Pacaya
Monday, 20th June 2005 by Alex Turnbull
Pacaya is an active volcano in Guatemala. Between 1860 and 1961 the volcano was dormant, but then it re-awoke and has been pretty much active ever since, in fact it sometimes showers the nearby city of Antigua with ash.
The volcano is a popular tourist attraction, and in the late 1990s it became notorious for frequent armed robberies on its slopes, so now tour groups generally visit accompanied by armed guards (as if being on an active volcano wasn't dangerous enough!)
Pacaya is part of a chain of volcanoes in Guatemala, but you can see in our thumbnail that from up here it's definitely the most interesting of the lot. Check out the fantastic glowing rim of the crater!
About the author
Alex has decided that his title will be Senior Vice President of Stuff.
I visited Guatemala for Christmas 2002. Our flight arrived in Guatmala City after dark, and a bright streak of red molten lava flowing down Pacaya was visible from the plane.
The three volcanoes that dominate the Antigua skyline are Fuego, Agua and Acatenango. Of these, only Fuego is currently active (contrary to what my 2001 Lonely Planet guide says — it claims all are dormant).
Lake Atitlan is a lake formed in the caldera of a long extinct volcano. Imagine the size of that explosion!
Muy bien pero quisiera ver el pueblo donde vivo desde el espacio.
If you want to see some photos or videos from the top of Guatemala’s volcanoes, check out my site. Best of Luck.