Guatemala Volcano Tracker: Live Activity & Alert Levels

In short: the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program catalogues 36 volcanoes in Guatemala — 20 Holocene, 16 Pleistocene, full reference table below — but only 3 are highly active and continuously monitored by INSIVUMEH: Volcán de Fuego (3,763 m) — the most active in Central America, in continuous Strombolian eruption since 2002; Santiaguito (2,500 m) — lava-dome complex on Santa María’s flank; Pacaya (2,552 m) — 30 km from Guatemala City and the most accessible to hike. The 4-level alert system is Green / Yellow / Orange / Red. The June 3, 2018 Fuego eruption left more than 200 confirmed dead and hundreds more missing in San Miguel Los Lotes — commonly cited as 400+ dead and missing. Emergency: CONRED 119, Bomberos 122, Cruz Roja 125. Verified August 2026.

Guatemala’s Volcanic Landscape

Guatemala sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, with a volcanic chain stretching 300 km along its southern highlands. This volcanic arc is fueled by the Cocos Plate subducting beneath the Caribbean Plate along the Middle America Trench, approximately 100 km off the Pacific coast. The same subduction zone generates most of Guatemala’s earthquakes — those are tectonic, tracked separately on our live earthquake tracker.

Complete List of Guatemala’s Volcanoes

There is no single official number, and that is the honest answer to “how many volcanoes are in Guatemala?” Four institutions count four different things:

The lists diverge because they draw the line between “a volcano” and “a vent on a volcano” in different places. Two concrete examples from the table below: the Smithsonian catalogues Santiaguito as a dome complex of Santa María, not as a separate volcano, while Guatemalan lists count them as two; and INSIVUMEH’s inventory deliberately excludes Lacandón, Zunil and Santo Tomás, which its author reclassified as erosional features cut into older volcanic rock rather than eruptive vents.

Sources: Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, retrieved 9 September 2026 · Federación Nacional de Andinismo and Instituto Geográfico Nacional counts as reported by Prensa Libre, 28 April 2023 · INSIVUMEH, Los focos eruptivos cuaternarios de Guatemala (Otto H. Bohnenberger, ICAITI Publicaciones Geológicas II, 1969), published by INSIVUMEH (the institute’s archive subdomain is now offline; link is to the archived copy).

The table below is the Smithsonian’s 36. It is a static reference table, not a status board — it carries no alert levels and no eruption status, and it does not change when a volcano acts up. Today’s activity lives in the live tracker at the top of this page and on today’s status page. Sort any column by clicking its heading.

Two things worth knowing before you quote a row. First, only 8 of the 36 have a confirmed eruption date at all — for most of Guatemala’s volcanoes the Smithsonian records credible Holocene activity without any date it will stand behind, and we show that as “None confirmed” rather than filling the gap with an estimate. Second, elevations here are the Smithsonian’s, and Guatemalan sources sometimes publish slightly different summit heights from older surveys: Fuego is widely cited at 3,763 m in Guatemala while the Smithsonian gives 3,799 m, and Pacaya is cited at 2,552 m against the Smithsonian’s 2,569 m. That is survey vintage, not a disagreement about which mountain it is.

The Three Active Giants

Of the 36 catalogued volcanoes, three remain highly active and are continuously monitored by INSIVUMEH (Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia e Hidrologia):

Volcan de Fuego (3,763 m) — The most active volcano in Central America. Since 2002, Fuego has maintained near-continuous Strombolian eruptions with daily explosions, ash columns, and occasional pyroclastic flows. The devastating June 2018 eruption left more than 200 confirmed dead and hundreds more missing — commonly cited as 400+ dead and missing — and remains a stark reminder of volcanic risk.

Santiaguito (2,500 m) — A lava dome complex growing on the flank of Santa Maria volcano since 1922. Santiaguito produces frequent explosions, ash emissions, and block-and-ash flows. The parent volcano, Santa Maria, produced one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century in 1902 (VEI 6).

Pacaya (2,552 m) — Just 30 km from Guatemala City, Pacaya is Guatemala’s most accessible active volcano and a popular tourist destination. Its intermittent Strombolian eruptions produce lava flows sometimes visible from the capital.

Why This Tracker Matters

Volcanic activity directly affects millions of Guatemalans. Fuego alone threatens communities across three departments (Sacatepequez, Escuintla, and Chimaltenango). Ash plumes from any of the three active volcanoes can disrupt flights at La Aurora International Airport and cause respiratory problems in surrounding areas.

This tracker pulls data from INSIVUMEH, the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, and the Washington VAAC to provide a centralized view of current alert levels, ash advisories, eruption history, and safety guidance.

Emergency Preparedness

Guatemala’s disaster agency CONRED coordinates volcanic emergency response. If you live near an active volcano, you should have an emergency kit, know your evacuation routes, and monitor INSIVUMEH bulletins daily. Keep these numbers saved: CONRED 119, Bomberos 122, Ambulancia 128, Cruz Roja 125.

Hike a Volcano (Guided Tours)

The two volcanoes safe to visit are Pacaya (3-4 hour easy hike from Guatemala City, family-friendly) and Acatenango (overnight expedition with views of erupting Fuego from a base camp). Fuego itself is not climbable — it actively erupts. Tours include transport, guide, gear rental, and food for overnighters. Based in Antigua? Our Antigua-to-volcano day-trip guide covers all seven volcanic sites within reach, and the Lake Atitlán village guide pairs volcano views with the lake. Spending the night on Acatenango means hours under an open sky — worth checking our eclipse guide for Guatemala before you pick the date. Still planning the trip itself? Start with getting to Antigua, compare airport transfer options from Guatemala City, and if the lake is on your route, the Antigua-to-Lake-Atitlán driving guide covers the road between the two.