Day trip climbing to mount Santa Ana Good workout and beautiful views. Very recommended to take a guided tour and spend the day in the nature 🙏🏼

Hiking the Santa Ana Volcano was hands-down one of the most thrilling and rewarding experiences in El Salvador! Whether you’re an avid hiker or just looking to push your limits with a unique adventure, this volcano delivers an unforgettable mix of natural beauty, physical challenge, and epic views. It includes a stunning crater view – the main reward at the summit is the jaw-dropping crater lake—a surreal, milky turquoise lagoon surrounded by jagged rock walls. The color seems to shift with the light, and the steam rising from the crater reminds you you're standing on an active volcano! Be ready for breathtaking panoramic landscapes – On a clear day, you can see Lake Coatepeque shimmering in the distance, the Pacific Ocean, and even neighboring volcanoes like Izalco and Cerro Verde. It's a photographer’s dream. The trail takes around 1.5 to 2 hours up, depending on your pace, and is moderately challenging. You'll go through a mix of terrain—from shaded forest paths to rocky, exposed slopes. There are several spots to stop, catch your breath, and take in the views. Visitors are required to join a guided group for safety and conservation purposes. The guides are friendly, knowledgeable, and keep a good pace, making sure everyone makes it up and down safely. It is great for nature lovers – The hike is surrounded by beautiful flora and occasional sightings of birds and butterflies. The surrounding Cerro Verde National Park area is lush and peaceful, perfect for a picnic or slower walks if you have extra time. This activity is not for weak, sick or unfit people as they could find it as moderate difficult – while not extremely technical, the hike is a real workout, especially in the final stretch where the incline gets steep and the path becomes rocky. Wear good hiking shoes, bring lots of water, and be ready to sweat. Mornings usually offer the clearest views, but conditions can change quickly. It can be foggy, windy, or very sunny—so pack layers, sunscreen, and a hat. Also, please arrive early – hikes usually begin in the morning around 10:00 AM with ranger groups, and the park has fixed entry hours. Plan to arrive early to register and join a group. Be aware that facilities are basic – bathrooms and small shops are available at the park entrance, but once on the trail, you're on your own. Bring snacks and anything you might need for the 4- to 5-hour round trip. Santa Ana Volcano is a bucket-list hike that combines adventure, natural wonder, and panoramic beauty all in one. While it’s a bit of a physical challenge, the payoff at the top is absolutely worth it. The experience of standing on the edge of a live volcanic crater is something you’ll never forget. Highly recommend for adventurous souls!!!

The usual trail was closed and went the long way. This was a great hike. 7 hours up and back. We had a guide take us which is helpful as we may have got lost otherwise unless all trails has it well marked I didn't look. Recommend doing this hike!

This is probably the most popular hike in El Salvador. Its a 2h bus ride from Santa Ana. The hike is moderate especially at the finalrocky segment if you don't have good hiking shoes. The guides are friendly while going up the volcano, but while coming down they just ignored, but thats ok. Once at the top, the views of volcano are spectacular. On a clear day, you will also see the lake Coatepeque here, you can check my video. I highly recommend this hike

I recommend you just drive there and when you get to the parking lot there's a $3 fee and the tour guides will just go up to you. It was $3 per person for a tour guide(which you need to get in) the private tour guides i heard are $26 but they aren't available weekends just weekdays. There was a total of 15 people in our group. We walk to the entrance which Is another $3 each and they have free bathrooms there and stands who sale fruit for $0.25 per bag and i got a hat for $5 then depending on everyone you will go a certain pace. We were kind of fast in our group so we finished pretty fast, takes 1 and a half hours to 2 hours one trip. The hike is a little hard for some people. Be aware you are climbing up high so it's brutal of you aren't used to hiking. When you get to the top you get 30 minutes to enjoy the crater and there's two men selling popsicles. Make sure you carry cash with you. Anyways, this was absolutely one of the best hikes I've ever done. I highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An unforgettable adventure! I just hiked the Santa Ana Volcano, and wow — what an experience! The hike is a bit of a challenge, especially toward the top, but 100% worth it. The views from the summit are absolutely breathtaking — you can see the turquoise crater lake and even catch glimpses of Coatepeque Lake in the distance. The trail is well-marked, and there were guides along the way to help. I’d recommend starting early to beat the heat and crowds. Bring water, sunscreen, and good hiking shoes — and don’t forget your camera! This is a must-do if you’re visiting El Salvador. One of the most beautiful volcano hikes in Central America!

For quick readers: Impressive view, stunning natural spectacle, lots of people going up and down, affordable and not a tourist rip-off. Worth doing if you enjoy hiking and are interested in scenic views. For detail lovers: We started early in the morning and stayed overnight at a nearby hotel just for this. Unfortunately, the hotel doesn’t offer any exclusive access yet – a pity. So you have to manually sign into a notebook at 8:00 am and then wait 30 minutes. It felt a bit uncoordinated, but we’re in another country and respect their way of doing things. Unfortunately, there were no English-language tours coordinated, but our guide was very kind and translated for us. About 100 people had already gathered, but it was Easter weekend after all. We chose the longer route – a 20-minute hike downhill, and then at the actual entry point, you pay another $3 as a tourist (which I think is great – locals are prioritized, something Europe could learn from). Fair price. What stood out to us: the people were really pleasant. Even though the trail was crowded, it didn’t feel as annoying as many European hotspots or with other well-known, obnoxious tourist groups. At the top, the view is gorgeous and the natural spectacle is beautiful. The climb is fairly easy, but you should bring enough water. A few snacks are also important. There are kiosks at the entrance with fair prices. Still, I give it 3 out of 5 stars because it was simply overcrowded – and sadly, there’s also a trash problem.

Such a beautiful lake with perfect temperature water to swim in. Super worth it after the hike of the volcano. Con: you cannot enter without going to a bar or restaurant so I went to Captain Morgan for 5$ day pass and in exchange I got a beer.

Be ready to have your mind blown! Great atmosphere where you can enjoy watersports, lounging at a bar or restaurant. Walking the boardwalk or cruising all around the mouth of the crater! The views are amazing and the water color is captivating. Make sure to go and stop and the many lookout points, just don't fall since there are no guard rails or nets to catch you. Lol YOLO!!!

Great place to stay. Great people. Great host. Great home's for Airbnb. Some activities. And a whole lot of beauty. 5 bedroom home, all with restrooms. Hose keeping 24/7 on site by the entrance. Stores and restaurants at walking distance 3-8 minutes away.

Basically a private lake with private property residencies and hotels. You can but don't need to go to a hotel to rent jetskis or to do a lake tour. There are areas between these hotels with random guys selling services. Open to bargaining. Took a 1.5 hour ride in a boat for two of us ... $50 in May 2025. They tried to upsell us but said no. Very little English spoken by any of these operators. A lovely lake. Recommendation: have lunch or dinner at a restaurant above the lake for the view.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lago de Coatepeque – Heaven on Earth in El Salvador Words can hardly do justice to Lago de Coatepeque — this is not just a lake, it’s an experience. A volcanic crater lake nestled among lush mountains and ancient bedrock, Coatepeque offers a surreal blend of natural beauty, peace, and pure soul-refreshing energy. From the moment you arrive, you’re greeted with panoramic views that feel like they were designed by God Himself — turquoise waters shimmer beneath towering volcanoes, and every sunset paints a masterpiece across the sky. Whether you’re relaxing by an infinity pool, sipping a cup of rich Salvadoran coffee, or diving into the calm, crystal-clear waters… time just seems to stop here. We explored, we swam, we ate fresh ceviche on the shore, and soaked in the serenity from sunrise to starry night. The tranquility, the hospitality of the locals, and the untouched charm of this lake make it feel like a hidden paradise the world hasn’t discovered yet. 📍If you’re ever in El Salvador and don’t make the trip to Lago de Coatepeque, you’re missing out on one of Central America’s greatest wonders. This isn’t just a destination. It’s a feeling. It’s a memory. It’s magic. 🌋🌊🇸🇻

Very nice with an amazing view of the volcano santa ana, restaurants, ferry, yetski, and more. This was a good and relaxing place to eat and have a drink while going around the lake in the ferry

You must visit this Lake Incredible

The parking and the entry seems a bit expensive but people are friendly. The playground for the kids is nice and the view definitely worth it! The hike for the cero itself was not super nice too many people, to many groups, I was pushed because I was at the back of our group helping someone that had difficulty to climb, by another guide that was not happy . She overtakes our group several times but she was pushing her group so much that they had to take more break and each time we reached them so in the end we arrived there with two other groups which means a lot of people on top not that enjoyable!

A volcano scenic view is breathtaking, showcasing dramatic peaks, lush greenery, and rugged lava fields. It's a serene yet powerful reminder of nature's beauty and force.

Very nice Park, is one of the locations to head out to Volcano’s Santa Ana or Izalco 💪🏾 both active volcanos. They have nice coffee and a very nice restaurant “Casa 1800 Cerro” also a Hotel & Boutique under that name.

Payment: pay upon entering, different prices for locals/foreigners. Not expensive. Facilities: After entering the park there is a recreational area with food places (choice of cheaper local eateries to more expensive restaurants as well as picnic benches if you bring your own food). There are also souvenir shops and a great free play area for children. The access for disabled people is very good throughout this area and has disabled toilet facilities. AMAZING 360 degree views. Some beautiful flower areas with lots of intresting birds. Large parking area. HIKE: it is mandatory to have a guide on the hikes so that people don't throw trash and destroy protected areas of the park. However its easy and cheap to take a group tour directly from the park. They are well organised and have a max number of 15 people. There are 2 main hikes from the information centre in cerro verde, the first is around 45 minutes which is a circular walk and not too difficult. The second is to Santa Ana volcanoe which takes around 4/5 hours total, is a there and back route and requires a moderate amount of fitness (and alot of water!). For the Santa Ana hike you need to be at the information desk (can't miss it, in the main parking area) for 8:45 (you will see a group of people forming). You pay 50 cents at the centre for a guide and later you need to pay to enter santa ana through a private property (free for under 12s, over 65. Foreigners $3, locals cheaper). The guides were professional and knowledgeable, stopping at giving information (in spanish) at various pointa. They did not rush the group and it felt very relaxed. You can also book private tours through companies which are more expensive but can have English speaking guides and smaller group sizes.

Came here for the Volcano trip and it was just amazing views all around… so calming to be around nature and water

We were there the first days of 2024. It was an incredible experience to see a beautiful landscape, the sunset, and also the coffee plantations splendidly blooming the branches with golden, brown, green, and red coffee beans just amazing. Park staff provide excellent customer service.

Very beautiful trial and scenery. Definitely recommend visiting here and going in the family hike or the volcanic crater. ( I took the family hike 50 minutes) Call before because the volcanic tour only starts in the morning because it’s a long hike. Bring some water and snacks. They have some local shops were you can eat or you can also dine at the casa 1800. Awesome place to go and explore.

Neo Gothic architecture is the highlight of the main Plaza in Santa Ana. Exterior is more impressive than the interior. $3 allows you to take the spiral stairs up for a panoramic view. Pay the lady with the red hat outside or the attendants at the table inside.

If you are in Santa Ana, you should see this. The cathedral is beautiful, and if you buy a 2$ ticket and climb to the top, the views are great, it felt nice and I definitely recommend it for photos

La Catedral de Santa Ana is undeniably stunning — the architecture alone makes it worth the visit. It was a cool experience walking through such a historic and beautiful space. However, I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because I personally felt uncomfortable with the level of commerce happening inside the church. There were pope shirts for sale, raffles being promoted — things that felt out of place in such a sacred space. I understand everyone has different practices and I fully respect that, but for me, it took away from the spiritual atmosphere. Still, definitely worth seeing for its beauty and history.

Chilled place, with nice architectur. But I really enjoyed the stray dogs there, chilling inside

It’s alright. Not well decorated. It’s still under renovation. I went to the top for $2 and it’s very scary. Don’t recommend it if you’re afraid of heights

In a bleak Santa Ana's architecture, the Cathedral stands out. Its neo-gothic style is interesting but but not stunning. Hundreds of pigeons give it a rather unusual twist. Worth a visit.

Such a beautiful and special place… Blessings to El Salvador. I’m so happy for all the positive changes there… Especially Santa Ana ❤️

Building with a classic style. Beautiful. Seats are very comfortable. Good acoustic

$5 for a guided tour. Highly recommend and watched a dance performance in tge theater.

What an amazing piece of architecture and history. We did the tour which was very informative. There’s a lot of detail to learn about of this beautiful theatre from the grand ball rooms to the segregated rooms. This a theatre that you do not want to miss when you visit Santa Ana.

Beautiful early 1900s Italian style theatre in Santa Ana! Spectacular renovations have left this theatre looking as nice as new, and the ticket prices for a proctored tour are very affordable at $7 for foreigners. Had an exceptional tour in Spanish from one of the employees, one of the most passionate and informative tours I’ve ever received!

Great we visited the bolywood Indian Dance Show. We raely enjoyed it! Nice to spend a evening!

The place is beautiful, antique and vintage also you can escalate the stairs and see the rooftops

Old-style theatre with various events each week. The best way to know the schedule is to visit the theatre and look at the giant calendar posted outside. There are several free events and range up to $10. I don’t think they ever sell out and the tickets are General Admission so just buy at the door. I went twice and both shows started about 20 minutes after the advertised time (this is Central America). The constant use and ringing of cell phones is horrendous.

We took the public hiking group with a mandatory guide. We went on a weekday and the group was about 10 people. It cost $3/car and $3/pp for the guide and then hiking a short bit, there’s another $3/pp for entry into the park. At the entrance, there is a small hut where you can buy snacks, water, and gifts. There’s a bathroom as well! The hike up is strenuous with lots of loose rocks that cause scrambling up and down. This would be considered a hard hike for most. The hike in total was 3.5 hours including a 20-30min break time at the peak. You can walk around the whole peak. Bring lots of water and secured hiking boots. If I had to choose one hike in the area, I would choose the Santa Ana Crater hike over this one for the views vs difficulty level.

This area is protected, so you can’t hike up to the volcano without a guide, and access is only allowed in the morning from 8 AM to 10 AM. As someone who hikes and trail runs frequently, I was disappointed that I couldn’t go up alone in the afternoon. The hike itself is short but quite challenging—just 5 km round trip with 700 m of elevation gain. Make sure to wear proper clothing and sturdy shoes, and consider bringing hiking poles for extra support. It’s actually a tougher climb than Santa Ana Volcano. The heat can be intense, so don’t forget to bring plenty of water. The views here are completely different from those at Santa Ana. Once at the summit, you can walk around or even inside the crater. In some spots, you’ll see gas escaping from the ground, though it’s not too hot. Overall, it’s a cool hike, but the strict local rules can be frustrating. If you’re short on time and can only visit one volcano, I’d recommend Santa Ana over Izalco.

Amzing place to hike best of both worlds. The fist part is to go down a shaded path of 1800 or steps. Then hike up the loose rock trail leading up to the top of the volcano. About 6000 feet. There is no shade at all on this part of the hike. The hike is one of the tougher ones in El Salvador. So being in shape will make it easier and faster to hike. I recommend going in a small group avoid the 20 to 30 person groups and take about half a gallon of water per person and snacks. You can get a guide for 10 to 15 dollars and depending on your skill and fitness you might make it in three and half hours. The views are amazing and well worth the challenge.. Then do it all again to back to where you started. It's technically two hikes in one.

What a great hike!! Worth the effort. You MUST get the 730AM bus from Santa Ana. Take it all the way to the top of Cerro Verde where you'll wait for the tour guide to leave at 10AM. It is a challenging hike, especially the steps on the way back up.

The hike is very strenuous, I went up without a guide, the terrain is very slippery and steep, incredibly steep so that I was climbing with my hands most of the time. It was foggy and visibility was low, pick a day with clear skies! I did the hike same day as Ilamatepec after I did that one, so it's possible just tiring.

Idk looks kinda scawy also it like kinda buried a village a while back in ash and stuff so idk i think its kinda dangerous but it did act as a lighthouse as it spontaneously erupted not too long ago but idk it kinda like killed people ):

Not an easy hike. It's not long but you have to watch your steps while walking on lava rocks. And the stairs at the end are exhausting.

The best shopping mall in Santa Ana, has everything and I would rate the service above average. For eating on the cheap, try the local supermarket where they serve good quality food, though you may have to wait in line for a bit. For more on the fast food side, the local Food Panda is good. Try the local Smart Fit as well for a workout around $5, you do have to register your fingerprints which I found weird.

Nice place to have fun with family and friends. A good place to go for a meal!

This place have super market, food places, but the most important place bam bam this bakery is amazing delicious.

Nice mall with a cinema and many options of stores, from pharmacy to electronics, clothing and books. There is a big food court

Poor hygiene on floors, restrooms, by the way, you have to get ur own toilet paper before coming here. Otherwise u wouldn't get a thx u...

good prices always and a very clean place

Always an amazing place!

I really enjoyed this museum. For 3 usd, a young person will give you a guided tour starting from the indigenous history, to its difficult colonial past, to the country's independence and the plight of the women in particular. The museum ends with a visit to the ancient money systems used (including the cacao bean), the colon, prior to changing officially to the usd in 2001. You can see what the previous bills looked like. Definitely worth the visit!

One of the nicest museums to visit in the city. It used to be a bank building years ago and now converted to a museum. At the bottom floor is the vault. Good history about the currency that was once used in El Salvador. It’s a small museum so you don’t need much time. Definitely worth a visit when you are in Santa Ana.

Avoid. Admission prices are not posted anywhere at the entrance. However, for foreigners it is currently three US dollars which, ironically for a former bank building, amounts to daylight robbery. What do you get for this entry price? The main floor is entirely dedicated to children and of no interest to adults. The small lower floor contains a good display of El Salvadoran bank notes from various periods. The Spanish language captions are basic, essentially showing the transition from non-currency forms of payment, to banknotes depicting agricultural practices, to those representing a more industrialised economy. The top floor contains very basic exhibits on four or five themes, including Catholicism and the importance of maize. The only vaguely interesting panel concerns the attractive Teatro in town, though even this is basic and pitched primarily at children.

The exhibit was very informational and intriguing. I learned so much about the El Salvadoran culture it this museum. I recommend going if you like learning about different cultures during your vacations.

Beautiful nicely organized museum in an old bank of downtown Santa Ana. Excellent exhibits on local art, as well as the monetary history of El Salvador. Short walk from the city square and the Theatre.

Nice

(Translated by Google) The museum is very nice, the exhibits are very interactive, the only thing is that the place is hot, air conditioning would be very helpful. The coin exhibit is recommended. (Original) Muy bonito el museo, las exhibiciones y muy interactivo, lo único el lugar es caliente aire acondicionado ayudaría mucho. Recomendado la exhibición referente a la moneda

(Translated by Google) What hours do they have? I want to know if they have Saturdays and Sundays. Thank you! (Original) Qué horarios tienen? Yo quiero saber si tienen sábados y domingos. Gracias!

(Translated by Google) Excellent music school!! (Original) Exelente escuela de música!!

(Translated by Google) Excellent (Original) Exelente

Ring the bell to go up the stairs. See brains, lungs, spinal cords, and much more. Staff was friendly and helpful. Was easy to experience everything in under an hour. Most content was available in English. Take the tour!

Fantastic and free experience in Santa Ana, I learned a lot about (or refreshed my memory from grade 6 biology class 😅) about the cardiovascular, brain, respiratory system and bone structures of the human anatomy. I really enjoyed the interactive video at the end of the tour.

Very educational, fun, and free. Just ring the bell and they let you in. Everything is in English and Spanish. Photo are prohibited. There are many displays of real hearts, lungs, and bones. Also microscopes to view cells. The staff was extremely informative and friendly!

FREE. Such a random museum in Santa Ana — I have learnt so much about our body, organs, bones and I think the most incredible is all those real embryos and foetuses they have displayed, showing the entire process of a human being's development in the womb. Special mention to Jocelyn who guided me and explained everything to me with so much passion and details.

This was free to do and educational. It's a very small venue but well laid out and has the information in Spanish and English. A great way to get out of the heat for 15 minutes while finding out how your body works. Staff were very friendly.

Very cool , free interactive full of knowledge

Simple small exhibition but with some english explanations and very interesting. No entrance fee and kind people.

Place is cool if you like archeology and history. Very small place but very clean and well maintained. The price is $5.00 per person and extra if you want a guided tour. Salvador residents are $1.00. The grass is green and strong.the bathrooms are very clean. You can’t cross the rope, don’t try. you can get arrested for anything in this country so be respectful at all times.

You do not need to do an excursion just get their rent a car 🚗. If you need to rent a car go to this website (carviapp). It's on tikTok Danny & Vanessa Flores they speak Spanish they're from El Salvador 🇸🇻 & English. Make sure you download WhatsApp this is the only way you will communicate with anyone in El Salvador without using your data and getting charged. The area is very beautiful you'll see a lot of Ruins and learn a lot of El Salvadorian 🇸🇻 history. I highly recommend you renting a car and not taking Uber they will charge an arm and a leg.

The Mayan Tazumal site in El Salvador offers an outstanding museum that’s very well presented, labeled and maintained. We had a guide, bring us through the entire outdoor temple space and on the indoor museum tour. The indoor tour is in Spanish, so it will help if you know how to speak Spanish. The museum site is actually maintained by the French so much of the museum descriptions are in French even on the signs on the outdoor sites. The entire tour took us about 45 minutes to an hour, and it was well worth it. The history of how these were built is fascinating and it tells a great story about that time period and the current El Salvador people. 🇸🇻 There is even an ancient sports field behind the temple which is believed to be a gameplay much like soccer. ⚽️ The field is actually an optical illusion that appears to be a warped rectangle, but it’s actually perfect in dimensions as a rectangle. PRO TIP: When you leave, there is a great little restaurant right across the street that serves deep fried yucca and pupusas. This will probably be the best deep fried Yucca in the country. 😋

This site is absolutely worth a visit and exceeded expectations. Admission was very affordable, making it accessible for all types of travelers. Once inside, the area is easy to explore on foot, with well-maintained paths and plenty of signage to guide you through. We found convenient and free parking just outside the main gate along the street, which saved us both time and money. While the on-site museum is quite small and contains only a modest collection of artifacts, it still provides helpful context and background information about the history and significance of the ruins. The real highlight, however, is the site itself — the ancient Maya structures and surrounding grounds are truly impressive. There’s a peaceful atmosphere throughout the area, and you can take your time wandering through the ruins, admiring the architecture and imagining what life might have been like centuries ago. Whether you're a history enthusiast or simply curious, take it from this anthropologist, it's worth the visit

This place is perfect for a nice family outing. Great history on the ancient ruins of Tazumal. I also recommend checking out a small lake after just down the street from this location.

This is a small site of ruins but the amount of detail you can see is amazing! Bring a tour guide with you and be ready to experience some amazing culture. There are also a lot of small shops just outside the entrance where you can find interesting souvenirs.

This is a great family oriented place to visit. The Mayan Ruin is clean witha small museum. Our guide was great and informative. There are vendors within and on the outside of the exhibit.