How to Get There

Lake Coatepeque is a main tourist attraction in El Salvador and for that reason access to it is very easy. From San Salvador drive along the Pan American highway west to the city of Santa Ana. At a distance of approximately 40 km a roadside market by the name of El Congo marks the exit to the lake. Drive south along this road until you reach the rim of the caldera.

There are two roads that take you down to the lake. Both of them go about 3/4 of the way around the lake. Before driving down to the lake there are two magnificent 'miradores' where you can get spectacular views of the caldera. Most of the lake is surrounded by private homes, however there are two hotels: Torremolinos and Hotel del Lago, that for a small fee will let you enjoy of their instalations for the day. The road on the western side of the lake can take you all the way to the domes Cerro Pacho, Afate and Cerro la Isla, where some active fumaroles and hot springs still exist.