A country often overlooked as a holiday destination offers a majestic, but arduous, hike leading to the top of an active volcano. Guatemala, a country in central America, is home to 37 volcanoes, three of which have been constantly active in recent years.
One of them, the Fuego volcano, spews gas and ash as often as every 15 to 20 minutes, while larger eruptions are less frequent.
This volcano is joined with Acatenango – a stratovolcano that last erupted in 1972. The vicinity between these two volcanoes allows the most adventurous tourists to hike the 13,044-ft-tall Acatenango and view the sensational activity of Fuego from up close.
The hike begins from the city of Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
Many travel bloggers who have tackled this path warn the hike is hard due to its steep incline, which becomes tougher the higher people go, with a total elevation gain of 5150ft.
Decreasing temperatures also pose a challenge, as does altitude sickness. Upon approaching the peak, the terrain becomes even more difficult to tackle, as it is volcanic sand rather than more compact ground.
Yet, the unique view of an active volcano makes it up for the strenuous climb.
This hike and the city of Antigua are just two of the many reasons why people should visit Guatemala, home to more than 1,500 different Mayan ruin sites, the beautiful Lake Atitlán and colourful street markets.
Visiting the country is rather affordable, and although it is not as cheap as some destinations in southeast Asia, Guatemala is full of budget options when it comes to hostels and meals.