Pacaya is an active complex volcano in Guatemala which first erupted approximately 23,000 years ago and has erupted at least 23 times since the Spanish conquest of Guatemala. After being dormant for a century, it erupted violently in 1965 and has been erupting continuously since then. It lies approximately 28km south of Guatemala City and sometimes showers the nearby city of Antigua with ash. The volcano is easily accessible from Antigua and Guatemala City and so is a popular tourist attraction. The volcano and surrounding area now lie within Pacaya National Park which was created to manage tourism in the area and generate income from tour groups, who are charged a small fee to enter.

Getting there
You can climb the volcano alone but it is highly recommended that you join a group and climb with a guide. Antigua is the best place to organise a tour. A minibus will bring you to the entrance of the park where you'll pay the entrance fee and then it's about two hours to the top. The ascent is thrilling, terrifying and extremely warm. The noxious sulphur fumes can hurt the eyes and throat but the discomfort is worth it just to see the molten lava pools and the tiny eruptions.