One of the highlights of any trip to El Salvador is a hike to the top of the Santa Ana Volcano in Cerro Verde National Park. In this guide, we show you how to have an amazing adventure hiking the volcano without spending all day.
But first – you will spend the afternoon / night before at an amazing resort on Lago de Coatepeque (Coatepeque Lake), enjoying the views, pupusas poolside, and maybe even jumping into the lake from the resort diving platform.
Early the next mornig, you’ll complete your volcano hike with a private guide who can help you beat the crowds! You’ll be finished in time to reward yourself with a late breakfast or lunch with a scenic volcano view. Sound good? Keep reading for how to add these experiences to your Perfect Week in El Salvador.
Lake Coatepeque
This beautiful, natural crater lake is part of the Coatepeque Crater. It stretches over 26 square kilometres, is 120m deep, and is often touted as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. The turquoise water is stunning set against the forested hillsides. Luxury homes dot the shoreline.
Note: A famous landmark on the lake is the Captain Morgan’s Hostel, which is about 30 minutes away from Santa Ana. Stop in for a drink along the lakeshore. Reviews for the hostel are terrible, though, so don’t stay there.
Hotel Equinoccio on Lago Coatepeque
Plan for a perfect afternoon and evening at Hotel Equinoccio on Lake Coatepeque before your Santa Ana Volcano hike. The resort (book direct) is about one hour away from Santa Ana on the lake’s southwest shore and is built into a hill with gorgeous grounds descending to the lake. There’s a fantastic deck above the boathouse (check out the diving platform!), and a small but exquisite swimming pool.
Unwind from your busy El Salvador tour on the boathouse deck, enjoying the breeze and the beautiful lake, or with a swim in the pool. Occasionally a canoe or jet ski travels past, but this is a peaceful, relaxing spot. Enjoy pupusas by the pool from the Happy Hour menu, eat at the hotel’s indoor/outdoor restaurant, and watch the lights come on over the water.
Hotel Equinoccio was our most expensive stay in El Salvador – a bit of a splurge for our travel lifestyle. But well worth it! Our lakefront room was clean and modern with every amenity we could want. This is a place to relax, which is what we needed.
The staff are friendly and attentive, but not intrusive.
Hotel Equinoccio also offers boat, jet ski, and kayak rentals if you are feeling more adventurous.
Teopan Island
Practically adjacent to the hotel is the ferry to the island of Teopan, a Mayan site that also has some of the most exclusive homes in all of El Salvador. President Bukele reportedly has a home here. It’s fun to watch the ferry shuttling back and forth from the deck of Hotel Equinoccio.
Santa Ana Volcano / Cerro Verde National Park
One of the highlights of any trip to El Salvador is a hike to the top of the Santa Ana Volcano in Cerro Verde National Park. We recommend doing this hike with a private guide, and as elsewhere, we recommend Gerardo of Papagayo Adventures El Salvador. You can email to schedule your guided hike at: [email protected]. We paid about $150 for the guided hike for the two of us.
Renowned for its emerald-colored lake deep in the caldera, Santa Ana is the highest point in El Salvador, standing at an impressive altitude of 2,381 meters (7,812 feet) above sea level. The surreal color is caused by the high sulfur content and mineral deposits in the lake. The stunning lake view, set against the rugged volcanic landscape, creates a breathtaking sight!
Temperatures fall as you climb, so dress in layers. When we visited, the summit of the volcano was shrouded in cold mist and was quite windy.
Hiking with a Private Guide – Why?
You are not allowed to do the hike without a guide by law, and it seemed to us that there would have been a lot of hassle if we had gone with one of the group guides you meet at the base of the volcano. Our time is valuable, and we didn’t want to spend half a day waiting for a guide to decide that his or her group was large enough to head up. This appeared to be the situation later in the day when we returned from the crater – groups of tourists were standing around waiting for a guide to take them up. By then, it was hot too!
With a private guide, you can also set your own schedule. You can even start early before Cerro Verde National Park officially opens for the day.
We recommend Gerardo of Papagayo Adventures El Salvador for your Santa Ana hike. See the company Facebook page or email: [email protected] to book. Gerardo will pick you up on Lake Coatepeque if you are following our Perfect Week in El Salvador itinerary, or even in the cities of San Salvador or Santa Ana. He’s a thorough guide, and a friendly young man, who is also an official tourist guide credentialed to guide everywhere in El Salvador. Gerardo has guided many hikes, including a group of older people hiking every volcano in the country!
Hiking the Volcano
How we did the hike: Gerardo met us at 6:15 AM at a prearranged location on the other side of the lake from Hotel Equinoccio. We parked in a private parking lot ($3) not far from the trailhead, arriving there about 7 AM. This is a safe place to leave a car with luggage as it is watched by the owner all day.
Because we were with Gerardo, we could start hiking before the opening of the park office (which opens at 7:30 AM). The hike, as guided by Gerardo, is about 6 miles roundtrip because you first walk into the national park. It’s moderately difficult. In some places the trail is steep, but the hike is doable for a reasonably healthy person. You gain 465 meters in elevation.
We had the trail to ourselves the entire way up, not passing another person until after we left the summit. Views along the way are spectacular, as you can see the Izalco and Cerro Verde volcanoes from various points and the summit. As you ascend into a subtropical highland micro-climate, you begin to see desert-like plants.
It took us a little over an hour to hike up. Unfortunately, for us the day was cloudy, and the summit was socked in with cloud and mist, windy and quite cool – a bit shocking after a week of warm temperatures. Be sure to wear layers!!
The Crater
Due to the inclement weather, we could barely see the surreal, teal-green-colored lake deep in the caldera. On a clear day you can see all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Since it was cold, and visibility was poor, we headed back down after taking some photos.
Down at the ticket office, you pay our national park entrance fee of $7 in cash (free for persons aged 60 and older). There are also free and clean restrooms.
Dining in the Park
A short drive away, Los Volcanes Bistro Café, is a great spot for a well-deserved El Salvadoran breakfast with excellent coffee. If you’re a little later in the day, you may prefer the lunch menu. The bistro has fabulous views over the national park and Izalco Volcano. Outside there are walking trails and a playground for children. Since the bistro is inside the Cerro Verde National Park, we needed to pay to park in the main lot.
Driving from Cerro Verde National Park to El Zonte and the Coast
If you’re following one-week itinerary and heading to El Zonte from Cerro Verde National Park after hiking the Santa Ana Volcano. the best route is via Sonsonate on National Hwy 12, turning east (left) onto National Hwy 2 in San Julian. The 70 km drive is scenic, especially the portion on National Highway 2 that hugs the shoreline. As you near the coast, you pass through five dark, numbered tunnels. Watch for great views down to the ocean as you approach El Zonte.
Other Related Guides
How to Spend a Perfect Week in El Salvador (with links to each of the guides below)
How to Spend a Perfect Week in El Salvador
Three Amazing Stops on the Rutas de las Flores, El Salvador