Hiking San Pedro Volcano: Everything You Need to Know

When I decided to visit Lake Atitlan, the San Pedro Volcano (Volcan San Pedro) hike was high on my list. I knew I was going to stay in the town of San Pedro, so why not hike the volcano that sits right next to it?

I went on alltrails and looked at the information for the hike and I was set. The views looked spectacular. You can see the other volcanoes nearby as well as a super unique view of Lake Atitlan.

There have been reports in previous years of robberies along the trail but from my experience, I felt super safe! Getting a tuk-tuk to the entrance is super easy too.

I had only done a few hikes during my travels so far in Costa Rica and 90% of them were beach hikes. This meant they had no elevation.

That didn’t get me ready to do the San Pedro Volcano Hike. So we decided to do a couple of hikes leading up to this day.

We did Mirador de San Juan La Laguna and then the Indian Nose hike the day after. These hikes were good and as I would come to find out, a lot easier than hiking San Pedro Volcano.

How to Get to San Pedro Volcano Hike

It is fairly simple to get to the entrance of San Pedro Volcano and cheap! The accessibility of this hike is actually one of the best I’ve experienced in over two years of traveling.

• If you are staying in the popular town of San Pedro, then you simply will need to take a tuk-tuk for 10 Quetzales to the trailhead.
  • Reference the Google Maps shown below for the route you should be taking from the docks of San Pedro.
• When coming from San Juan, then do the same thing except the cost might be an extra 5 Quetzales.
• If you are coming from other popular towns such as San Marcos or Panajachel, then simply take a boat taxi to San Pedro and then tuk-tuk your way up to the trailhead.

Things to Know Before Hiking Volcan San Pedro

When speaking to people at hostels or around Lake Atitlan, there could be different views and information about this hike.

The hike is growing in popularity and for good reason! Below is some information that you should know before traveling up to hike the San Pedro Volcano.

San Pedro Volcano Hike Robbery

This is the most asked question I see on the internet and when talking to fellow travelers.

When I was researching more about the San Pedro volcano hike, I kept seeing reports about people getting robbed when they reached the summit.

The more we talked to the workers at our hostel, it seemed those bandits hadn’t been seen in months.

There was a police presence on the mountain as we were hiking, although they weren’t going all the way to the top (I understand why).

We saw no bandits and everyone was enjoying the views from the top.

Volcan San Pedro Hike Details

Entrance Fee

The tuk-tuk will drop you off right at the entrance and there should be someone there waiting for you.

It is a rather small entrance area so it shouldn’t be hard to find the guy you’re looking for. The cost to enter the park was 100 Quetzales.

I’ve read other people say that some of the robberies occurred when people took a different route to avoid the entrance fee. I don’t suggest this and the trail is in good condition!

Is a Guide Necessary?

We had read that the entrance fee comes with a guide but there was no one there for us. It sounded like only if you had a big group would someone come for free.

Otherwise, it would be another 200 Quetzales for a guide.

We were fine though, the worker explained everything about the trail and we were set to go. We also met someone at the trailhead who tagged along with us.

Ideally, you should go in a group but all of the recent reviews say everything is fine when people go solo!

Where to Stay on Lake Atitlan

I stayed in San Pedro when I visited both times to the lake. But there are good towns to stay at!

• Amigos (San Pedro): This is the hostel we stayed at. It’s right by the boats and some of the more popular bars in town.
• El Picnic Atitlan (Tzununa): If you’re looking for somewhere exceptional, this is your place! Located in a quiet town with perfect views of the volcanoes.
• Atitlan Sunset Lodge (Santa Cruz): Want a stunning view combined with the prices of a hotel? Visit this lodge and you’ll never want to leave!

My Experience of the San Pedro Volcano Hike

As a group, we thought it would be smart to get in a hard hike before attempting Acatenango hike the following week. And I still stand by that.

The San Pedro Volcano hike helped us out with the altitude and the steepness of the hike. Even though it was a 1,000-meter altitude difference, it was still great getting some practice in.

Unfortunately, we were all pretty sore for a few days following this hike but it was well worth it.

First Section: Where to Turn?

I was pleasantly surprised at how well-maintained the trail was. It can be confusing when you first start, as you hike upon multiple crossroads at the beginning of the hike.

The worker at the entrance told us to keep taking the right path as we were hiking up the first section of the San Pedro Volcano.

Once you hit 2000 meters, you will continue to see signs every 100 meters. The second one was actually at 2173 meters but after that, it is very close to every 100.

This was a nice way to keep track of how much longer we had to go. We were a little tired halfway through for sure.

Volcan San Pedro Mirador

We were told that at 2100 meters we would get to the first real resting point. This stopping point was the mirador or viewpoint along the volcano looking out to the lake.

It felt like we were hiking way more than 100 meters past the 2000-meter mark and we were right. The Mirador isn’t until 2173 meters.

It is a two-story platform that you can rest at while looking out over an amazing view. After about 10 minutes we started our hike to the top of San Pedro Volcano once again.

Arriving at the Swing

As you keep moving along on this hike, the next major stop will be at the swing. There is a very sketchy but fun swing attached to a tree.

The swing overlooks an amazing view. It’s basically the same view as the Mirador but higher up so it’s naturally better. There are plenty of benches here for you to sit on and take a break.

We took many breaks and tried to enjoy ourselves as much as possible. Along the paths leading here, you will be hiking through coffee plantations.

The soil is perfect for the growing of coffee beans since it is resting on a volcano.

Reaching the Peak

As you move along on the San Pedro Volcano hike it will become harder and harder. The steepness of the trail doesn’t end but let me tell you, it is well worth it.

There won’t be any more major resting spots for a while. My advice would be to only stop at the meter markers to keep yourself motivated as you move higher and higher up the volcano.

This hike is also very popular for sunrise. When you get to about the 2800 meter mark you will see a shelter, campsite, and a toilet. It isn’t that well maintained but it’s alright.

When we were making our way back down the volcano, we saw a ton of people making their way up with camping gear to summit in the morning for sunrise.

This would have been great to see and might have even rivaled the sunrise hike for Indian Nose.

After resting for a few minutes at the campsite, you are on the home stretch. The trail begins to go down a little bit before going back up some meters.

After you feel like you can’t do anymore, the trail begins to level out and you see the 3000-meter sign. That means you have made it!

Continue for a little bit more and you will see the rocks and steps that you take to the peak. Honestly, the view was way better than I had ever imagined.

It was a clear sky for us and the hot sun on our back felt amazing. Not everyone is as lucky as us, as I have seen some photos of people making it to the top and it being extremely cloudy.

This is sadly the case sometimes as it is very hard to predict the weather in these climates.

Final Thoughts

San Pedro Volcano hike has easily been one of my favorite activities while visiting Guatemala so far. These types of hikes along with a viewpoint like what we saw are my absolute favorite. We brought multiple snacks to eat at the top as a reward and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. The hike down was hard on the knees. We celebrated this amazing hike afterward with an amazing huge meal. Overall it wasn’t the easiest of hikes but very doable.

Other Things To Do in Guatemala

• Learning Spanish at Lake Atitlan
• 11 Amazing Hikes on Lake Atitlan
• Visit a Beach Paradise at El Paredon
• Visit the Tikal Pyramids
• Cliff Jumping into Lake Atitlan
• Take a Tour Through Semuc Champey