The young upstart of Volcán Paricutín (2800m) might be less than 80 years old, but clambering up the volcanic scree slopes to its summit and looking out across blackened, village-engulfing lava fields is a highlight of travel in this part of Mexico.
You can trek to it on horseback or by foot (though the last part is always by foot), but whatever option you choose prepare for a long and rewarding day.
The story behind this volcano is as extraordinary as the views from its summit. On February 20, 1943, Dionisio Pulido, a Purépecha farmer, was plowing his cornfield some 35km west of Uruapan when the ground began to quake and spurt steam, sparks and hot ash. The farmer struggled to cover the blast holes, but he quickly realized his futility and ran. Good thing, because like some Hollywood B-grade movie, a growling volcano began to rise. Within a year it had reached an elevation of 410m above the rolling farmland and its lava had flooded the Purépecha villages of San Salvador Paricutín and San Juan Parangaricutiro. Thankfully, the lava flowed slowly, giving the villagers plenty of time to escape.
The volcano continued to grow until 1952. Today its large black cone whispers warm steam in a few places, but otherwise appears dormant. Near the edge of the 20-sq-km lava field, the top of the ruined Templo San Juan Parangaricutiro , San Juan’s stone church, protrudes eerily from a sea of black lava. Its tower and altar are the only visible traces of the two buried villages. It’s a one-hour (3km) walk to the church from Angahuan.
You need to be striding out of Angahuan before 9am if you want to climb Volcán Paricutín. There's no shortage of guides with horses in town offering their services to the ruined church, volcano, or both, and they will meet you at the bus from Uruapan. Horses and a guide should cost around M$700 in total per person per day. There are two standard routes up the volcano: a 14km round-trip short route and a 24km round-trip long route. Horses always go via the long route as the short route crosses a lava field. If you're going by horse allow six hours (including at least four in an unforgiving, wooden saddle).
Whichever route you take, the final scramble up the volcano – a steep syrupy grunt through warm black sand – is always on foot. Coming down is a different matter – bank on two minutes if you're brave. The standard route visits the San Juan church (3km from Angahuan) on the way back. The altar is almost always blessed with colorful offerings of candles and flowers. Close to the church are a number of food stalls serving up fabulously tasty blue-corn quesadillas cooked on old, wood-burning, oil-can skillets. Bring enough water and wear decent shoes.
If wooden saddles intimidate you, or you have energy to burn, you can walk to the volcano, but you’ll still need a guide (M$300 to M$500 depending on your bargaining skills) as the trail through the pine forest can be hard to find. The long route follows a sandy track for around 12km through avocado groves, agave fields and wildflowers. The short route (7km one way) starts off in pine forest but then switches to difficult rock-hopping across an expansive lava field. If you're fit and want variety, ask your guide to hike out on the short route and back on the longer trek. Whichever way, set off early.
