, PTO friendly trip!
Arriving into GUA airport in Guatemala City, I started my trip in Lake Atitlan. From the airport, you have a few options, but note this journey is long on windy roads. The options are similar if heading to Antigua, just less distance and cost so I may have flipped my itinerary if doing again. After exiting the arrivals gate, there are options for both taxi and shared shuttle so no need to book beforehand.
GUA-Lake Atitlan transport options
Taxi/Uber—I ended up taking an Uber which is not the most cost effective, but since I was short on time and wanted to get the lake before sunset, I opted for this. The cost was GTQ 927/USD 117 and took 2 1/2 hours.
Shared Shuttle—this is the more cost effective option at roughly GTQ 360/ 45 USD but will take around 4-6 hours depending where on the lake you are staying. Most shared shuttles also go through Antigua for a stop, so this also adds to the travel time.
If staying in towns such as San Marcos or San Pedro, these are accessible by road, but if staying in Santa Cruz, you will have to go to Panajachel and then ride the public boat, or lancha, to Santa Cruz. Panajachel is the main town on Lake Atitlan, so many transport options start and end here.
3-4 days: Lake Atitlan
Transportation
Getting around Lake Antigua is both easy and cost effective—on the public lanchas! Rides between the different towns vary between GTQ 10-25/USD 1-3 and run every 20-30 minutes. They run from roughly 7am until 6:30-7pm and is a great way to explore the different towns
Accommodation
I stayed at the Free Cerveza hostel in Santa Cruz in a private casita. This hostel is more of a campsite but has a full restaurant/bar as well as stunning views of the lake. They also have their own dock that the public lanchas will drop off/pick up from, or you can walk roughly 10 minutes towards the public dock in Santa Cruz
Things to Do
Most hostels and hotels will have access to kayaks, stand up paddleboarding and docks to sunbathe—the lake is the attraction after all! Taking the public lanchas to different towns around the lake gives you endless opportunities to fill your days. Some popular towns to visit and stay in addition to Santa Cruz are San Marcos, San Pedro, and San Juan
3-4 Days- Antigua including Acatenango Trek
Transportation
From Panajachel in Lake Atitlan (after taking the public lancha there) you can catch a shuttle to Antigua. By recommendation from my hostel, I went with Xocomil Tours which is right off the public dock in Panajachel
Accommodation
I stayed at Hostel Tropicana which is also who I booked my Acatenango overnight trek with as well and I would recommend them for both!
Acatenango overnight trek
The Acatenango trek remains one of the coolest and memorable experiences I have ever done. After a full day hike up Acatenango to base camp, you are rewarded with viewing an erupting Volcan Fuego. The two volcanoes are roughly 2.5km apart and watching Volcan Fuego erupt every 15-20 minutes truly does not get old. During the day it looks like ash erupting and once it is dark, you can clearly see the lava erupting as well.
The hike is not easy to get there though—you will gain 5150 feet/1500 meters of elevation and 11 miles/18 km roundtrip over the two days. There are many tour operators ranging in comfort level at base camp. I went through Tropicana which I would consider a more budget option. While there was a built cabin to withstand the weather, it is essentially a giant bunk bed with everyone sleeping side by side in sleeping bags. Other tour operators include more glamping options for more comfort, or tent camping for another budget options, just depends on preference!
The below is the rough itienrary through Tropicana—currently the cost for this overnight which includes meals, guides, and gear is USD 79. You will just have to carry your water and belongings for the duration of the hike.
Day 1
Meet at 9am for breakfast and then take a shuttle to the trailhead.
At roughly 10:30am-11am you will start the hike and will take about 4-6 hours to reach base camp.
Have dinner at basecamp while watching Volcan Fuego—there is an optional add on hike to hike up Volcan Fuego which you can decide when you arrive at the Acatenango basecamp.
Day 2
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Wake at 4:00am to hike for an hour to the summit to catch the sunrise at the summit—truly an unreal, feel like you are in heaven view
After returning to camp and having breakfast, you will hike all the way down and transport back to Antigua.
This was definitely a once in a lifetime experience, but the below are a few things I wish i did differently in order to prepare better
Adjust to the altitude beforehand! While I spent a few days in Lake Atitlan and Antigua beforehand as recommended, I would’ve stayed even longer to acclimate better. I live at an altitude of essentially zero, so for future hikes at high altitude I will probably spend a week of acclimatizing.
Brought a better backpack—my backpack wasn’t bad, but I have since invested in an Osprey daypack with a hydration system that would’ve made the hike much more enjoyable.
Rent the real trekking poles, not the sticks. I had rented one of the wooden stick poles and I wish I had just payed the extra amount for the real ones. It is a very steep hike and are definitely needed, especially coming down.
Overall, if you have a relatively decent fitness level, I think this hike is achievable. While I found it difficult, my mantra is always “I’ll get there eventually” so if you go at your own pace you’ll be able to reach the summit. There are also multiple guides with each tour so one leads the group and the other stays towards the back, so you do not have to feel rushed to keep up. I’d 1000% recommend this hike to anyone who is up for it. Good luck and happy trekking!
