Los Volcanes National Park

Los Volcanes National Park encompasses three large active volcanoes and contiguous natural reserves in central El Salvador. The central volcano, Cerro Verde is the most accessible and the park is often referred to unofficially as Parque Nacional Cerro Verde (seemingly forgetting about the other neighboring volcanoes).

Understand

The national park encompasses three volcanoes and other protected natural areas. The park spans an area of 4,500 hectares and is considered a "bridge area" critical for conservation of several species that migrate between other natural areas in El Salvador and neighboring countries.

The 3 main volcanoes in the park are:

• Volcan Santa Ana -
• Cerro Verde -
• Izalco -

Santa Ana

View into the crater of the Santa Ana volcano

The Santa Ana volcano, also known locally as Ilamatepec, is a large stratovolcano that is the highest peak in the country at an elevation of 2,381 meters. The caldera is actually four nested calderas with the innermost crater being filled with water to form a small lake. The San Marcelino volcano is actually a flank vent on Santa Ana that erupted in 1722 (destroying a nearby village in the process). The volcano is quite active with the most recent eruption occurring in 2005 which killed 2 people, injured 7 and forced several villages to evacuate.

Cerro Verde

Cerro Verde does indeed look like a "green hill"

Cerro Verde means "green hill", which is a pretty accurate description given that the volcano is some 1.5 million years old and last erupted 25,000 years ago. That's plenty of time for nature to take its course, covering the volcanic rocky slopes with vegetation. Today, the mountain is covered by lush green tropical forests with frequent mists at its upper elevations. It is a popular park for nature hikes and provides natural habitat for a number of species.

Izalco

Izalco

Izalco is an active stratovolcano that formed in 1770 and erupted continuously until 1958. Generations of mariners called it El faro del Pacifico (Lighthouse of the Pacific) because it had continuous pyroclastic lava flows whose bright orange glow could be seen far out at sea. The volcano stands 1,952 meters above sea level and has a crater that is 250 meters wide. It is viewed as a national symbol and was featured on the 10 colon note until 2001 when El Salvador stopped issuing its own currency.

Landscape

The park is mountainous highlands with areas of forested plain.

Flora and fauna

The lush forests provide sanctuary for hundreds of migrating bird species, including emerald toucanets, woodpeckers, and 17 species of hummingbird, who just can't seem to learn the words to their songs.

Climate

The central highlands have a cool climate that varies with elevation and time of day. The coolest temperatures are near the peaks at night and early morning hours while afternoons in the sun at lower elevations can be over 20° C. May to October is considered the rainy season with periods of torrential downpours.

Get in

The closest Chicken bus is route 205 between San Salvador and Sonsonate. Get off the bus in Armenia. From there, you can take a taxi that last few kilometers to the Cerro Verde volcano.

Alternatively, you can drive. It's 68 kilometers via highway CA 8 to Cerro Verde from San Salvador and will take just over an hour. (You'll need to get off the highway in Armenia and take the park access road on the north side of town.

Fees and permits

Hours: 08:00 – 17:00

Entrance fee: US$3.50 for foreign visitors, US$1 for Salvadorans

Get around

Walk.

Do

• Hike

Sleep

Go next

• Sonsonate
• El Imposible National Park
• Santa Ana