I’ve mentioned before that my original attraction to El Salvador was it’s reputation with backpackers as having incredibly kind locals. However “talk to people” doesn’t typically make it onto my travel excel spreadsheet, it more so occurs between the cells, if you will. But low and behold Volcán Santa Ana, also called Ilamatepec by the locals, is an activity which is sincerely worth the effort. Located within the Cerro Verde National Park, the 2,400 meter volcano, 7,850 feet for those who still resist the metric system, will impress with a view of vibrant turquoise sulfuric liquid at its core.
One may not believe that a volcano could become mundane, or perhaps even cliche. But after a few months in Central America, with it’s 70+ volcanos, one must be unique to earn a spot on my itinerary. To say it simply, it checks the boxes. It’s accessible from almost anywhere in El Salvador, requiring only a few hours to complete the roundtrip, and it’s affordable for any budget. The impressive view along the journey as well as at the top lives up to the hype.
TRANSPORTATION
- BUS: Take Bus 248 from La Vencedora bus station. We read online that the bus leaves at 7:30, though in our experience, the ticket booth opened at 7:30, our hostel told us the bus leaves at 7:40, and in reality we left around 7:55. But it’s still smart to leave yourself plenty of time as you’ll want to get the first bus out. When you arrive, the bus driver will let you know as it’s a popular tourist route. For the way home, there is a 1pm bus back to Santa Ana which actually arrived around 1:25pm
- TOUR: Our hostel offered a private tour for $20 + entrance fee, this also includes a stop at Lake Coatepeque on the way back
- PRIVATE: There are many private tours offered, in my opinion, they would only be worth it if they pick you up in one place, keep your bags, and bring you to the next destination. What I saw online though was extremely expensive
What to Expect
The bus will drop you off. Up the hill, you’ll find food sands, a restaurant, and bathroom that can be used for 40 cents. This is also where you can hire a guide, which is not necessary, especially for the first part of the hike. Down the Hill, you’ll see a sign that says Caminata a Volcán Santa Ana, inicio de la caminata (something along those lines). Follow the arrow and stay left through what looks like a parking lot. Continue left and you’ll see an unmarked entrance to a path in the woods. This is about 15-20 minutes to where another bathroom and check in point is.
When you arrive at this point, you’ll pay $6 (international) $3 (national) for park entrance and you’ll be told that they recommend a guide. This is only a recommendation. It’s not a lot of money, 2 or 3 dollars, but it does mean that you’re stuck in a bit of a group while the path is pretty self explanatory. They may give some more information along the way, probably in spanish, so totally up to you. We chose to go without a guide.
It took about an hour and a half to make it to the top and 45 minutes to an hour on the way down. We spent about 10 minutes at the top because it was quite windy.
In some parts of the track there are yellow markings to help you stay on the right path, but overall, the trail is pretty simple to follow.
What To Bring:
- Water
- Sunscreen/Hat/Sunglasses
- Windbreaker (it gets cold and windy at the top)
- Snacks: There are small food stands that serve pupusas, sandwiches, soup, snacks, etc. Probably not a ton of veg options. We were happy to have brought some chips
