DeneGOLD- Free

SURPRISE & DELIGHT

Travel+Leisure US|August 2023
Adventurers flock to Antigua Guatemala for its proximity to majestic lakes and volcanoes. But as David Amsden finds, the historic capital's stylish lodgings and new restaurants are a welcome foil to its more rugged delights.
- David Amsden
SURPRISE & DELIGHT

THERE COMES A MOMENT on any long hike when you begin to wonder why you ever thought said hike was a good idea. On a two-day trek to the summit of Acatenango, the third-highest volcano in Guatemala, this point arrived at a particularly humbling juncture: the instant my girlfriend, Erin, and I arrived at the trailhead.

It was a temperate morning in March, the dry season. Standing on a hillside studded with the vivid purple blooms of jacaranda trees, we craned our necks to take in the 13,045-foot Acatenango. The ascent up its conical face promised to be an immersion into Guatemala's natural order, taking us through an array of ecosystems, from farmland to cloud and alpine forests to the volcanic crater.

But like the many visitors who make the climb, Erin and I were drawn to the excursion primarily for the experience on offer near the top: camping on a bluff overlooking a neighboring volcano, Fuego, which is the most active in Central America and is known to regularly paint the night sky with streaks of lava.

We expected the climb to be strenuous, but it was just the kind of endurance challenge Erin and I like to seek out while traveling. Even so, years of hiking hadn't prepared either of us for this trail, which rose up and up at a barbaric pitch, disappearing into the clouds with no turns to temper the incline. With each step forward, our feet sank into scree so loose that we slid backward a few inches-a sensation less like hiking up a mountain and more like running in place, in quicksand. Within minutes, I was panting. Within an hour, the question of why we thought this was a good idea had given way to a more troubling one: Were we actually going to make it?

Bu hikaye Travel+Leisure US dergisinin August 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Travel+Leisure US dergisinin August 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.

TRAVEL+LEISURE US DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Keys to the Kingdom
Travel+Leisure US

Keys to the Kingdom

From premium dining to VIP tours, Walt Disney World Resort is upping its game—and gaining a new generation of superfans.

time-read
3 dak  |
June 2025
INTELLIGENT TRAVELER
Travel+Leisure US

INTELLIGENT TRAVELER

If last year’s solar eclipse and auroras turned you into an astro-tourist, you're not the only one exploring after dark.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2025
Best Foot Forward
Travel+Leisure US

Best Foot Forward

A cancer diagnosis motivated T+L’s Nina Ruggiero Curtis to run her first marathon—on another continent.

time-read
5 dak  |
June 2025
The New Girls' Trip
Travel+Leisure US

The New Girls' Trip

Women are putting a new spin on the idea of “solo” travel by signing on for small-group adventures.

time-read
2 dak  |
June 2025
Fiesta Forever
Travel+Leisure US

Fiesta Forever

The Spanish port city of Cádiz seduces with grandeur—and grit.

time-read
5 dak  |
June 2025
Italian Revival
Travel+Leisure US

Italian Revival

Sparkling Lambrusco was once ubiquitous. Simon Willis meets the sophisticated vintners behind its comeback.

time-read
5 dak  |
June 2025
Better, Together
Travel+Leisure US

Better, Together

Women who have lost spouses are finding community through travel.

time-read
2 dak  |
June 2025
Tee Up Your Next Trip
Travel+Leisure US

Tee Up Your Next Trip

From Long Island to Hawaii, top golf events are as much about the destination as the game itself.

time-read
3 dak  |
June 2025
MUSE of the MEDITERRANEAN
Travel+Leisure US

MUSE of the MEDITERRANEAN

Why is the blue-chip art world converging on a tiny Greek island? Tony Perrottet explores Hydra, where chill vibes meet cutting-edge creativity.

time-read
9 dak  |
June 2025
Shaking It Up
Travel+Leisure US

Shaking It Up

Salt Lake City has been attracting a younger population—and with it, a wave of change.

time-read
4 dak  |
June 2025

Hizmetlerimizi sunmak ve geliştirmek için çerezler kullanıyoruz. Sitemizi kullanarak çerezlere izin vermiş olursun. Learn more