Long, steep hike but well worth the effort. I did this solo on a Sunday starting at 7am and hit the summit at 9:30. The view is amazing! I perched on some boulders and took in the sights while eating some snacks. I did see 2 policía at the 2300m mark (at the tire swing) and the gentleman at the entrance said the trail is very safe. I ran into many people coming down that had camped overnight to catch the sunrise and then coming down I ran into a few groups heading up. The trail is shaded most of the way but the bottom half starts getting hot in the late morning so an early start is a good idea. It's a tough hike! Steep the whole way.

Simply amazing! Stunning view if u lucky to get no clouds like us! It’s worth price and effort surely! We, average 40yo, not so well trained, smokers…it took us 4 hours up and 3 down with breaks! So be prepared…at least 1,5l water p/p! Pro tip: from wed to sun, last launch is at 5 pm, 1 hour more! Conclusions: after 2 days resting, I still can't walk well…but feel blessed that I didn’t quit!

Beautiful experience. My partner and I climbed volcan san pedro this morning. It took us just over 3 hours to climb up and 2 hours to climb down (including rest breaks). I recommend going early as the clouds started to come in around 10am. We paid 100q each at the entry point and the lady said there were no bandits. There were lots of people along the route, including police and we felt very safe. Some parts were slippery - especially near the top. Take snacks and plenty of water.

Beautifully maintained track. Very friendly and honest staff at the entry gate. Police sitting at 2200 were really nice as well. No sign of Banditos. Cloudy when I reached the top. Caught a tuk tuk from the dock in San Pedro - the driver tried charging me Q200 but ended up agreeing to Q30 (still triple the price of an uber moto). I started at 6:50am, arrived at the peak at 8:30, and got back to the trailhead by 10:15.

It cost 100Q per person to enter. I started at 6am. It took about 3 hours to climb to the summit and a little less than 2 hours to go down. I didn't see any Ladrones at the time, but I hear they're very common. (Aug 2017)

Hike done on 01/02/2020. Started at 5AM, we spoke with a local guide who was waiting for the sunrise at half of the ascent (at the columpio) who told us that 10 tourists were robbed on 12/30/2019 at the summit. Nothing happened to us (at 7AM at the top with a good pace) but the story has been confirmed later and it is still considered dangerous to climb solo or even with guide. The view is good from the swing (1H+ hikking) but better at the top. Hopefully it will be safer soon to enjoy this amazing point of view.

Very easy to do. If you get to the volcano before 6am the ticket office is closed and you get in for free. The volcano is safe. Policemen are on 2300, as well as on 3000 meters. There is no need for a Guid.

The best experience we had in Guatemala. Anita is so nice and welcoming. She took us to the local market to buy the ingredients, introduced her community to us with her lovely and interesting stories. This is not even the reason why I would recommend but the food was delicious. I would recommend it to anyone who seeks an authentic experience from Guatemala! That’s the best you can get!

Run, do not walk, to Anita’s Mayan Kitchen Cooking Class. This class is hands down one of my favorite activities I have ever done while on vacation. Anita offers a full immersion in to the Mayan culture at Lake Atitlan from start to finish. You show up for class, choose your preferred menu for the day, go to the local markets to pick all the ingredients you need, prepare the ingredients as a group, and cook everything fresh! This entire process was so incredibly informative and the food is amazing… please try her abuela’s Guacamole :-) On top of everything, Anita is one of those special people you meet in life that you’ll never forget. She was an open book, willing to share all details about her life and she has the kindest heart. I can’t recommend this class enough!

This cooking class was a highlight of our trip and worth every penny! Anita is so warm, kind, and keen to share details of Mayan culture, history, and cuisine. Anita allowed the group to choose our menu, and we visited a local market to pick up fresh ingredients. Anita’s care and dedication towards creating opportunity amongst her community is admirable, and this experience truly felt like sustainable tourism. We made a delicious meal while overlooking the beautiful lake Atitlan. We tried local fruits and recipes. I highly recommend this cooking class for anyone looking to learn more about both local and Guatemalan culture. Thank you to Anita and team!

Best cooking class I've ever had - 1000% recommend! Felt like a true local experience as Anita took us to the market to buy fresh ingredients and ultimately into her kitchen to prepare a delicious meal. We learned about Mayan and Guatemalan cultures, participated in every step of the cooking process, made friends from all over the world, enjoyed beautiful views of volcanos, and were inspired by Anita's journey and relentless commitment to supporting her community in San Pedro. Anita is a rock star and you will love your time with her!

Absolutely the highlight of my trip to Guatemala! This was the best cooking class I’ve ever taken. Anita and her team are warm, professional, and incredibly patient - they guided us from shopping for fresh ingredients at the local market all the way to preparing a full Guatemalan feast: snacks, an appetizer, main dish, and two desserts! The experience goes far beyond cooking. You’ll learn about traditional Guatemalan flavors, meet great people, and enjoy your meal with breathtaking views. Anita also gives back to her community, which made the experience feel even more meaningful. If you do one thing while you’re in Guatemala, make it Anita’s Cooking Class - you won’t regret it!

We had a wonderful experience with Anita. Our group of 9 picked a menu of appetizers, main dish and desserts and then Anita took us along to the market to buy our groceries. Together we cooked a magnificent meal under her guidance in her beautiful kitchen overlooking the lake. Anita has so much knowledge to share about Mayan cuisine and culture in general. Afterwards we visited the women’s weaving collective for a short introduction to Mayan weaving. Overall one of the best experiences we had on our visit of lake Atitlan

Anita is one of the most inspirational people I've ever met! We signed up to maybe take home a cool new recipe and ended up with so much knowledge about the Mayan culture, the local community, and how Anita is using her skills to help that community! Her passion and care made this the most memorable experience I've had in a long time. The personalized touch of being able to select the menu we wanted to learn and then go meet and support and learn about local vendors and the work they put in made it so cool. The cooking class itself was run like a well oiled machine, everyone getting to participate in different parts of bringing together the meal while Anita shared cooking techniques and the lovely women that help her somehow magically keeping on top of the dishes. The end result was a delicious meal with other travelers who felt like friends due to Anita's ability to create a fun welcoming space. Absolutely do this if you can!!

Beautiful views from the top! The hike was not too bad, about 20 minutes of flat walking from Santa Clara then 20 minutes of stairs up to the top. Highly recommend visiting!

The hike while short (30-40min) is way harder than it seems. The first 10 minutes are easy as the trail is almost flat, but then you have to climb your way through the top of the mountain. At the top you’ll have a very nice view of the lake.. but I do recommend to check the weather before, cause if it’s cloudy you’ll get to see nothing, and it’s not worth the effort to be honest.

Nice guided hike cost 150Q includes shuttle from San Juan, guided hike up the Indian Nose, coffee or artisanal chocolate plus pan dulce, and shuttle back. Left at 4, returned at 8am.

Amazing view, the hike is relatively short - just over 30 minutes on the way up, gaining about 250m elevation. The first third of the walk is fairly flat, the remainder is all uphill. We did this hike at sunrise, which meant a very early start (2.45am wakeup) and starting the trail at 4.30am. It was definitely worth hiking uphill in the dark. We were one of the first to arrive at the top just after 5am. Some people had camped at the summit overnight. By 5.30am it got a bit busier. Despite it being a cloudy day, the sunrise was great. Watching Lake Atitlan turn from dark to light is something special. We got given some hot chocolate and bread for free. Beautiful way to start your day.

Super easy trail up from Santa Clara about 45 mins... then a bit of a trickier walk down to San Juan about 1.5 hour... but definitely do-able. A must do when you visit Atitlan.

A must hike if you are around lake Atitlan! The sunrise over the lake - worth all the effort. There are a ton of local agencies you can book your tour - usually around 100Q per person. Highly recommend!

Medium difficultly hike to the top but worth it! If you're doing the sunrise hike it's pitch black obviously so remember a flashlight. It was very steep at points, with narrow pathways, and with the rain it was also incredibly slippy on the way down. But the view at the top is great, they provided coffee/hot chocolate at the top too. You need to book a guide/tour, which is well worth it (although our tour guide didn't take any breaks on the way up so be prepared just in case)

Is this place still open?

I highly recommend doing a tour with Matt! He is incredibly knowledgeable about the past and present geology of Guatemala and makes the information accessible for anyone. I left the tour with a greater appreciation for the landscape of Lake Atitlan that I never would have gotten elsewhere. Communication with Matt was seamless and I felt very safe the entire time. It was also nice to see that he has good relationships with the local people whose land we passed through on the hike. Overall amazing experience from start to finish.

If you are looking for a highly educational, beautiful and entertaining guided geological tour you could not do better than Geo Travel Guatemala. The owner Matt (with a distinct young Indiana Jones vibe about him - both adventurer AND academic) was just outstanding. His love of all things geological , his deep appreciation for the “immensity of geological time” and his infectious enthusiasm made this my favorite part of our trip to Guatemala. Could not recommend this trip more highly!

Our family had an awesome time on our hike of Pacaya with Matt and his dog Spike! It’s so wonderful when someone is genuinely passionate about what they do, and you can tell Matt loves geology and Guatemala. We learned a ton and got spectacular views of the surrounding areas, including seeing Fuego erupt in the distance. Highly recommend for a personalized, unique experience.

Such a cool experience! Most tour companies only offer the sunset hike but Matt takes you up during the day so you don’t have to worry about crowds and gives a fun/informative geology class about Lake Aititlan and the volcanic caldera. Definitely recommend!

We had a wonderful tour with Matt, hiking up the Rastro de Maya and learning all about the incredible geological history and present of Lake Atitlan. We highly recommend for any visitors interested in learning about local life, with a curiosity about the immensity of geological time.

What a great experience! Hiking with Matt is not the usual “go up, see the view, come down” On top of the hike, you get a geological lesson on how the the volcanos were born, how they live and how the local area and lake Atitlan was formed. He is truly passionate about geology and. He transfers all his passion to you. He also gave us lots of info and insights on local people and their culture. You cannot miss this if you come around lake Atitlan!

WHAT an experience. To say that Matt is knowledgeable and passionate about geology is an understatement! Not only did we learn about the life of volcanoes but also got lots of insight on the local communities life and culture. This tour is a must if you're visiting Atitlan Lake. I have a lake front view from our hotel and now a greater appreciation of the mountains ahead. Thank you Matt and Spike for a memorable experience.

I highly recommend doing a tour with Matt! He is incredibly knowledgeable about the past and present geology of Guatemala and makes the information accessible for anyone. I left the tour with a greater appreciation for the landscape of Lake Atitlan that I never would have gotten elsewhere. Communication with Matt was seamless and I felt very safe the entire time. It was also nice to see that he has good relationships with the local people whose land we passed through on the hike. Overall amazing experience from start to finish.

If you are looking for a highly educational, beautiful and entertaining guided geological tour you could not do better than Geo Travel Guatemala. The owner Matt (with a distinct young Indiana Jones vibe about him - both adventurer AND academic) was just outstanding. His love of all things geological , his deep appreciation for the “immensity of geological time” and his infectious enthusiasm made this my favorite part of our trip to Guatemala. Could not recommend this trip more highly!

Our family had an awesome time on our hike of Pacaya with Matt and his dog Spike! It’s so wonderful when someone is genuinely passionate about what they do, and you can tell Matt loves geology and Guatemala. We learned a ton and got spectacular views of the surrounding areas, including seeing Fuego erupt in the distance. Highly recommend for a personalized, unique experience.

Such a cool experience! Most tour companies only offer the sunset hike but Matt takes you up during the day so you don’t have to worry about crowds and gives a fun/informative geology class about Lake Aititlan and the volcanic caldera. Definitely recommend!

We had a wonderful tour with Matt, hiking up the Rastro de Maya and learning all about the incredible geological history and present of Lake Atitlan. We highly recommend for any visitors interested in learning about local life, with a curiosity about the immensity of geological time.

What a great experience! Hiking with Matt is not the usual “go up, see the view, come down” On top of the hike, you get a geological lesson on how the the volcanos were born, how they live and how the local area and lake Atitlan was formed. He is truly passionate about geology and. He transfers all his passion to you. He also gave us lots of info and insights on local people and their culture. You cannot miss this if you come around lake Atitlan!

WHAT an experience. To say that Matt is knowledgeable and passionate about geology is an understatement! Not only did we learn about the life of volcanoes but also got lots of insight on the local communities life and culture. This tour is a must if you're visiting Atitlan Lake. I have a lake front view from our hotel and now a greater appreciation of the mountains ahead. Thank you Matt and Spike for a memorable experience.