We took a private taxi and paid the driver to wait, rather than taking the bus. Upon arriving, there were guides meeting the car and getting you to the proper group. We were told that they were not allowing private individuals to hike up the volcano without a guide any longer, but it sounded like an excuse to be paid for the tour. Regardless, the guide was not too costly. You first have to hike from the road to the park entrance, but there is a road which will take you to that entrance if your driver knows where to go. At the park entrance there is a (dirty) bathroom (bring some toilet paper too), and an office were the park fee is collected. The hike up the volcano takes 2.5 hours roughly depending on your pace. There are a few overlook towers/platforms along the way to view nearby volcanoes and get pics. The rest of the hike is long, dusty and not to strenuous. You need to pack a couple of bottles of water per person to keep hydrated. (There are bushes full of little edible tasteless berries along most of the hike.) If you go early enough there are one or two vendors at the top of the volcano who are selling fruit popsicles and ice cream of various types for a very reasonable price for all their work to carry it to the top. The pictures of the lake at the top are spectacular, with it's emerald green color acid water. (No you can't go in to the crater, and must stay on the rim.) We went during the busiest week (Xmas to New Years) and it was very full of people along the route and at the top (including a group of scouts from across many central American countries.) Try to plan for a day where the clouds are minimal, although the hike will be warmer at least you can see the lake at the top. Our day had clouds roll in, but we still had breaks in them to see the sun hitting the lake.

Make sure to arrive early as the last group tour leaves at 9am. We were lucky that there was a guide available for a private tour when we arrived at 10:30 am. The tour started at 11:15am so it was a rush to climb up before the volcano area closed. Great views

Our day trip to the Santa Ana volcano was an entire adventure all in itself. From our location in Playa El Tunco, it was a 2 hour drive to the volcano. Once there, we opted for paying the $35 for the private guide who accompanies your group all the way to the summit and back down. Per usual, me and my kids were woefully under prepared for the challenges ahead, but pressed on regardless. 😅 One of my children was in flip-flops, the other two in crocs. But somehow we managed to summit the almost 8000ft volcano to view the amazing Caldera lake located inside. Trip up the volcano took about 2+ hours, the trip down a little less than. We were largely unprepared for the amount of physical exertion it would take, as well as the intense sun with which we would have to contend. Strongly recommend hats for everyone in your party, sunscreen is a must. Definitely don’t pass up any walking sticks you might come across before you begin the summit. If you’re looking for a cardio workout that lasts over two hours, this hike is for you!

Wrote a review on Cerro Verde but — Go! Fantastic hikes. Views are sick. Booked Brandon as a private guide ($35). He’s amazing. Cannot recommend him or these hikes enough. Great experiences!

Best day of our 1 week trip to El Salvador. Just go. Highly recommended, relatively “easy” hike. I started from Lake Coatepeque and it took about 1.5 hours to reach Cerro Verde trailhead. We paid for a private tour $35. The hike took ~2 hours up with a 10 year old on tow. Hike down took 1.5 hours due to the rocky area on top. Total time ~4 hours (~20K steps) including 30 minutes at the summit taking pictures and having a popsicle. I went back down to Lake Coatepeque just in time for lunch, followed by a plunge in the lake.

Nice view, There are people at the entrance to the volcano park who tell you that you need a guide to enter, which is not true, they just want to take a few more dollars from you and do nothing. The route is very well marked and you don't need a guide. Very easy route. Stand up for yourself and don't pay the guide.