Climbing Pacaya was a great experience. It's safe and secure going with a tour company and yet you're able to appreciate the nice hike on your own.
You begin in a small village called San Francisco de Sales, which is likely highly dependant on the revenue it receives from tourists’ entrance fees. Children and women are at the ready to sell you plasticos para la lluvia (rain ponchos) and bottled water for the way up and cold drinks and snacks on your way down. A troupe of starving dogs even made the climb with our group and were rewarded with bits of our lunches.
The trail at first winds through a lovely shaded forest, allowing to see the peaks of Pacaya up ahead and of Antigua in the distance, along with the volcanoes that surround it. I was out of breath quickly, and although it was cool, I broke a good sweat.
Eventually we burst from this forest into a desolate landscape that looked out of this world. It was all volcanic rock and sand. It was possible to see where past eruptions had done their worst damage.
Trudging up the bare cone was the worst. The sand slipped away under each step and the climb was very steep. As progress was made, the smell of sulfur wafted through the air, and eventually, small vents of steam could be seen along the cone's trail.
At the summit you could stand right at the lip of the active belching crater (if you could hold your breath or stand the awful fumes). There were no fences, railings, or warnings posted like you'd find in the US. Away from the smell, I sat down to eat my granola bar and bag of peanuts I bought from the
supermercado the day before.
The way down really was out of this world! You could run down the crater, making huge leaps because your steps were always cradled by the soft cone's material. It felt like I was weightless - the best part of the day I think!
I enjoyed the rest of the way down, daydreamed about my next adventure, and guzzled another water before napping against my soft backpack on the ride home.