Volcán de Agua at Sunset from the Acatenango Highlands

Acatenango volcano rises above the forested Guatemalan highlands at sunset, framed by pine trees in the foreground.
Acatenango volcano rises above the forested Guatemalan highlands at sunset, framed by pine trees in the foreground.

Volcán de Agua rises to 3,766 meters south of Antigua Guatemala, its symmetrical cone a familiar sight across the Panchoy Valley. The volcano takes its name — "Water" — from a catastrophic 1541 mudflow that swept down its slopes and destroyed Ciudad Vieja, then the capital of Spanish Guatemala, prompting colonial authorities to relocate the capital to what became Antigua. Unlike its neighbors Fuego and Acatenango, Agua has no record of historical eruptions and is classified as dormant. Its summit is a popular overnight hike, with trails starting from the town of Santa María de Jesús on its northern flank.

Taken February 2020

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Antigua
Historic center of Antigua Guatemala: Santa Catalina Arch, markets, ruins and surrounding volcanoes
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