The crater lake
Milky-green water.
Dead.rabbit — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dead.rabbit — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Emberlifi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dead.rabbit — CC BY-SA 4.0 · JMRAFFi — CC BY 4.0 · ogwen — CC BY-SA 3.0
Santa Ana Volcano, also called Ilamatepec, is the highest volcano in El Salvador at 2,381 metres. Its summit holds four nested craters, the deepest with a small milky-green lake inside coloured walls. It is among the country's best-known hikes. It is said to have inspired one of the active volcanoes in Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince, through his Salvadoran wife Consuelo. Its summit collapsed in the late Pleistocene in an avalanche that reached the Pacific. It erupted in October 2005, killing at least two people and throwing car-sized rocks more than 1.5 km, after a previous eruption in 1904. The trail climbs through shady forest, then agave and bare rock to the crater rim. The lake opens beneath you, sometimes with vapour rising at its edge, inside walls banded red and grey. From the top the dark cone of Izalco stands close by, with blue Lake Coatepeque on the other side and the Pacific on clear days. The summit is 17.7 km in a straight line south-west of Santa Ana city. Start in the morning, as cloud may cover the crater later. Bring water, sturdy shoes and a layer, as the top is cold and windy. Vapour may rise from the crater, so do not cross the barriers or go down to the lake, follow your guide, and ask about the start time before arriving.
Milky-green water.
Nested coloured walls.
A dark cone close by.
Los Volcanes National Park, Santa Ana Department
Bring water, sturdy shoes and a layer, and start in the morning.
Visitors report paying for a guide, so ask at the gate.