5 Best Volcano Hikes Around Xela (Quetzaltenango) in Guatemala

If you’re visiting Xela (Quetzaltenango) in Guatemala then we assume that one of the main reasons you’ve ventured off the ‘gringo trail’ is to go on some awesome hikes near the city. In this blog post you’ll find five of the best volcano hikes to attempt during your visit to Xela, from short, easy hikes to difficult, multi-day experiences.

We spent about a week and a half in this incredible city and managed to fit in two day hikes and one overnight hike. We had an incredible time and thought we would share our experiences with you too.

If you’d like to see more of these hikes, then definitely watch our Xela hiking video on our YouTube channel. For more Guatemala videos, make sure to watch our Guatemala series.

Introducing Xela (Quetzaltenango)

Xela is situated at 2,330 m (7,640 ft) above sea level in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. However, bear in mind that you won’t find the name ‘Xela’ on the map. This is because the official name of the city is Quetzaltenango, which means ‘place of the quetzal bird’. Once we arrived in the country though, we quickly noticed that people prefer to call it by its Mayan name, Xelajú, or the shorter version, Xela, which means ‘under ten mountains’.

About 95% of the population of the city are indigenous Maya. We loved seeing that most residents, old and young, still wear their colourful, traditional outfits. In many places we’ve visited within Latin America, we mainly saw the older generation wearing their traditional attire. So Xela really felt like a city frozen in time.

Although it’s the second biggest city in the country, not many tourists actually make it there during their visit. Many travellers we talked to had never even heard of Xela before. Despite the lack of tourists when compared to Lake Atitlan or Antigua, Xela offers plenty for its visitors to see and experience including stunning landscapes, majestic volcanoes, a diverse culture, rich history and beautiful architecture. If you want to visit a truly authentic city in Guatemala, learn some Spanish and hike some volcanoes, then you need to add Xela to your itinerary.

Best Volcano Hikes Around Xela (Quetzaltenango)

1. Volcan Santa Maria

Santa Maria is an over 30,000 year old stratovolcano and one of the 37 official volcanoes in Guatemala. It last erupted in 1902, which was one of the largest recorded eruptions in the 20th century.

Today, the volcano is one of the best, and most challenging, hikes around Xela. The hike is an 8.2 km (5 mile) out-and-back trail that takes you all the way to the summit of the volcano at 3,772 m / 12,375 ft above sea level. You can complete this hike independently or with an organised tour.

The trailhead starts in Llano de Pinal, a small town located a short drive to the southwest of Xela. Normally, the ascent takes anywhere between 3 to 4 hours depending on your level of fitness. As you would expect, the descent is much quicker and should only take between 1.5 to 2 hours. 

Overall, we learned the hard way not to underestimate this ‘wee’ 3,772 m volcano. We put together a detailed guide where we share everything you need to know before you commit to hiking this volcano.

You’ll find details on the trail length, level of difficulty, whether to do it alone or with a guide, when the best time to do it is and what to wear and bring with you for your adventure. We’ve also provided you with a brief trail description in case you want to attempt it without a guide.

2. Mirador Santiaguito

In 1922, a dome started growing on Santa Maria that has now become a separate volcanic cone called Santiaguito. Today, Santiaguito is one of three active volcanoes in Guatemala alongside Pacaya and Fuego near Antigua. Santiaguito’s regular eruptions are a constant hazard to the nearby towns of El Palmar, San Felipe and even Xela.

Whilst you can summit Volcan Santa Maria, you’re not allowed to go up Santiaguito for obvious reasons. However, you can either see it erupting from the top of Santa Maria, or watch it from Mirador Santiaguito lower down the side of Santa Maria.

The trailhead also starts in Llano de Pinal, in the same place as the Volcan Santa Maria trail. You can also complete the Mirador hike independently or with an organised tour.

There are a few pros to hiking Mirador Santiaguito instead of Volcan Santa Maria. One of them is that the highest point along this hike is only 2,790 m (9,153 ft), which is quite a bit lower than the summit of Santa Maria. Whilst the length of the trail is similar, the elevation gain is way less and the path is not as steep.

Since we saw Santiaguito erupting from Santa Maria, we didn’t hike to Mirador Santiaguito as well. However, it’s definitely a less challenging hike and we recommend signing up for this one if you think Santa Maria might be too difficult for you.

3. Overnight Hike to Zunil Volcano

Despite Volcán Zunil offering some of the best views of the surrounding area, it’s actually one of the lesser hiked volcanoes around Xela. So, if you’re after a quieter hike then Zunil should definitely be on your list.

Zunil is a dormant volcano that actually looks more like a mountain because its cone is eroded and it doesn’t have a clearly visible crater. The hiking trail took us through the cloud forest before following a ridge all the way to the summit. The best part of this overnight hike is that we finished at the hot springs of Fuentes Georginas. A visit to these hot springs, which are naturally heated by Zunil, is actually one of the best day trips from Xela.

Over the course of 2 days we covered a distance of 21 km (13 mi), with a maximum elevation of 3,540 m (11,600 ft) above sea level. The campsite was about 100 m (330 ft) below the summit. We were able to watch both the sunset and the sunrise from the summit surrounded by about 16 different volcanoes. Hiking Volcan Zunil wasn’t in our initial plan, but we were super happy that we ended up hiking this incredible volcano.

Note. We personally recommend doing this hike with a guide, unless you’re an experienced hiker and camper. Unlike on the popular overnight Acatanengo hike, you’ll have to carry everything you’ll need for two days including your tent, sleeping mats and bags, food and water. Therefore, expect to carry an approximately 15 kg (35 lbs) backpack.

4. Overnight Hike to Tajumulco Volcano

We initially signed up for the 2-day Volcan Tajumulco hike, ready to summit the highest peak in Central America. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit there were wildfires in the area, so the trek had to be cancelled for safety reasons. Despite not being able to hike Tajumulco, we still believe that it’s one of the best overnight hikes you can do from Xela.

Volcán Tajumulco is another dormant volcano with a height of 4,222 m (13,850 ft) above sea level. In Mayan, Tajumulco means ‘above the clouds’. Luckily, we could see Tajumulco from the top of Santa Maria Volcano, along with many of Guatemala’s other volcanoes.

Whilst we were of course gutted that we couldn’t climb Tajumulco, we were so happy that we could hike Volcan Zunil instead. In addition, missing out on Tajumulco gives us a great excuse to return to Xela in the near future.

Note. We personally recommend doing this hike with a guide, unless you’re an experienced hiker and camper. Similarly to Zunil, you’ll have to carry everything you’ll need for two days including your tent, sleeping mats and bags, food and water. Therefore, expect to carry an approximately 15 kg (35 lbs) backpack.

5. Volcan de Chicabal / Laguna de Chicabal

Last, but by no means least, another beautiful volcano hike to consider around Xela is Volcan de Chicabal. This 2,720 m (8,923 ft) tall inactive volcano and crater lake is located to the south of the small village of San Martín Sacatepéquez, to the south-west of Xela.

The height of the volcano makes it a great acclimatisation hike, so perhaps plan to do this one before attempting a more challenging trek. What’s even more special about this location is that the lake is one of the most important sacred sites for the Mam-Maya communities. People bring bouquets of flowers and place them along the shores of the crater lake. We even had the pleasure of hearing them singing in unison, with their voices echoing around the crater in the mist, which was probably one of the most magical things we’ve witnessed.

The trailhead is easily accessible from Xela by either a chicken bus (camioneta) or Uber. You can make the hike easier for yourself by taking a Torito ride up to the Mirador from the trailhead, or more challenging by walking up from the village. We personally opted to do this hike independently. However, you can always join a tour too. If you’d like to know more about this particular hike, then check out the detailed guide we put together.

Best Tour Companies for Volcano Hikes Around Xela

An important question you might have when planning volcano hikes in Xela is whether it’s safe to do it on your own or whether you should go with a guide. Based on our experience, research, and reading a ton of recent reviews, it’s generally considered safe to do most hikes independently. However, as always, what might feel safe for us may not feel safe for you. For this reason, we recommend checking out a few tour companies, especially if you want to do any overnight hikes.

• Quetzaltrekkers is a non-profit organisation led by awesome volunteer guides. They use the money you pay to provide education, housing and other social support to disadvantaged children in Xela. We did the 2-day Zunil hike with them and loved the experience.
• Monte Verde Tours is the company we ended up doing the Santa Maria Volcano hike with. They also offer private and shared shuttle services between popular locations in Guatemala.
• Adrenalina Tours offer an early morning guided hike up Santa Maria. They also have shuttle services within the country, and operate in neighbouring countries such as Belize as well.
• Voyageur Tours offer a Santa Maria Full Moon hiking experience. They also offer transportation services within the country.

Do You Need Special Travel Insurance to Hike Volcanoes in Xela

We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have travel insurance before any trip you make abroad. Now, most travel insurance won’t automatically include cover for all the activities you’re planning on doing during your travels.

For example, if you’re visiting Guatemala, and planning on hiking at high altitudes, then you should make sure to have cover for high altitude trekking in your insurance policy. Shop around to find the most suitable one. You just never know what could happen, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

We personally use SafetyWing which covers trekking under 4,500m as standard and has an Adventure Sport add-on, which will then cover you up to 6,000m of elevation.

Final Thoughts on the Best Volcano Hikes Around Xela

We were blown away by the number of fantastic volcano hikes there were around Xela. The most challenging hike was definitely Volcan Santa Maria, but the payoff was well worth it in the end. Without doubt, our favourite experience was the overnight hike up Volcan Zunil. Witnessing an incredible sunset and sunrise from the summit surrounded by volcanoes was something we’ll never, ever forget. Plus, the fact that Xela really wasn’t as touristy as other places in Guatemala was definitely an added bonus.

Have you ever been to Xela before? If so, how long did you stay for and what did you get up to during that time? If not, would you consider adding Xela to your Guatemala itinerary? Let us know in the comments below.