Guatemala, land of volcanoes
As well as being known as the land of eternal spring, Guatemala is also called the land of volcanoes. With more than 30 of them, this comes as no surprise. In the south in particular, it is the volcanoes that dominate the landscape. It was amazing to walk across the solidified lava and hear the rumbling of the volcano in the background. It was without a doubt one of the most impressive things I saw during my trip.
The volcano gives and takes
During my trip, I soon realised that Guatemalans are very proud of their volcanoes. A common saying in this country is: ‘The volcano gives and takes’. The fertile soil provides food and plays a major role in local culture. And if you strike up a conversation with a Guatemalan, I’m sure that sooner or later the conversation will turn to this impressive natural phenomenon.
My trip to the Pacaya volcano
At around 9 o’clock, I was picked up by my driver José and guide Manuel for a visit to the Pacaya volcano. It takes its name from the Pacaya tree, which grows abundantly there and which the locals are absolutely mad about. We arrived in San Francisco de Sales, a hamlet at the foot of the volcano where the hike begins. Together with Manuel and a local guide from the village who knows the area like the back of his hand, we set off. It was a walk of about 1½ hours uphill through the woods. Gradually, the woodland gave way to black sand and more open plains until we reached a viewpoint and suddenly found ourselves standing on solidified black lava.
Face to face with the Pacaya volcano
There we were, face to face with the volcano. The rumbling I’d been hearing all along now made sense, because from the summit of the immense mountain I could see rocks and stones flying into the air. I was told that, if you’re lucky, you can even see the red-hot lava flowing down. All this, of course, from a safe distance. We walked across the solidified lava, our gaze fixed on the immense volcano the whole time. In some places, I could feel the heat rising from the ground. I looked at my guide in amazement – how could it still be giving off so much heat? But then again, flowing lava can, of course, reach temperatures of up to 1,200 degrees Celsius. It therefore takes several years for it to cool down completely. This was a familiar phenomenon to my guide, as he pulled some marshmallows out of his rucksack for us to roast over the heat – delicious! I found it a wonderful experience to witness nature in such its purest form.
Fancy a tour of Guatemala?
Would you like to organise your own tour of Guatemala and are you curious about the options? Then do have a look at the tours we’ve put together for inspiration. You can book these tours directly, but we’d also be happy to put together a personalised itinerary based on your wishes and ideas.
Do you have an immediate question? Then feel free to contact us. Call +31 73 610 62 04 or send an e-mail to info@sapapanatravel.nl. We are happy to help.