Izalco and Santa Ana Volcanoes - El Salvador
Parque Nacional Los Volcanoes, just 90 minutes from San Salvador houses three of El Salvador's most famous volcanoes: Volcan de Izalco, Cerro Verde, and Volcan de Santa Ana (Ilamatepec). At 2381 metres (7,812 feet) Santa Ana is also the highest volcano in the country.
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| View of the volcanoes from the roadside. From left to right: Izalco, Cerro Verde, Santa Ana |
The whole area used to be considered very dangerous (hiking alone is still not advised), but there is now a lot more infrastructure, with a car park and basic facilities on Cerro Verde. The road up to the car park also offers fantastic views over the nearby crater lake Lago de Coatepeque. Guides and guards leave the car park to climb Izalco at 11am every day and cost a dollar per person. It is still kind of strange climbing a volcano with an armed policeman though!
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| Very famous view of Izalco from the viewpoint at the Cerro Verde car park |
Although it is open to anybody, the Izalco climb is pretty tough - at least 4 hours. The initial quarter - an easy descent down 1300 steps through shaded forest - doesn't prepare you for the long climb up Izalco's steep scree slopes (and comes back to haunt you in the final stages when you must climb back up all those steps to return to the car park). Izalco - previously known as the Lighthouse of the Pacific for its constant lava flows - last erupted in 1966. The lava from that flow can still be seen from the summit, flowing down towards the Pacific Ocean on the south side. On the summit steam vents are still active and seem to attract strange brightly coloured insects.
It used to be possible to slide down Izalco's scree, bringing you to the bottom in just a few minutes, but the practice has now been banned and you must walk back down the same path.
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| Steep slopes to Izalco's summit |
Volcan de Santa Ana is El Salvador's highest volcano and is accessible on foot from Cerro Verde, or via a road just before the car park. There are several campsites in the area making it possible to climb both volcanoes in a weekend. Casa Crystal and Campo Bello - both of which also have basic cabins - are popular.
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| Campo Bello camp site |
Like Izalco, guards leave the Santa Ana park gate at 11am each day. Unlike Izalco, the climb is relatively easy, with no really steep sections. The first half of the half climbs gently through forest, following numbered signs to a mirador (viewpoint) (being refurbished as of October 2012). A short while later the forest ends and you emerge onto the volcano side, surrounded by long grass and the strange looking agave plants (apparently they flower once and then die).
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| Flowering agave plant |
After another 45 minutes the bare upper slopes of the volcano are crossed and - weather permitting - there are magnificent views over Lago Coatepeque and the down into the volcano crater lake. Santa Ana is still active and most of the time vents can be spotted on the inner walls, with bubbles and steam rising from the lake. The scale is incredible - you really need somebody to walk part way round the crater to get a true appreciation of just how deep it is.
After taking lunch on the summit you return down the same path, taking around an hour.
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| Santa Ana crater lake |
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| Santa Ana crater lake |
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| Santa Ana summit panorama |
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