We Tried to Hike up a Volcano, ended up at a Brewery and it was EVERYTHING THAT WE EVER NEEDED These guys are genius tour guides!!

We booked the two day Acatenango tour with them, being a group of 6 young and adventurous vegans, we were excited for the challenge of hiking up the volcano, and spending a nice and probably cold night there. Well, the morning of the trek, there was bad weather and we were not permitted entrance to the volcano.

Seeing how disappointed we were, Josias amd his driver designed a whole day plan that included everything we could have ever hoped for. A tour of a macadamia farm, a pit stop at a local brewery, a home cooked vegan meal, and an amazing shorter hike where we got to camp watching two volcanoes, and were able to see lava coming out of them st night!! In the morning we were greeted by a delicious breakfast after a short morning hike to try to catch the sunrise. Then we chilled on some hammocks as they prepared our ride back to the city. Seriously, this is everything we could've hoped for. These guys were geniuses at devicing a new plan once our original plans got cancelled, and best of all, they ended up refunding us the difference in the cost of the trip! They did a whole lot! We will recommend them to all of our friends as they try to get adventurous in Guatemala!

An overnight hike to remember My husband and I, who are avid hikers, decided that we wanted to do an overnight hike but Volcan Acatenango - an unforgettable experience to watch frequent volcanic eruptions on the nearby El Fuego and Pacaya volcanos. Particularly because we were hiking with our young children, we sought out a highly reputable company that offers high quality gear and that has a strong safety ethic and experienced guides.

From our first interactions in Mimi in Old Town’s office, we were impressed by the level of professionalism. Mimi was incredibly helpful in organizing the trip and assigning us a guide (Lucas) who was great with kids.

The hike is truly remarkable and a must when visiting Guatemala! We witnessed however many people venturing up the mountain with inadequate gear. It can get incredibly cold and windy on top, meaning that embarking on this trip with a highly professional and reputable company is extra important. The night we stayed on the mountain the wind picked up, which led some people to abandon camp and hike down the volcano in the middle of the night. Because Old Town has not only good equipment but a designated campsite that is protected from the wind and looks directly onto El Fuego and it’s frequent eruptions, meant that we never felt concerned when the weather changed. Added to our sense of safety and security was our experienced guide Lucas who is also a trained mountain rescuer and understands the dangers of the mountain and when it is necessary to descend.

Lucas was a phenomenal guide! He was incredibly patient with the kids, helped us ascend the volcano at a perfect pace, and he makes delicious food! Because of the high winds and cold temperatures, my husband and I decided (with input from Lucas) that it would be wisest for our kids to remain in camp in the warmth of the tent rather that tackle the final 400m ascent in the dark to the summit. So that neither my husband nor I missed out on the experience, Lucas kindly summited twice! First with my husband and then later with me. This was definitely beyond the call of duty and was really appreciated.

If you are planning a trip up Volcan Acatenango I would HIGHLY recommend Old Town Outfitters. A super slick operation. Also don’t forget to request Lucas as your guide!

EL ZUR BIKE RIDE. Absolutely Brilliant fun I loved this bike ride.

Now it isn't cheap and it isn't for beginners and it really is for those wanting a safe organised adventure. We paid about US$75 each for 5 people plus we paid extra to hire a full suspension bike. We all have our own bikes as we live here but we decided to treat ourselves and have the FS experience. We all agreed that was worth the extra. Four of us are beginner/intermediate riders. We ride a lot on our own around Antigua but I had heard this was a great trail.

For the El Zur, it is easier to book a trip with Old Town and I think they were brilliant. I am not sure how you arrange it on your own as it is a private forest.

It is about a 1-hour drive from Antigua to the private forest (it's not what a British person would call a park) and then you switch into a 4x4 truck to get up the mountain to the start of the downhill bike ride. We had 2 trucks, one never made it. The terrain after the rains was tricky and just the ride up was an adventure and a lot of fun. Eventually, we all got to the start though two of the group did have to walk/bike a bit of the uphill until they got picked up by the first truck. Then we started the ride.

It definitely challenged me and I even fell off a couple of times before I improved my skills and also learnt my limitations. I wasn't hurt except my pride was a little bruised. But for me, it was the most technical ride I have done so far. The scenery for the most part is in the forset which is super fun and despite being in the forest the scenery constantly changed. Possibly the highlight was the open fields which was breathtaking and incredibly good fun to bike.

It took us about 3.5hrs to get down, we stopped a lot to wait for each other but in my head, we didn't go that slow but we are not advanced riders.

At the end of the ride we were given beer and lunch which tasted so good.

Then it was an hour drive back to Antigua and we all didn't stop talking about how much fun we had and planning the next adventure.

So to re-cap.. It isn't the cheapest option for a bike ride in Guatemala but for me, it was worth every dollar. So if you can afford it and if you are not a beginner then this may just be the ride for you.. It is sooooo much fun.

But then Guatemala is full of amazing mountain bike trails.

if you are considering an MTB holiday then Guatemala is the country to choose so contact Old Town Outfitters so they can make this happen for you.

if you live in Guatemala and are an MTB addict then at some point you should do this trail and Old Town could make this easier for you.

absolutely brilliant We hired bikes from Old Town Outfitters and went mountain biking with some friends who knew the routes. The bikes cost us Q150 each (so about US$20) for 4 hours. The bikes were in great condition and very good standard and made the fairly difficult uphill ride a lot easier. It was an absolutely fantastic day, the scenery was brilliant plus some challenging uphill and downhill trails. You do either need a local friend to take you on the trails or you need to book a guide with Old Town Outfitters. I would not recommend just arriving in Antigua and doing this ride yourself without a guide or some sort. I cannot wait to hire a bike again or book a guided bike tour with Old Town Outfitters soon.

Doubleheader - 3 Day/2 Night Hike to Acatenango and Feugo If you're going to do the hike up Acatenango, do yourself a favor and book the doubleheader. The hike up Acatenango is pretty difficult, so once you get up there you might as well make the most of it instead of rushing right back down the next day! We had a great time with Old Town on the Doubleheader. Everything was perfect from start to finish, including transfer to and from the airport. Carlos was our guide on the doubleheader, and he was super friendly, knowledgable and encouraging! He also made delicious food!!

We lucked out and were the only two people on our tour, and I highly recommend it. Our campsite was right across the valley from Feugo, so we could see the eruptions at night while staying toasty in our tent. We brought our own equipment (sleeping bags, mats, etc) except for the tent, and the tent they gave us was a very roomy 3 person tent so we were super comfortable.

The main difference between the 3 day/2 night hike and the 2 day/1 night (other than obviously being longer) is that you don't have to get up at 4am to summit Acatenango on Day 2, you have the choice to sleep in and do the hike mid-morning to avoid the crowds. You also have the option to hike Feugo at sunset. This was the most incredible part of the trip, as you get pretty close to the eruptions and the sunset is gorgeous. Make sure you bring warm clothes and gloves, as it gets cold once the sun sets! We hiked back in the dark, which was great because it wasn't hot at all and it felt like it went by so quickly. We also got to see Pacaya erupting at the same time (which hadn't happened for months at that point) as Feugo on the hike back, which was pretty awesome. You definitely get what you pay for on these tours, so I would highly recommend spending a little extra and going with Old Town! They know what they're doing and had the best base camp site!!