Name: El Mirador Santiaguito
Location: Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Altitude: Variable, but estimated to be about 2,510m / 8,235 ft (1)
Difficulty: Easy
View: Explosive
Recommended: Highly
Volcanic Activity: Very Active
My Opinion and Advice: I thoroughly enjoyed this trip! Most of the other hikes are more challenging but this was short, sweet, and allowed for more socializing along the way. I also believe that the profile view you get of the eruption at the lookout is much more beautiful that watching it from above at the peak of the volcano Santa María. Whether you like to hike or not, this is definitely worth the hassle of waking up early on a weekend. Make sure you bring a camera or a video camera as the possibility of witnessing an eruption is very strong.
Hike Experience: I was met by the guide and my hiking companions at about 5:20am on a Saturday morning. The air was crisp as the sun slowly began to peak its head above the mountains which surrounded us on all sides. We drove for about 25 minutes until we reached a little village called Llanos del Pinal which is just outside of the main city of Quetzaltenango, or Xela as it is commonly known. There we gathered ourselves, and at about 6:00am we began the hike.
The first hour or so was uphill, but the slope was not especially inclined and with the exception of a few rocky bits it almost felt as if we were walking up a hill, albeit a big one. Along the way we were met by local Guatemalan farmers, some on horseback, who were on their way to work on one of the many fields which snuggled either side of the route we followed. No matter how many times I hike the mountains in this area it always strikes me that as I hike for pleasure, those men are commuting to work… amazing!
We reached a fork in the road after the first hour, and instead of veering left towards the peak of the volcano Santa María we stayed towards the right which led us around the side of the mountain to our final destination: the lookout point. The next hour was much easier and mostly flat which allowed us to enjoy the views and engage in more spirited conversations with other students as well as time to practice speaking Spanish with our guide, Martín Diaz.
Visibility of the volcano is nonexistent for the entirety of the trip, but upon arrival at the lookout all becomes clear… the view is pretty spectacular, and on a very clear day it’s said that you can see all the way to the Pacific Ocean. I don’t believe that, but it doesn’t matter as directly in front of you is arguably one of the top 10 most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world (2), and with any luck it is only an hour or so away from erupting! Take a look at this video that I recorded (click here) to get a better idea of what you might expect.
The walk back to town is quick and easy… the hard part is pulling yourself away from the lookout and your hopes of seeing one last eruption before calling it quits. Fortunately, you should be back in town just in time for lunch, and you still have the whole afternoon to explore even more of Xela : )
Supporting a Great Company:
I did this hike with Martín Diaz and his business partner Marvin Laynez. I highly recommend their services, and you can get in contact with them at their website: http://www.guateguides.com/
Bibliography:
(1) “Hikes.” To Volcanoes and Mountains in Guatemala. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
http://altiplanos.com.gt/hikes.html#santiaguito
(2) Kashyap, Karthik. “Top 10 World’s Most Active Volcanoes.” HubPages. N.p., 15 June 2012. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
http://karthikkash.hubpages.com/hub/Top-10-Worlds-Most-Active-Volcanoes