landmark
San Pedro La Laguna
A backpacker and artist hub on Lake Atitlán's shores beneath San Pedro Volcano, known for Spanish schools and Tz'utujil Maya culture.
28 km · about 30 min drive
North AmericaGuatemalaQuetzaltenango
Almolonga
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala · North America
About Almolonga
Almolonga is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Zunil, 37km from Lake Atitlan.
Almolonga is in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, with about 12,000 people. The nearest town is Zunil, about 4 km away.
The Almolonga volcano, also called "Cerro Quemado" (Burned Mountain) or "La Muela" (The Molar) due to its distinct shape, is an andesitic stratovolcano in the south-western department of Quetzaltenango in Guatemala. Part of the mountain range of the Sierra Madre, the volcano is located near the town of Almolonga, justRead more
south of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala's second largest city.
The volcano is set along the Zunil fault zone and has a central caldera surrounded by several dacitic and rhyolitic lava domes and formed in a back-arc volcanic setting, with activity commencing 84,000BP. Almolonga stratovolcano is the oldest edifice and underwent collapse prior to the caldera forming eruption of Lake Atitlan, the major chronological marker of volcanism in the region. The collapse of the stratovolcano left a caldera with a diameter of 3,3 km and a depth of 350m that was subsequently occupied by lava domes on its northern edge and covered by tephra layers from numerous volcanoes, both in the Almolonga field and others. Cerro Quemado is the largest (about 2 km3) and youngest lava dome complex formed by eight vents with viscous lava flows and plugs during four distinct volcanic phases - the first two involving effusion of lava and formation of new domes. Cerro Quemado underwent a flank collapse 1,150BP, generating a landslide that went 6 km SSW in the Llano de Pinal valley and occupied an area of 13 km2, generating a lateral blast that affected the neighbouring Volcán Siete Orejas volcano as well. A lava dome emerged inside the collapse scar subsequently. 1818 an eruption formed a block lava flow over half a year that travelled 2.5 km eastward. Lahars and further explosive activity are potential hazards from this volcano.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Almolonga?
Within an hour or so of Almolonga: San Pedro La Laguna (28 km), Lake Atitlan (37 km), Chichicastenango Market (44 km).
Where is Almolonga?
Almolonga is in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, about 4 km from Zunil.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 12,299
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- Guatemala
- Region
- Quetzaltenango
- Timezone
- America/Guatemala
- Coordinates
- 14.8159, -91.4946
Tags
Worth the detour from Almolonga
3 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Lake Atitlan
A breathtaking volcanic lake surrounded by three towering volcanoes and traditional Mayan villages, often called the most beautiful lake in the world.
37 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
Chichicastenango Market
Central America's largest indigenous market held every Thursday and Sunday, overflowing with textiles, masks, flowers, and Maya rituals.
44 km · about 50 min drive
Driving roads near Almolonga
- 75 kmAcatenangoA 3,976 m stratovolcano near Antigua climbed overnight so hikers can camp on the ridge and watch neighbouring Volcán de Fuego erupt through the night: one of the most reliable live-eruption views on earth.
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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