Have you ever climbed to the top of a volcano and peered into the crater? Our family had this experience last summer when we conquered Paricutin, a volcano in beautiful Mexico. It was one of my bucket list dreams come true! I wrote about it first at World Mom’s Network. If you want a good laugh you definitely need to check out that post ;-)
History of Paricutin
Keeping it short and sweet, Paricutin is a fairly young volcano with an interesting story. It grew out of a cornfield in 1943. The volcano remained active between 1943 and 1952. No one died from the lava flow, but two villages had to be evacuated, Paricutin and San Juan Parangaricutiro. Paricutin is a dormant volcano and it is not expected to erupt again. Today it is listed as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of The World.
Tips for Conquering Paricutin
Paricutin is only a 45-minute drive from Uruapan, Michoacan, where we currently live. We took our three oldest kids on a day trip to Paricutin, leaving the baby home with a friend. From the town of Angahuan, we rented three horses and a guide for the day, for 900 pesos.
Renting horses or a guide is not necessary but I am glad we did. Our five-year-old had a rough time and he would have been miserable if we had hiked the trail instead. We could have also driven closer to the volcano, (with our truck), but locals are hesitant to give directions. They want you to rent the horses and their guides because it’s a good source of income for their little community.
[ngg src=”random_images” display=”pro_imagebrowser” is_ecommerce_enabled=”1″ maximum_entity_count=”20″]Here are a few more tips for anyone who makes it to Paricutin:- If you are not accustomed to horseback-riding expect to be sore the next day. It was even hard for me to use the bathroom!
- Don’t bring your five-year-old. It is a long and hard day! Sawyer specifically said, “Next time I am staying home.”
- Bring water and snacks for the trip. Also, a few pesos to use the restroom or eat at one of the little country restaurants.
- The horses do not climb up the volcano. Be prepared for a workout. Especially if you are out of shape like me! 45 minutes up and 10 minutes down! For every step up, you slide two back!
- Bring a jacket. It’s cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. I wore a tank top and shorts and was shivering half the day.
- Wear sunscreen. Don’t be dumb like me and come home glowing red. We are much closer to the equator here than in the US!
Visiting Paricutin was an awesome family adventure. While we were there the girls asked when we were going to return. Now that I know more about the trip perhaps next time I will be better prepared. Although it may be a while before we go back because my bum and legs are still recovering from the horseback-ride and the climb! Signing off in Mexico, Tina
Originally published February 2, 2016
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Wow! This is so beautiful and such an extraordinary experience for your kids too! That bucket list item sounds like something I would have! Gorgeous!!
Thanks! It was awesome!
Simply amazing! Absolutely beautiful! What an amazing adventure! I don’t know if I could make it but would love the adventure so much!
Half-way up we didn’t know if we would make it either! It was tough but worth it! You would love it!
beautiful pictures!
Thank you!! I love photography!
Beautiful place, great family pictures, I am from Michoacan and there is so much to see, don’t forget to visit Camécuaro if you guys get a chance, thanks for sharing!
Thank you, and Camecuaro is one of the places I want to go! Hopefully this summer :-)
My gosh… how beautiful!
I have always been intrigued by volcanos! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for reading! It was hard work but definitely worth reaching the top!
This looks like it was a great day, despite the few setbacks. I always love exploring natural wonders such as volcanoes, mountains, etc. They tell you so much about an area and can be quite the experience!
xoxo,
Dannie
http://www.stilefotocibo.com
I agree! We are an outdoorsy family :-) Being outside and exploring makes everything so much better. It’s like a natural antidepressant!
The picture of the church is particularly striking. Sounds like a fun, if exhausting, trip.
It was fun! And exhausting ;-) And amazing!!
sound great, want to visit once with my daughter suhana.
Thanks for sharing wonderful post about beautiful mexico.
De nada :-) I hope one day you can visit!
Love your pics! I just sent you a lengthy email to tina@gringoslocos.com. Subject: Questions on life in Uruapan. Hope it reaches you?!
Thank you and I got your email! I will try to be in contact soon :-)