This is one of the absolute must do’s when visiting El Salvador.  As El Salvador is not overly large in size, climbing the Santa Ana Volcano can be done from most major tourist cities, as a day trip.

Some stats on this hike:

• The volcano stands at a height of 2381m
• Round trip hike is 8.8 km
• Elevation gain/loss of 470m

You can take a chicken bus to get here, but you do need a guide to hike it, and we heard rumours that they only leave at a certain time of the day. The guide is $3 if you have a group of 20, and tips to follow are always appreciated. If you have less people the cost is more, however others waiting in the parking lot can combine to form your group. The fee to get into the park is $6 per person. Kids under 12 and seniors are free. 

The hike starts out meandering uphill through the shaded forest. You get sneak-a-peak views here and there the higher you go. There are three lookout platforms along the way as well. Once you are about ¾ of the way through the trail you pop out of the forest and are in the full elements. Here’s where you can see the top of not only Santa Ana but the surrounding volcanos as well.

Once you arrive at the summit, the views are unbelievable. One side you can see the Lago de Coatepeque, and the other side is the shimmering blue waters within the volcanic crater lake. This lake is 57.5C and you can hear it moaning and groaning as you watch vents hiss out steam among the yellow sulphur stained rocks. The most recent eruption was back in 2005 tossing car-size debris through the air and actually killing two people.

Pretty sure the girls favourite part was the vendor at the top selling ice cream bars and popsicles for $2. I thought this was a very reasonable price, and he could be charging a lot more considering the location and circumstance. Due to most the tours leaving close to the same it can be a bit crowded on the craters edge, however with so much to see in all directions people are constantly shuffling around and every spot has a perfect viewpoint and camera opportunity.

For the return to the parking lot we just retraced our steps and descended back into the jungle. The entire hike took us just over three hours with about 30 minutes break at the top. There are a few shops and stalls near the park gates that also have restrooms, water and snacks.

Our drive back to Santa Ana had us stopping for lunch on the shores of lake Coatepeque. Restaurants with stilted balconies over the waters edge line the shore of this 7km by 10km volcanic crater lake. The views of the distance green water complement the craters lip with its dense foliage. We watched boaters and seadoo explore the water while enjoying our meal with its slightly elevated prices. There are stairs and docks allowing swimmers to reach the water however the shores had a thick algee at the time that made going for a dip less than appealing.

Back in the vehicle we returned to Santa Ana in the mid afternoon, however if you are in a time crunch the lake could be skipped or if you care, a stop at a hot springs pool can be added. But like we mentioned at the beginning, this day trip to view these seemingly prehistoric volcanoes with all their diverse beauty should not be skipped and you would be leaving with nothing but regrets if you do.