A number of outfits in Antigua run guided tours to climb Volcán Pacaya near Guatemala City, a spectacular and very active volcano which regularly erupts towering plumes of smoke and brilliant orange sludge. These trips cost around US$7 per person, and virtually all the daily tours (no matter who you book with) leave Antigua around 1.30pm and return by around 10.30pm, enabling you to see the volcano by night without having to camp out. Though in the past a number of cowboy operators set up robberies of their own tourists, things have settled down considerably, and in the last few years and there have been only very isolated reports of trouble. To be safe, check the latest situation with your embassy or Antigua's tourist office before booking a trip. One of the most reputable operators in Antigua is Gran Jaguar Tours, 4 C Poniente 30 (tel 832 2712, www.granjaguar.com ).