Are you thinking of hiking Santa Ana Volcano? Well, you’ve come to the right place! We’ll break down everything you need to make this incredible experience happen. From how to reach Santa Ana Volcano to what you need to pack for the day and how hard the hike is.
Although only a small country, El Salvador packs a huge punch when it comes to activities for the adventurous backpacker. Filled with a rugged coastline, and incredible mountains this small country really shouldn’t be missed when planning a trip to Central America.
One of our highlights of the trip was hiking Santa Ana Volcano near, you’ve guessed it; Santa Ana.
Santa Ana Volcano stands at 2,381 meters high and is the highest volcano in El Salvador. It is still an active volcano and erupted as recently as 2005. We spent a day hiking Santa Ana Volcano, something that definitely shouldn’t be missed when planning your backpacking El Salvador route!
Travelling to El Salvador? You might also like Your Travel Guide to El Salvador.
What should I pack to hike up Santa Ana Volcano?
The hike is a relatively short hike so you don’t need to worry about packing too many things, however, this is what we recommend:
- Comfortable shoes – we hiked in running trainers and this was fine just don’t attempt it in flip-flops!
- Water – it can get hot so make sure that you pack enough water
- Suncream – the sun’s rays really beat down on you so make sure that you apply it regularly
- A jacket – despite it being sunny it can get cooler here so pack a light jacket
- A snack – when we visited there was a man selling ice cream at the top. However, if you want something a bit more substantial then pack some snacks to enjoy once you reach the top.
- A camera – this might seem a bit obvious but, don’t forget your phone or camera to capture the incredible views
How to get to Santa Ana Volcano
By Bus
Getting to Santa Ana Volcano is relatively simple from Santa Ana as there is a direct bus leaving daily at 7:30 am, just be mindful that it only leaves once a day and getting back is not quite as simple as there are no return buses. Hope on the number 248 bus, which leaves at 7:30 am from La Vencedora Bus Station. This will take you to hike Santa Ana Volcano.
Bus from Santa Ana
Head to the Sala de Espera y Abordaje, on 11 Calle Pte. It’s just north of the SuperSelectos, and close to the main bus station. It doesn’t look like a bus station, but the name is on the front of the building. The bus leaves at 7:30 so make sure that you are here before 7:30 am.
You can purchase your bus ticket from the counter inside. This costs $0.90.
The bus is scheduled to leave at 7:30 but usually leaves closer to 7:45. Due to our lack of Spanish we got a bit worried that we had missed the correct bus. But, we should have known that it just doesn’t leave on time!
The ride takes a little under two hours, as it winds along the beautiful Lake Coatepeque and high up into the hills to Cerro Verde National Park.
Get There By Car
If you have your own car or have hired one then you’ve overcome one of the biggest hurdles already – getting to Santa Ana Volcano! Whether you’re staying in Santa Ana, San Salvador, or somewhere else nearby, you can simply drive up to Cerro Verde National Park which is where the hike begins. Just plan to arrive no later than 10:30 am as this is when the ‘tour’ leaves.
Arriving at Cerro Verde National Park
You should arrive at Cerro Verde National Park sometime around 9:30-10 am. This is where you start the hike from. You’ll have a bit of time to kill before the hike begins so relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings!
You can only go on the hike with a certified guide. This is really just a man that walks with everyone that day that wants to hike Santa Ana Volcano. There were about 60 of us, so he didn’t exactly guide us. Once you reach the entrance gate you have to pay the $3 entry fee to the park and walk up to the main area. There isn’t a lot to see here while you wait, aside from a decent viewpoint and a walk through bush-tunnel.
The Hike Up Santa Ana Volcano
How hard is the hike up Santa Ana Volcano?
We would put this hike in the easy-medium category. It is fairly gradual and anyone with an average fitness level should find the ascent no problem at all. It took us around 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach to summit. This included multiple water breaks and of course, tons of photo stops.
The views seem to get more and more stunning as you continue your hike up Santa Ana Volcano with amazing sights of not only the landscape surrounding Santa Ana but also the adjacent Volcan de Izalco.
Once at the top, you are rewarded with views of the unique electric blue water in the middle of the volcano’s crater. The contrast between the grey volcanic rock and the water makes it a beautiful backdrop for a photo or view to be able to sit and read a book and appreciate nature’s beauty. There is even someone who sells ice lollies at the top so if you’re looking to cool down certainly look out for that.
Looking outwards from the summit on a clear day you can see for miles and miles. It really makes you appreciate the vastness of the different terrains. There are lakes, mountainous ranges, greenery and small villages.
Getting Back to Santa Ana
This is something that we can share from our experience hiking Santa Ana Volcano, but everyone’s will be vastly different. We decided to start heading on the road back to Santa Ana. We decided we would hitchhike as much as possible and failing that opt for any passing taxis/buses that we could.
After about 10/15 minutes a tour bus went past and gave us a lift all the way to the bottom of the road for free!
From there we walked to a local restaurant called Vista Lago where we got dinner and watched the incredibly beautiful sunset over the lake and hills. After dinner, we got 2 buses back to Santa Anan. The first was to El Congo and then after a lot of waiting, we boarded our final bus directly to Santa Ana.
For the effort/reward ratio, this is an absolute must if you’re visiting Santa Ana. For further information regarding Santa Ana and travelling to El Salvador, take a look at our “Travel Guide to El Salvador” blog post.
