ASOAVA - guía al Volcán Acatenango | Informal Campsite

Guatemala

Details

Verified:
about 1 year ago
Altitude:
2278.9 masl
Website:
None
Contributor:
foodailleurs

Amenities

Electricity:
No
Wifi:
No
Kitchen:
No
Restaurant:
No
Showers:
Warm
Water:
Non-Potable
Toilets:
Running Water
Big Rig Friendly:
Yes
Tent Friendly:
Yes
Pet Friendly:
Yes

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Description

We put our 24 feet RV here during the trip with the familial association ASOAVA (los amigos del volcan Acatenango).
It's a free safe place along the small road , close to the house of Catalino , contact him on whatsapp or by phone at +502-55004707 . Very calm at night , there lights during the night . Here you paid your trek directly at guides , the half price of Antigua agency , and the association refill some money at the community . We paid 1350 quetzals for 2 adults and 2 childrens (4&6 years old ),
one guide , a horse and the horseman , tickets of parc included , good food of Catalino's wife , good sleeping bag , good tent ,all included ,no bad surprise .
Nice hospitality on this village . The horn on the morning is the backery car with good bread . Some womens come to sell local food , chuchitos very cheap and very good . You can playing football with the locals , a lot of good times in this small traditionnal village .
With you want information for the Fuego Tour , ask ASOAVA buy facebook @asoava or buy phone ++502-55004707 , or simple by whatsapp.

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It's a great and familiar tour here - highly recommended!
400Q per person - with included meals (desayuno an the day you leave, too), shelter & sleepingbags. Catalino is a really nice guy!
The guides are really nice, too, and are knowing what they are doing.
Rent hiking sticks, gloves & hat if you don't have it, to enjoy the gorgeous views in the cold night! Enjoy it!
Dogs are lovely welcomed!

You can camp for free on the footballfield if you are arriving day day before the tour starts. There you can leave your car safely during the tour, too.

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Nice experience, you can leave your van on the soccer field in front of asoava and vhiking.

Bob en cavale YT & IG

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Great tour with amazing guides, well organised and worth every Quetzal. The price is even 400 QpP inkl. Food (lunch, dinner, breakfast), sleeping bag, matrass. The sleeping rooms at base camp simple but good, you are recommended for warm clothes. The view from camp is great and incredible. With ASOAVA you get the highest camp of all and the best view. Note: Ask for the size of the group, we where in a group of 26 and that’s enough.
We parked our van at a football field nearby and haven’t extra costs.

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Great company ! We came late in the afternoon and could sleep next to their house in a football field. In the morning we had a nice breakfast and then started the hike.
We advise you to rent some gloves and stick. Your hands and knees will thank you ;)
Payed 400Q per person.
We could even had a hot shower after the hike.
Thanks again to them !
IG: on.vagabonde

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la mejor opcion para subir al volcan. una agencia genial y muy recomendable.
Buenos guías y te puedes quedar ça noche antes en casa de la familia y cenar y dormir.
Si viajas con furgoneta pequeña la puedes dejar aparcada en su casa sin ningún costo

best choice to climb the volcano. a great, highly recommended agency.
Good guides and you can stay at the family's house and dinner and sleep.
If you travel with a small van you can leave it parked at home without any cost

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We had a perfect time with Catalino and his family the day prior of the.ascension. We were 16, really nice group and the guid were really helpful during the ascension.
All the kids played together and it was really nice even if we eat lately on Sunday, it was really warm and nourishing.

For the ascension itself it was hard but so nice when you arrive in the top. Like everyone said marshmallows and whisky and hot chocolate on top of it. Really nice the guid were so nice and helpful. Thanks again it was such a pleasure to had this ascension with asoava.

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nice camping spot in a soccer field across the street from where the tour starts. I have mixed feelings about our experience as the owner explained that this day was scheduled for 22 people, and then they cancelled, so he filled up the hike as best as he could and got 10 to go. but on the day of the hike, the big group of 22 showed up anyways for a total of 32 people. the whole thing was kind of a mess, but it's not really a poor reflection of the outfit. there weren't enough tents for so many people and they wanted us to cram 3 or 4 people into a tent clearly designed for 2. luckily we brought our dogs, which is ok, so we didn't have to bunk with some stranger. if there hadn't been so many people it would have been much more enjoyable but overall pretty epic. definitely the hardest hike I have ever done. bring extra food and water.

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If you are looking for a great experience, want to support the local community and have a great place to park your rig this is your choice!

Catalano runs the association, is super quick and professional with his replies and speaks English.

We went up twice within 10 days or so as the first time the weather was pretty bad . The second time was just awesome - an experience we can only recommend. Parked our rig on the small football field near Catalano’s house, super flat and safe.

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Catalino and his family were amazing. Definitely recommend this unforgettable experience. Loved supporting an actual family instead of a big corporate travel agency. They even cleaned the mud off my motorcycle while I was preparing to leave.

Que no pierdan esta experiencia inolvidable. Catalino y su familia nos trataron como fuéramos familia tb. Me quitaron el barro seco de mi moto encima. Q simpáticos. Les deseamos todo y volveremos con más gente otro día.

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We had a great experience with ASOAVA. Catalino are Incredible friendly and helpful with us. We hiked Acatenango with Marcos (one member of Catalino's family) and was very good. They have all the structure necessary in their base camp, tens, chairs, sleeping bag.. and this is a big difference to hike The volcano with less. weight.
The others agency tours try to put a lot people in a group tô hike The volcano and its a mess. We went in a private Tour and walked in our slow speed with no problems. We colud leave our car in front of his house with no problem. His family are very Nice and received us very well. Just good things to talk about this experience, that it is impossible another angecy do that.

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We had an amazing experience hiking with Gato, Catalino’s son. We knows a lot about the volcano, the camping site is in a very good spot and they are very friendly! We left our car parked in front of Catalinos house and it was safe! Best experience ever, you can’t miss this when in Guatemala! Send a WhatsApp to Catalino, he will answer all your questions!

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Cómo dicen todos los comentarios si vas a subir el Acatenango deberías contactar a Catalino directamente, luego de subir con su equipo y comparar los servicios con otras agencias que se vieron en el recorrido al subir el volcán, definitivamente fue la mejor opción. Fuimos un grupo pequeño de cuatro, dormimos en un lugar aparte de los grandes grupos lo que nos dejó disfrutar al máximo la experiencia en calma y silencio. Nada más que pedirle a Catalino, su familia y el equipo ASOAVA que en todo momento se esforzaron por hacernos disfrutar el tour. Tanto el día antes de subir cómo durante el recorrido y la estadía en el Volcán, la comida fue suficiente, sin restricciones hasta quedar satisfechos. Recomendado llevar bolsas de té para calentarse por la noche y si piensa llevar equipo fotográfico, vale la pena llevar trípode para sacar mejores fotos.

As other comments said if you are going to climb the Acatenango you should contact Catalino directly, after climbing with his team and comparing the services with other agencies that were seen when climbing the volcano, it was definitely the best option. We were a small group of four, we slept in a place away from the big groups which allowed us to fully enjoy the experience, quiet and calm. Nothing more to ask Catalino, his family and the ASOAVA team that at all times strived to make us enjoy the tour. Both the day before climbing and during the tour and stay in the Volcano, food was enough and without restrictions to make you feel fully. It is recommended to bring tea bags to warm up at night and if you plan to carry photographic equipment, it is worth taking a tripod to take better photos.

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We used Catalino and his team for our trek up the volcano. We camped on his property the night before - dinner and breakfast was provided by his wife (a fantastic cook, delicious food). His whole family made us feel very welcome. The trek itself was perfect, we couldn’t have asked for anything more. Our guide, Cecelio was informative, patient and looked after all of us incredibly well. We didn’t have to worry about anything, he was so efficient. Our group was small, only 4 of us which was far better than the huge groups you see hiking up and down the trails. All in all highly recommend this place, contact catalino directly a couple of days before to organise your trek.

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We are staying at Catalino’s house tonight before hiking Acatenango in the morning. Catalino’s family is kind, honest and so friendly! We’ve had a home cooked meal around the wood fire stove that’s kept us warm all night.
Normally, if you get a tour through an agency the guide gets less than 40% of the profit, even if they provide all the equipment, jackets, gloves, hats, tent, sleeping bags and mats. I definitely recommend Asoava!

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We contacted Catalino for the 2 day trip to Volcan Acatenango. From the first contact we noticed how passionate Catalino is about his job. He answered us right away with all the information we needed. He and his family are really kind and want to work hard to give you the best experience. If you’re hiking Acatenango, make sure to contact him directly! All the money goes to the organisation and not to a big tourist agency. It’s an experience you’ll never forget, it’s not just about the volcano (which is really really beautiful) but also about getting to know the REAL Guatemala and help the locals as a traveller! We stayed in a hostel in Antigua and they picked us up at our door. Food included, cooked by his wife and was really good. Very very nice people! The hike was a bit though but our guide was really nice and we had all the time we needed to get to the summit! All at our own pace which is way nicer than the big groups of 30 people or even more.

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Great family with a big heart. our kids were playing with the kids on the street. we had a big adventure on the vulcano.
our truck 11m lenth, 2.5wide and 3.7 high fit without problem in fence area.

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Not sure about these gps coordinates. We parked closer to Catalino’s home in a 20ft, where he hosts people.

Just ask anyone in town where Catalino lives and they will show you.

Please call at least one day ahead for reservations...and I would suggest two days to make sure there is space for you.

Great trip and great guides. Highly recommend to contact Catalino directly. Very well taken care of!

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One of the most amazing experience we had in our trip. We thought about doing it without a guide but every coin was worth it. We are really happy we choose Catalino to take us to the top of Acatenango yo enjoy such an unforgettable night. We had a cool group, good meals, we travelled light (tent, sleeping bags waiting for us at the top) our guide Alberto made us a fire at night and in the morning and set up camps. So we only had to think about climbing and enjoying! They are really thankful of tourist giving them work, they had a very difficult life and they love what they do. If you go with Catalino, he is gonna make sure you are treat like a king/queen.
Q325 per person. Includes guide, entrance to the park, camping gear, lunch, dinner and breakfast. Catalino can pick you up at Policia turística or wherever you are staying.
WARNING!! He is super chatty, if you speak Spanish be ready.
Come and help this beautiful family!

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Just moving the point a bit. It was right in front of the Aprode association of guides. See Aprode entry for another guide association.

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Agreed with all the comments below. Use ASOAVA. Park here. Have an incredible time. Fully recommended.

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Best thing we ever did in 2 1/2 years of travel.
This family is the most incredible family we met. Welcoming and so many things the words can’t explain.
We slept here the day before the trip and it was amazingly perfect.
Our kids (almost 3 and almost 5) loved it.
The trip was stunning and the horse was super helpful.
Our guide, JAIME, Catalino’s brother is the kindest and most nature lover we ever met. He was patient, helpful,... indescriptible.
Doing this trip with ASOAVA was the best decision we could take.

(We made a video about the experience on our YouTube channel (family Coste) if we wanna see more about what to expect)

GO THERE ! Definitely!!!

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As described before. If you want to do the Acatenango hike, go with ASOAVA. Catalino warmly welcomed us in his lovely house for diner the day before and we could sleep in our van in front of his house. The next morning his wife cooked breakfast for us and we could start the climb at 8.30am. You can also sleep at his house if you don’t have a own camper/tent. There’s a toilet you can use. If you want to start from Antigua, he’ll pick you up by car and you’ll start the hike around 10.30am.
The hike is very though but the guides are amazing and very supportive. Almost all the guides are family of Catalino.
The equipment is good, you don’t have to carry your sleeping bag or tent up. It’s already set up at the base camp for you. You can rent gloves, a warm hat, a good backpack and walking sticks. The food you get is great and enough. Rice, veggies and chicken (or eggs) for lunch. Pasta, frigoles and hot chocolate for diner and cereals and fruits for breakfast.
We payed Q650 for two persons and a dog and Q25 pp for the diner and breakfast before the hike at Catalino‘s house

Good to know is dat all the money goes to this lovely family. If you book the tour through an agency in Antigua you’ll get the same (Catalino is also a guide for some agency’s) but he only gets 40% of the money. Contact Catalino directly through Facebook or WhatsApp

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100% confirm of all previous comments.
protips:
hike to the top even if it is cloudy at the basecamp. we were lucky to See from the very top, even throughout was incredibly cloudy.

make sure to double Check the phone Number, for example from their Facebook. comments can be edited...

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Really perfect guides! We arrived one day before and stayed one night in the Catalino's house. We hiked with a little group of nice people. The food was really perfect and delicious during this 3 days. Thank you so much at all the family !

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We arrived at Catalino’s home in the afternoon. We had dinner with his family. We played with his children and cousins. Faustina (his wife) prepared tortillas and pasta in a wooden owen. Everything was so nice! Then we slept in our camper. It is possible to stay at Catalinos home. Next morning we had breakfast in Faustinas wooden kitchen. The food was awesome. Then we started the Acatenango hike. The guides were Abelardo and Jaime (Catalinos brother). We hike for 3 hours and had lunch (previously prepared by Faustina and of course it was very nice). Then we reach the base camp and had dinner with Abelardo and Jaime. They cooked frijoles, pasta and chocolate in a bonfire with a really nice view of the fuego volcano. We slept in a tent and sleeping bags that were already there. Unfortunately next morning was cloudy so we dicided not to hike to the summit. It was an amazing experience anyway. The views were incredible. We walk back to Catalinos home and play with the kids and family. Unforgettable experience. The price is much lower than the agencies in antigua and you get to share and know a local family. In my opinion this experience is much more than just a simple tour. Thanks Catalino, Faustina, Abelardo, Jaime and the whole family...

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There are the best guides to volcán Acatenango! Excelent human treat, delicious food and good equipment

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If you are planning to do the Acatenango hike (and you should!) we can highly recommend ASOAVA as well.
They are a small association of highly qualified guides who have been hiking the volcano for years, many of them since they were children!
They are trained as rescuers as well and know lots about the natural environment of the area.
You can get in touch with them via WhatsApp (‭+50255004707‬) and talk to Catalino.
You can either stay at Catalino’s house (lovely and very welcoming family) either in one of their rooms or parked at their entrance for a true Guatemalan experience; or, if you are parked in the Policia Turistica of Antigua they can also pick you up there.
They have a established campground on top with quality tents and sleeping bags, they offer really good and yummy food for the hike and they will have patience and help you if you are a bit slow going up.
We went with his brother, Jaime, and Alberto, amazing guides and generous people!
All in all, an amazing experience which is definitely one of the highlights of this trip! 100% recommended!
PS: do NOT go with Gilmer - we heard very bad reviews in Antigua about his team and how they treat people. Apparently the food they give is really bad as well and their guides are not properly trained.

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The best guides to hike the Acatenango, highly recommended!! You can leave your rig next to their house!

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very good guide I recommend. We did it with 2 children (8 and 6 years) and a horse we paid 1500 qtz + 200 for a porter for our backpack. For one person the rate is 325qtz. The family of guides live at the foot of the volcano and are very friendly. You can contact Catalino directly by phone or whatsapp at: +502 55004707 Is possible to camp in front their house.

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We put our 24 feet RV here during the trip with the familial association ASOAVA (los amigos del volcan Acatenango).
It's a free safe place along the small road , close to the house of Catalino , contact him on whatsapp or by phone at +502-55004707 . Very calm at night , there lights during the night . Here you paid your trek directly at guides , the half price of Antigua agency , and the association refill some money at the community . We paid 1350 quetzals for 2 adults and 2 childrens (4&6 years old ),
one guide , a horse and the horseman , tickets of parc included , good food of Catalino's wife , good sleeping bag , good tent ,all included ,no bad surprise .
Nice hospitality on this village . The horn on the morning is the backery car with good bread . Some womens come to sell local food , chuchitos very cheap and very good . You can playing football with the locals , a lot of good times in this small traditionnal village .
With you want information for the Fuego Tour , ask ASOAVA buy facebook @asoava or buy phone ++502-55004707 , or simple by whatsapp.

Report Check-In

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