We booked our tour from our hotel which also runs an independent tour operating system. No need to stay there to book a trip with them, just walk into the Yellow house. Also no need to splash the cash, we went for the cheaper option and loved our tour guides, they were locals who lived in one of the neighbouring villages. They've been climbing this beast of a mountain since the age of 8.

To be honest, be prepared for the calves to hurt as this is a really tough hike..Why? Because you start at midday, in the heat of the day, going up a steep path made of sand, so each step up is, essentially a little step down and you’re at high altitude so you'll have difficulty breathing. You might feel nauseous and light headed too. Add on top of that the 4L of water you’re carrying and your food and snacks. It was tough, especially the start but it was well worth it. Once you make it to base camp, you can walk up to a little hill to see the sunset. You’ll then enjoying a camp fire dinner under the stars with warm marshmallows and views on a stunning active volcano. Beware though it gets very cold up there so make sure to take some thermals with you. At approximately 3:30am you’ll wake up to ascent the last bit and view the sunrise. We got very lucky as the weather was glorious and we could see the sun ascent behind the volcano. 

After this, the rest is a piece of cake. You’ll slide your way down the mountain and make it back by midday. Make sure to beg some hiking shoes as the way down may be very slippery. Also make sure to have another night booked in Antigua because you’ll be absolutely shattered after doing this hike! 

Cost from: Q225

• Warm clothes, thermal, the tour company will lent you gloves, a hat and a big coat too 

• Snacks, there’s plenty of nut street vendors in Antigua. Make sure to grab a bag of these, they are a great source of energy! 

• 4L of water max, if it’s a really hot day I’d recommend taking at least 3.5L. 

• Light clothes for the day. I’d recommend hiking with a tee shirt and a pair of leggings or shorts 

• Hiking shoes, I usually go for hiking trainers as they don’t take as much space in my bag but they offer a great grip. 

• Light torch 

• Sunglasses 

• A scarf to wrap around your face as it gets really dusty going down the hill