GUNUNG · Guatemala

Volcán Ipala

Volcán de Ipala

Volcán de Ipala, stratovolcano dengan danau kawah di tenggara Guatemala. Photo: source

Information

Elevation: 1.650 m
Country: Guatemala (GT)
Location / Range: Gugusan stratovolcano kecil dan ladang kerucut sinder di tenggara Guatemala (perbatasan Chiquimula–Jutiapa)
Mountain type: Stratovolcano dengan danau kawah (Laguna de Ipala)
Volcanic?: Yes — volcano
Coordinates: 14.5500, -89.6300
Difficulty: Mudah–menengah — pendakian singkat berpenanda dari kaki gunung ke bibir kawah, lalu menurun ke danau; cocok untuk pendaki pemula dan keluarga
Best Season: Musim kemarau (November–April) untuk jalur kering dan pemandangan danau yang jernih
Permits & Rules: Kawasan dikelola sebagai area ekowisata komunitas dengan biaya masuk kecil; tersedia jalur berpenanda serta area perkemahan di tepi danau kawah
Hazards: Jalur menanjak yang bisa licin, panas dan minim air di lereng terbuka, serta perlu berhati-hati saat menuruni bibir kawah ke danau

Description

Volcán Ipala (or Volcán de Ipala) is a stratovolcano roughly 1,650 metres high in south-eastern Guatemala, on the border of the Chiquimula and Jutiapa departments. Its main draw is the clear crater lake (Laguna de Ipala) at the summit: a crater about 1,000 metres wide holds a lagoon whose surface sits some 150 metres below the crater rim. The volcano belongs to a cluster of small stratovolcanoes and cinder-cone fields in the region. Unlike Guatemala's high western-highland volcanoes, Ipala is relatively low and hiker-friendly: a marked trail climbs from the base to the crater rim and then descends to the lakeshore, where visitors camp, fish and swim. Its ecotourism status and the beauty of the crater lake make Ipala one of eastern Guatemala's most popular nature destinations.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Sendero pendakian ke bibir kawah

Mudah–menengah — jalur berpenanda menanjak melalui lereng dan hutan

Sekitar 1–2 jam naik ke bibir kawah (bervariasi menurut titik mulai dan kecepatan)

The main trail (sendero) climbs from the base of Volcán Ipala to the crater rim through slopes and vegetation. Relatively short and beginner-friendly, with markers and community ecotourism management, it brings hikers to the rim overlooking Laguna de Ipala below.

Source

Turun ke Laguna de Ipala (danau kawah)

Menengah — turunan curam ke dasar kawah, licin saat basah

Penurunan singkat dari bibir kawah ke tepi danau; ideal untuk bermalam

From the crater rim, the path descends about 150 metres to the shore of Laguna de Ipala at the bottom of the crater. Camping areas at the lakeshore let visitors stay overnight, fish and swim — the signature Ipala experience that sets it apart from other Guatemalan volcano hikes.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Hikes up Volcán Ipala and its crater lake are widely captured by Guatemalan creators and foreign travellers — a short climb to the crater rim then down to Laguna de Ipala to camp and swim. All links are live-verified via YouTube oEmbed and show the trail, the crater-lake scenery and the camping atmosphere.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.