PAINANI
PAINANI

PAINANI · RUN / LOCAL

31 · Sololá, Guatemala

Volcán San Pedro, Atitlán

Climb 1,162 m through coffee and cloud forest from the lakeshore town to a 3,020 m volcano summit, on the one official trail, and back down before the park closes.

Trail runningOut and back
8.9 kmDistance1,162 mElevation gainHardSite gradeSan Pedro La LagunaNearest base

Site grade

HardFeatured

1,162 m of gain in under 4.5 km of ascent, almost none of it flat, on earth that turns slick in rain, finishing at 3,020 m.

The experience

The trail gains 1,162 m in under 4.5 km with no flat ground. It is earth steps and roots under coffee and cloud forest, then rock ledges and wooden stairs at the top, and it is slick in rain. The summit sits at 3,020 m, thin enough air to feel from a town at lake level.

The Ministry of Culture lists the volcano as habitat of the horned guan, Oreophasis derbianus, an endangered bird endemic to a few Mesoamerican cloud forests. Locals call the mountain Choyjuyub, hill of the lake.

San Pedro La Laguna is a Tz'utujil Maya town on the lake's south-west shore. The municipality runs the park, sets the fee and the hours, and posts signage on the trail about local history and Maya cosmology. The volcano's Tz'utujil name, Choyjuyub, means hill of the lake.

Where the sources disagreeAs of September 2026 the park says a local guide is mandatory and the entry fee is Q100 for foreigners, Q50 for Guatemalans and Q25 for lake-basin residents; a February 2025 Guate Adventure report says guides are not enforced but four municipal police patrol the trail daily, and a robbery on the trail happened two days before its author's October 2022 hike. The Ministerio Público counted 13 property-crime reports against foreign tourists in San Pedro La Laguna in December 2024. INGUAT's ASISTUR line (1500, or +502 2290-2810) recommends INGUAT-authorised guides on volcanoes and will arrange a police escort with 72 hours' notice. Run it in daylight, in the park's hours, with a guide or a group.

Trail path

The line
you follow.

StartParque Ecológico Volcán San Pedro visitor centreFinishParque Ecológico Volcán San Pedro visitor centreDirectionUp the official trail to the summit, down the same trail
  1. 01Park entrance
  2. 02Primer Mirador
  3. 03Mirador El Columpio
  4. 04Camping area
  5. 05Cumbre Volcán San Pedro

Route sections

01 · The Coffee StepsPark entrance to the Primer Mirador
Earth steps through coffee plantations to the first rest point, with benches and a toilet, about 45 minutes up at walking pace.02 · The Swing PostPrimer Mirador to Mirador El Columpio
Cloud forest closes over the trail. The third rest point has the tire swing over the lake and, on the days the park staffs it, two municipal police officers.03 · The Ledge FinishMirador El Columpio to the summit
Past the camping area the earth trail becomes rock ledges and then wooden stairs onto a small summit. The lake is 1,200 m below.04 · The 14:30 ClockSummit to park entrance
The same trail down, slick after rain. The park wants you off it by 14:30 and the afternoon cloud usually agrees.

Weather profile

What the sky
is likely to do.

Tropical highland weather. The dry season runs from mid-November to March with clear mornings; INGUAT counts November and December as the volcano season. In the rainy season the trail is mud and the afternoon brings cloud and rain to the summit.

Season & timing

Managed seasonThe park is open year-round. Ascents start between 6:00 and 11:00; the descent must be made between 11:00 and 14:30.Best windowMid-November to February, on the trail at 6:00 when the gate opens, summit before the cloud.SurfaceDirt single-track through coffee plantations and cloud forest, steep earth steps, rock ledges near the top, wooden stairs at the summitDirectionUp the official trail to the summit, down the same trail

Signature moments

What you will
remember afterwards.

01

The first sight of the lake from the Primer Mirador

02

The tire swing at Mirador El Columpio

03

The rock ledges below the summit

04

The three volcanoes and the whole lake from the top

SUMMIT

3,020 M

The lake is 1,200 m below the top

The Ministry of Culture registers the summit of the Zona de Veda Definitiva Volcán San Pedro at 3,020 m above sea level. From there the whole of Lake Atitlán, with Tolimán and Atitlán volcanoes, lies in one view.

Access & logistics

AccessBoat from Panajachel to San Pedro La Laguna, then tuk-tuk or 1.5 km on foot to the park entrance on the road toward Santiago Atitlán. Pay at the visitor centre. Return the same way.PermitsEntry fee at the gate: Q25 for lake-basin residents, Q50 for Guatemalans, Q100 for foreigners. The park lists a local guide as mandatory. Guide booking by phone or WhatsApp on +502 5770 0068; the park's own number is +502 4879 1472.BookingsNone for a day ascent. A police escort from INGUAT's Tourist Security Division needs the ASISTUR form 72 hours ahead.WaterCarry everything from town. There is a toilet at the first rest point; no water on the trail.FoodCarry your own. The municipal page lists food at the summit on some days; do not count on it.DurationThe park allows ascents from 6:00 to 11:00 and requires the descent between 11:00 and 14:30. AllTrails lists 6 to 6.5 hours for the round trip.

Key hazards

  • ▲Robberies reported on the trail, most recently documented in October 2022
  • ▲Slick earth and rock after rain
  • ▲Altitude at 3,020 m
  • ▲Mosquitoes in the forest
  • ▲No water on the trail
  • ▲Descent closes at 14:30

SafetyOrientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance. Go with a guide or a group, inside park hours, and call 1500 (ASISTUR) for current security advice before you go.

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Official sources

Last verified 2026-09-16 · Record CETC-RUN-031 · Orientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance.

Photograph: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 3.0