El Salvador is a mountainous country covered with lakes and volcanoes. Despite being only about 8,000 square miles (21,000 square kilometers), it has an incredible concentration of volcanic terrain and several great national parks to explore. Cerro Verde is one of the country’s most accessible and beautiful natural areas. Before you’re even inside the park, you can already get amazing views like this one above of Lake Coatepeque.
Something El Salvador might not be as famous for is its coffee. As you get higher into the mountains around Cerro Verde, you’ll see coffee plants growing along the volcanic slopes. Of course, you can purchase local coffee here as well, and coffee tours are available in other parts of the country.
When I approached Cerro Verde, it was completely covered in clouds. This extinct volcano rises to about 6,600 feet (2,030 meters) above sea level. With that much elevation so close to the Pacific Ocean, it’s not unusual for clouds to cover the mountain, even during the dry season. The photo below shows the view in a different direction. The scenery here is impressive almost everywhere you look.
I was lucky because, for a brief moment, the clouds cleared and I could see part of the summit. Cerro Verde has been inactive for a very long time, and today its slopes are heavily forested. I don’t believe people normally hike directly into the crater, and if they do, I certainly missed out!
Most people would probably say the view of Santa Ana Volcano is the highlight of the park. This beautifully shaped volcano is still active and appeared to be releasing gas when I visited Cerro Verde. The line visible on the lower right side of the volcano is actually the hiking trail toward the summit crater. Depending on conditions, the crater contains a striking lake at the top.
The forests of Cerro Verde were actually my favorite part of the entire experience. There is a short hike that nearly everyone visiting the park seems to do, and this is where I took the photo above. This tree is known locally as mano del león, or “lion’s hand” in English.
Central America is famous for birdwatching, although this was the only decent bird photo I managed to get while in El Salvador. I also got a terrible shot of the country’s national bird that wasn’t worth posting. This guy above almost had colors similar to an American robin, but was a little larger.
I also came across this flowering tree in the forest. A local Salvadoran who became my friend showed me an amazing little trick using two of the flowers. He placed them facing downward on a rock, removed some of the outer petals from one, and set it on top of the other. The photo below shows the result. If I had stumbled across it without seeing him make it, I would have assumed it took some serious effort. He created this little “ballerina” in only a matter of seconds!
I was excited for the hike and expected some difficult uphill climbing. Instead, the trail was almost completely flat and probably would have taken me only about 20 minutes if I were trying to move quickly. I was a little disappointed by the lack of challenge, but the forest itself was absolutely beautiful. The view above ended up being one of my favorite sights from my entire trip through El Salvador.
