Lava at First Sight! (Guatemala, 2025)

I was fired up from my great 2-day trip in El Salvador as I touched down in Guatemala City, Guatemala. I noticed the passenger next to me was filming every moment of the 45-minute flight with a wide grin and was visibly excited the whole time. In a conversation in broken Spanish, he told me it was his first time flying and he couldn’t believe the sights above the clouds. It was very cute to see a grown man that giddy from something we take for granted.

After a very easy immigration process, I took a bus (booked via Guatego). It was very smooth and the driver even held up a sign with my name on it! Bucket list item complete! The drive took about 4 hours and consisted only of me, the driver, and 1 other passenger. We made light conversation in broken Spanish and he even pointed out the volcanoes poking out from behind the mountain cliffside as we arrived into Panajachel.

Panajachel is a lakeside town on Lake Atitlan that is the main connection to the Pan-American highway and other cities in Guatemala. The other lakeside towns are accessible by public boats that operate from sunrise to sunset (+ private boats if you need), but Pana is the main pick-up and drop-off spot. Before taking a boat to my hostel, I got some lunch at El Ultimo Refugio. It was a classic hole-in-the-wall spot, complete with a cat wandering around and a kid doing homework on the table next to me. After a full three-course meal (for under $10), I took a boat to Santa Cruz la Laguna. And it was the BOUNCIEST boat of my life. I felt like I must have bruised my tailbone.

A couple boat stops later, I arrived at Santa Cruz and checked into my hostel that was right next to the boat dock, La Iguana Perdida. The most surfer-dude looking Australian was waiting to check me in, and he led to my “dorm room”, which was actually a 3-bed treehouse! It was might first time being inside an actual treehouse, and I was still in awe as I met my bunkmates from Switzerland: River and Kim. They were cousins and on a multi-week Central America expedition. After an exploratory walk up into the village to enjoy the lakeside sunset views (and watch a game of schoolyard soccer), River and Kim invited me to grab a drink at the hostel happy hour.

I grabbed some beers for about $1 each and met some cool guys from Canada, an Italian, and some Dutch people (there are always Dutch people in every hostel. it is a law of the land). This was followed by a family-style dinner (that I signed up for during sign-in), where we had a buffet of Salad, Moussaka, and cookies. The village of Santa Cruz is very small and has limited options, so almost everyone joins in for the ~$10 three-course dinner. I was doubtful of a kitchen of Guatemalan villagers cooking a dish from the Levant, but I was pleasantly surprised. After the delicious meal, there was a trivia night.

If you know anything about me, you know that I love trivia. And of course, our group won and got a free drink! Although, as a disclaimer, some of the questions were America-centric (ex. “Who were the 4 US presidents who have been assassinated?”). We ended the night playing a Swiss variant of Uno with my bunkmates under the stars. And I mean STARS. We were several hours from any major city, so the reduced light pollution made the stars shine brighter than I had ever seen in my entire life. I spent a good amount of time trying to capture it on camera, but of course, it did not work.

After a rough night of sleep (something kept on getting in my eye, as is a common struggle sleeping outside in the tropics I guess), I woke up just in time to grab breakfast with River and Kim. The clouds cleared up and I was treated to an absolutely gorgeous view of the surrounding volcanoes while eating on the hostel patio. We split up after breakfast, and I got ready to go kayaking. It took a bit of a walk through some foliage and rocky outcrops to get to the boat rental, but eventually got a solo kayak for an hour.

Compared to the US, the whole process felt so chill: no lifejackets, no “lockers”, no up-front payment, just a guy manning a wooden stand with some kayaks. Kayaking around in the sunkissed morning was a blast, and the speedboats zooming by created some entertaining wakes. My path passed by the beautiful and famous La Casa Del Mundo, but I did not get far as I had hoped in the absolutely massive lake. I headed back for a lunch at the hostel restaurant. After a french toast, I freshened up and hopped in a bumpy boat to San Marcos La Laguna.

San Marcos is known as the “hippie town” of Guatemala due to the large amount of Western expats that live there doing the classic “finding yourself” type of trip. It also has a beautiful nature reserve called Reserva Natural Cerro Tzankujil that is most famous for its cliff jumping. I’m not sure why, but I was not nervous at all. Maybe it was because I had cliff jumped at Lake Travis in Austin before (albeit a much smaller drop), or maybe because I didn’t understand the danger involved. Regardless, I headed to the platform, handed my phone to someone that looked trustworthy enough, and took a leap off of the platform 12-13 meters into the water (37-40 feet). The impact on the water was tough, but nothing crazy. Luckily, there was an attendant at the platform explaining proper form to ensure stability in the air to prevent landing on your neck or back. I climbed back and made my way up the rocks back to the platform.

I thought the jump probably looked super cool and I had gained a ton of “aura”. But the video was honestly embarassing and will not see the light of day off of my phone. I jumped twice more, partially because I loved the thrill but partially because I wanted better videos. I ended up losing my contacts and busted my lip on my last jump, so I called it a day after that and just people watched from the sidelines.

I took a boat back to the hostel (it took a while; the operators wait for boats to fill up before leaving, so sometimes it is 2 minutes and sometimes it is 30) to shower, enjoy happy hour with Kim/River/Canadian bros/Dutch girls, and have another family style dinner consisting of tacos. There was a party at the party hostel next door (the famous Free Cerveza hostel), but it ended early, so we had a massive influx of people at around 10 PM. I was exhausted from my day, so I just sat outside and chatted with the Canadians and Kim and River before heading to bed.

Throughout the next night, my stomach gave me hell. I woke up to throw up and/or use the bathroom almost every hour, and at one point, even seriously considered just dragging a pillow into the hostel bathroom and staying there. I was in absolute shambles, and skipped breakfast in favor of a glass of water that Kim and River brought me. This was luckily a “flex day” that I had scheduled in, but I had to cancel this cooking class that I was looking forward to taking. I eventually got out of bed to eat some porridge with bananas. It took me about an hour and I even broke a sweat eating it, but I got it down and went back to nap. Looking back, I can confidently attribute this sickness to ingesting some lake water during the cliff jumps.

At 5 PM, I finally mustered enough energy to get up and join my hostelmates at happy hour (no drinks this time). I learned that Kim and River were also big one piece fans, which immediately lifted my spirits. Hanging and chatting with them made me feel 10 times better. We yapped for hours as the day turned to night. As a break from the hostel dinner, we got dinner at a nearby restaurant, Holy Tortillas. I only had a banana smoothie (which again, took me an hour to drink) and immediately hit the hay.

That night was still rough, but not nearly as bad. We had a bit of time after breakfast, so Kim, River, and I planned to explore San Pedro, but the Swiss duo ran into some money problems with their banks (the irony is not lost on us!), so I set off alone. After a quick boat ride, I strolled around the largest town on the lake and bought some bracelets. I ended the walk at a beautiful park and church located near the center of the colorful city. The town was beautiful, but it was busier and had a lot more pollution/trash/urban vibe than Santa Cruz and I was glad at my choice of accommodation.

After a short walk, though, it was time to catch a boat back because I was diametrically opposite from the bus pick-up point in Panajachel. It took a about an hour to boat back to the hostel and then to Pana to catch the bus that I had booked from the hostel.

I bid goodbye to my favorite bunkmates Kim and River, and hopped on a bus to Antigua. There was a surprise transfer halfway through where they told us to get off in the middle of nowhere, and the thought of human trafficking briefly crossed my mind. But otherwise, the trip was smooth and it was exciting to ride the Pan-American highway again. I ended up chatting with a strange Israeli man (at least 40 years old) who was on a long Central America trip with quite literally ZERO plans. I mean he had no accomodation in Antigua, no notion of how long he was staying, and only knew that he wanted to eventually go to Surf City, El Salvador.

He asked if he could follow me to Tropicana Hostel to check for vacancies, and he eventually booked a solo room. I went on a walk with him to grab a drink (which I should not have said yes to), but after coming up empty handed, I lost him when I went to go use the bathroom.

While sparing you the details, the bathroom/stomach situation was still not great and I was out of pepto bismol. I decided to bring out the big guns and bought some Loperamide (immodium) from the nearby pharmacy. The whole trip was centered around this upcoming overnight volcano trek (that was hosted through Tropicana, hence the stay), and I wanted to make sure I was in good shape (or at least half-decent shape) for it. I had seen wayyyyy too many TikToks about this volcano hike to skip it.

The night at the hostel (in an 18-bunk, 1-bathroom room) was not the best, and I found myself venturing around the hostel to find open bathrooms quite often. I thought I was being quiet enough, but I met some Finns/Norwegians the next morning at breakfast from my room who were complaining about some dude who kept on going up and down the bunks all night (I really wonder who it was…)

After a rooftop breakfast of delicious pancakes, eggs, cheese, and much more (with views of Volcán Fuego), I packed up my things, pocketed some some trail mix, and rented a backpack, hiking shoes, and a winter jacket from the hostel. The renting process was optional and they had more items, but I had heard that these were the essentials (+ gloves, which I had). The whole process was very smooth and the hostel were incredibly helpful in getting everyone ready and out the door.

Before long, we were on the bus headed to the base of Acatenango. Upon arrival, we had the option of paying a porter to take our bags up for us (or on a horse), but I had the firm belief that a hike isn’t real if you don’t carry your own gear. I did however, rent some hiking poles and a headlamp, since I had heard that they help a lot in the loose gravel of the route and for the summit. The group from the hostel ended up being around 40 people with 6 mountain guides. They calmly explained the route up and that we would be stopping every 30-45 minutes for a water break.

I had heard that this hike was moderately hard, so taking breaks every 30 minutes felt excessive and I mentally scoffed at the idea. We began the ascent up, and I was feeling great at the first rest point, whcih was the starting trailhead. The confidence was misplaced. The next 30-40 minutes were up an insane incline (estimate about 13%) where I was actively fighting for my life while having a 45-liter backpack stuffed with winter clothes and 4L of water.

After a lifetime, we made it to the second water break. I must have looked like a mess because some people in our group offered me tips on how to use the poles properly and keep my backpack higher on my back. Quitting briefly crossed my mind, but I never truly entertained the idea. The hike was the centerpiece of my trip, and I had already reshuffled my plans when rain threatened the original date.

From there, it was a grueling uphill grind for the next ~2 hours until lunch. The inclines were not nearly as bad as that first portion, but they were still difficult. I soon found myself at the back of the pack with a group of British girls that were in equal amounts of pain. Hearing their accent and banter helped me keep my mind occupied. Given my stomach issues, I only managed half of my chicken wrap, apple, and brownie and gave some to an adorable stray dog. After lunch, it was another ~3 hours of uphill grind. As we got higher, more and more winter clothes came out of my backpack and it got slightly lighter. Hanging at the back of the pack gave me motivation because I did not want to be one holding up the group, but I was damn near close to it.

Funny enough, the British girls were talking about running half marathons and I realized that the ~4 of us at the very back had the fitness level to run 13.1 miles but could barely ascend this climb. The last 45-minute segment was flat on an ash-laden and cloud-covered landscape. It truly felt like another planet.

Finally, around 4:30PM, we made it to base camp. It was too cloudy to see a thing, but I had faith that it would clear up soon. The guides made us some cup ramen (made with some of the water we brought up with us) and announced there would be an additional ~3 hour hike onto the active Volcán Fuego (which might be named by a 4-year old, “Volcano of Fire”). You could not PAY me to go on another hike as I was barely alive from the hike up, but there were ~10 people crazy enough to go on it. The rest of us enjoyed watching the clouds give way to gorgeous views of Volcán Fuego right there from the base camp.

It was one of the most gorgeous sunsets I had ever seen. Right after the sun dipped below the horizon, so did the temperature. The amoutn of winter clothes I had packed felt ridiculous during the 85-degree ascent (30 degrees Celsius), but at the 30-degree base camp (0 degrees Celsius), I was so glad I had them. Even then, we were freezing and waited for the guides to start a campfire. The ~25 of us that stayed behind and huddled around the campfire began chatting about our adventures and home countries. And as always, I was made fun of for being American. We even played games like categories, and I had a lot of fun with my new friends: some British girls (shoutout  Georgie and Georgina and Sophie), a hilarious British guy named Ben, an American (who lived in Mumbai for a decade), and a German couple. We were soon served dinner with a glass of wine followed by some hot chocolate.

The stars started poking their heads out from the dusky sky, and the views of the volcano and stars were absolutely gorgeous. Using night mode on our cameras, we could even see a deep red glow from Fuego. It was absolutely stunning, and one of the most gorgeous views of my life. Speaking of Fuego, the hikers who set off on the bonus hike had to turn around due to harsh winds, and arrived at around 9PM—my bedtime for the night.

The sleeping arrangements were cabins where we were packed in like sardines (about 18 people in the size of a living room). I was grimy, sweaty, pressed into by my neighbor, had 5 layers on, had wet socks from the sweat, but still had a much better time sleeping than the previous few nights.

The morning alarm rang at about 4:20 AM for a sunrise summit. As we got up and got our things ready, we could see Fuego smoking violently under a starlit backdrop. Looking back, I had no idea how I had the stamina to summit Acatenango at 6 AM in complete darkness. But slowly and surely, armed with a headlamp, we scaled over rocks for 90 minutes to make our way to the summit. I briefly thought about how we were ever going to get down from here, but those thoughts were quickly silenced by the gorgeous view of Fuego emitting smoke plumes with the sunrise around it. Words cannot describe and pictures cannot do it justice, even though I must have taken 234828492 photos. Far too soon, we were told to begin the descent back down. Me being me, I wanted to stay longer and ended up being the last person in the group to descend. I eventually made it back to the camp and was greeted with “Finalmente, Rojo!!”, which was the guide’s nickname for me.

After packing up my belongings and having some breakfast, we set off on the descent. It was much easier than going up effort-wise, but it took a toll on my knees and it didn’t take long before I was back of the pack again. It was so easy to slide on the ash and I took such baby steps. Eventually, Ben (who was also suffering) and I made it down and the journey down took about 3 hours. Finally, wiped, we parted ways with the guides and returned to the hostel. That hostel shower was the single best shower I ever had, and I was so ready to take a nap.

However, it was my last day, so instead I gave my bags to the front desk and hit Rincon Antigueño, a popular local chicken place, for lunch. It was just okay (plus, my stomach was still giving me issues). I then explored the University of San Carlos museum, visited the secondhand markets (Mercado Central), and ended the day sitting in the park and chatting with a local woman. My spanish was very basic, but it was really rewarding to be able to have a full conversation about our lives with this random lady. It’s these moments that remind you what travel is all about.

Eventually, I got my stuff from the hostel, and waited for my Guatego bus. But, it never showed up! After calling the customer service, they said that the driver reported that I didn’t show up. Luckily, they understood my plight and sent a new private driver (for free!) to take me back to Guatemala city. Everyone is so nice here, especially everyone at Guatego! I heavily recommend! I got to my hotel late at night, check in, and immediately crash in a rare room to myself.

I wake up at 4AM and the concierge is ready for me, armed with a to-go breakfast because their main breakfast wasn’t ready yet. (See what I mean about the niceness??). A short shuttle ride later and 2 more flights, I was back in Austin, equipped with some new dad lore and stories to tell (and a GI infection).

I was utterly exhausted but content. This was the most adventurous solo trip I’ve done and it was one of those experiences that stick with you for life.

Takeaways

• The hospitality and kindness of the locals cannot be overstated. I have nothing bad to say about anyone I encountered, and so many people went out of their way to take care of me
• Do NOT drink the lake water unless you want to contract a bacterial infection. And if you do, start slamming the immodium
• Hiking Acatenango is worth the social media hype it has generated. It is the coolest hike I’ve ever done. Just check the weather beforehand and pray!
• La Iguana Perdida in Santa Cruz is a beautiful hostel where you’ll make really cool friends and wake up in a treehouse to the best views of your life
• Be kind to yourself. Adventure-oriented trips like these, combined with a lack of sleep and hot water, can really take a toll

Rose-Bud-Thorn

Rose (what went well): The central Acatenango hike I had spent years watching on social media was everything I had hoped it was. Even though there was no lava flow, I consider myself lucky to get such great views of the smoke billowing from an active Central American volcano. It was a grueling, beautiful, life-changing experience.
Bud (what was good but could be improved on): I definitely tried to do too much in a short period of time. Going from Guatemala city to Atitlan to Antigua to Acatenango all within 6 nights was ambitious and forced me to pack my schedule. I had a crazy adventure, but ended up having to skip the Indian Nose hike, running incredibly low on sleep, and only having a day to over a relatively serious infection.
Thorn (what did not go well): Getting sick definitely wasn’t part of the plan, though it never is. It made everything more challenging, especially with the four-hour bus ride to Antigua and the Acatenango hike ahead. I was carrying a lot of anxiety about both, and attempting the hike on little sleep and almost no fuel didn’t make it any easier. Still, you push through!