Cerro El Baúl, National park and nature reserve in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Cerro El Baúl, also known as El Baúl, is a forested lava dome at the south-eastern edge of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, about 3 km north of the Almolonga volcano. It covers 2.40 km² and was declared a national park in 1955. It is one of the city's last remaining green areas.
Cerro El Baúl was declared a national park in 1955, which made it one of the last green areas protected within Quetzaltenango. The sources record no indigenous farming or ceremonies on its slopes; they note only that the park is now threatened by illicit tree extraction and by urbanization crossing its borders.
The park is in Zone 4 of Quetzaltenango and is easy to reach from the city by following signs toward that area. Morning visits are a good option since the air is cooler and the paths are less crowded.
At the top of the hill stands an obelisk honoring Tecún Umán, a figure from Maya history whom local tradition says is buried on this hill. Layers of pumice left by an ancient eruption are still visible in the slopes today.
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