Guatemala: From Guatemala City to Pacaya, Antigua & Casa del Ron
A short trip with big personality, black lava fields, colonial ruins, the shadow of Fuego, and a rum tasting.
Field Notes · 9 min read
Guatemala was one of those trips that packed a surprising amount into three nights. I based myself at the Westin in Guatemala City, which sounded convenient on paper but turned out to be the one thing I would change next time. The hotel was comfortable (and a Marriott), but everything I actually wanted to see, Pacaya, Antigua, Casa del Ron, pulled me out of the city and back through traffic each day. If I did it again, I would skip Guatemala City entirely and stay in Antigua. It is closer to the volcanoes, walkable, and far more pleasant to come home to at the end of a long day.
The trip had a little bit of everything I love when traveling: geology, history, local flavor, a few dramatic skies, and one exceptionally good rum tasting. Guatemala does not ease you in quietly. It shows up with volcanoes on the horizon, cobblestone streets under your feet, steam rising from black lava rock, and a reminder that beauty and danger often share the same address.
The hike up Pacaya was the centerpiece of the trip. You start in greenery and gradually enter a world of ash, broken lava, and black volcanic rock. It is the kind of place where the ground itself feels like the main character. Its recent eruptive period, including activity through 2021, left a terrain that is rugged, sharp, and visually unforgettable.
Pacaya also has one of the stranger and more memorable travel rituals: cooking food over volcanic heat. Steam rises through gaps in the rock, the guides know exactly where the hot spots are, and suddenly you are roasting marshmallows in a volcano. The real surprise was the pizza, they slide a whole pie over a steam vent and let the mountain do the cooking. Marshmallows are the famous trick; the pizza is the one nobody warns you about, and it is genuinely good. Guatemala: subtle as a sledgehammer, and I mean that as a compliment.
After Pacaya, Antigua offered a different kind of drama, colonial architecture, preserved ruins, bright facades, cobblestone streets, and volcanoes in the background. A UNESCO World Heritage city founded in the 16th century and shaped by earthquakes, it carries its history openly. Some buildings stand restored and whitewashed; others remain as ruins, which somehow makes the city more powerful rather than less. Walking it for an afternoon was the moment I realized I should have just slept here.
Seeing Volcan de Fuego from the Antigua area adds a more serious note. Fuego is one of the most active volcanoes in Central America, and its 2018 eruption was devastating. From a distance, it can be stunning. In context, it is also sobering. Pacaya can feel adventurous and fun. Fuego reminds you to keep your humility handy.
The trip ended on a very different note at Casa del Ron, with a Zacapa tasting that moved from Zacapa 23 to XO and then to a special Royal. The Royal was fantastic, smooth, rich, and exactly the kind of finish that makes you pause and say, 'well, that escalated beautifully.'
Black lava and green forests, ruined churches and bright city streets, serious geology and playful marshmallows, Guatemala is not a passive destination.
