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The Santa Ana Volcano hike is the main attraction in Santa Ana, El Salvador. In this blog, you will find out all of the information you need in order to do the Santa Ana Volcano Hike for yourself (on a budget.)
After spending a few days stuffing our faces at the food festival in the Ruta de las Flores, we decided it was time to get some exercise and the Santa Ana Volcano hike seemed like the perfect option!
We knew that in a couple of days we would be taking on the challenging Acatenango Hike in Guatemala, so the Santa Ana Volcano hike would be perfect practice for us. So with that in mind, we left Juayua and headed to El Salvador’s second-largest city, Santa Ana.
What we discovered upon arriving in Santa Ana, El Salvador is that hiking Santa Ana Volcano with on a tour is very expensive. And while you can do it with public transport, there’s limited information available.
But don’t worry – we’ve written this guide to the Santa Ana Volcano hike for everyone else who wants to do it using public transport.
Here is everything you need to know if you want to do the Santa Ana Volcano hike and how to hike the volcano without a tour.
IMPORTANT: Pease read the comments at the bottom of this post for recent traveler updates
Santa Ana Volcano FAQs
Yes, Santa Ana Volcano is active. Its last eruption was in 2005. Before that, it erupted in 1904. During the 2005 eruption, it shot out car-sized rocks and lava.
Yes, it is, but it does come with some risks. The first risk to consider is another eruption, however, seismic testing will give a warning to that. The other is robberies on the trail. To reduce this risk, all visitors must join the 10 am “tour” with a guide.
Although you can get to Santa Ana Volcano without a guided tour, you must do the hike to the crater with a guide and police escort. This only costs $3 and is available once you arrive at the park visitor area.
There is a $3 national park fee as well as a $6 entrance fee to the volcano. The cost of the guide is only $3. All must be paid in cash.
Where is the Santa Ana Volcano Hike?
The Santa Ana Volcano hike starts in Cerro Verde National Park, about a two-hour chicken bus ride from the city of Santa Ana, El Salvador.
The easiest way to access the Santa Ana Volcano hike is from Santa Ana city, so you will need to spend at least one night there in order to complete this full-day activity.
Note: It’s not possible to go from Juayua or any other town in the Ruta de las Flores to Santa Ana Volcano in one day. You must leave for the hike from Santa Ana city first thing in the morning in order to get to the front gates in time for the hike.
Getting to the Santa Ana Volcano Hike with Public Transport
Getting to the entrance gates of Santa Ana is actually quite easy with the steps below.
You first must catch bus 248 from La Vencedora Bus Station on the corner of 11a Calle Poniente and Avendida Fray Felipe Jesus (the location is actually marked on the MAPS. ME app.)
You MUST catch the bus which leaves at 7:30 am in order to do the Santa Ana Volcano Hike, so arrive ten minutes early to buy your ticket. The bus station is an actual building with a ticket booth.
The bus will take about 2 hours and offers some stunning views. You get off in a town called Tibet which is before the park entrance to Cerro Verde National Park. The bus driver will let you know when to get off so don’t stress.
The bus costs $0.90 USD.
If you prefer to hike the Santa Ana volcano on a guided tour you don’t need to stay the night in Santa Ana and can actually go straight from your hotel on a tour from San Salvador or El Tunco.
Arriving at Cerro Verde National Park
Once off of the bus, you must pay the $3.00 USD to the guides in Tibet (this price may not be accurate but it is 100% under $3.) Then you will walk up the paved road a couple of hundred meters to get to a big parking lot with stores and bathrooms. Here, you must wait until 10 am to start the hike. You cannot do the hike unguided, and you wouldn’t want to anyway as it is unsafe due to robberies.
While waiting, there is a small local restaurant serving Pupusas (a pancake-like pastry stuffed normally with beans and cheese) for $0.50 USD and coffee for $0.35 USD. Bring some cash as the food was really good and nothing is better than eating while waiting.
This is also the only location along the hike with bathrooms. They cost $0.15 USD to use.
The Santa Ana Volcano Hike
You need to be with your Santa ana Volcano guide at 10 am to start the hike. The guide will lead the way.
The Santa Ana Volcano Hike isn’t dangerous per se, but there have been violent robberies on the trail in the past, and by having an armed police officer at the bottom and top for the groups each day prevents these types of people from hanging out on the trail. In my opinion, it is a small price to pay for peace of mind.
The hike starts off fairly easy with only slight inclines and declines through a forest. Then, you will get a small section of the road followed by another forest section. This is where you pay the $6.00 USD (cash only) to enter the volcano part of the hike. This is also where it starts to get more difficult. It is about 3km of walking uphill and, in some parts, over rocks.
After about 1.5-2 hours you will arrive at the top of Santa Ana Volcano. Here is where you should see the turquoise lake in the crater – the weather can greatly affect what you can see during this hike.
The walk back is on the same path as the walk there but doesn’t take as long. The total hike time is 2.5-3 hours.
You NEED to arrive back down the bottom before 1 pm to catch the bus, otherwise you need to wait until 4 pm.
Weather on the Santa Ana Volcano Hike (and why this is so important)
Santa Ana Volcano is known to be frequently struck by lightning. For this reason, as well as heavy rains creating rock slides, you will not be allowed to hike in the rain.
It was misting and lightly raining when we were there and the guide still took us up, but he did warn us that as soon as it really starts to rain we would have to turn around and would not be given any refund.
If it is raining at 10 am you will be told that you cannot do the hike. This means waiting until the next bus at 1 pm (which sometimes doesn’t show up) or 4 pm to return to Santa Ana. You must wait in the parking lot until then.
We were lucky enough to be able to do the hike and actually complete it without being turned back early. However, we could barely see anything due to the foggy conditions. The picture below is the best view of the lake we could get and we had no views of the landscape.
During the rainy season, it is normal not to see very much or not be able to do the hike at all. If you’re short on time and traveling during the rainy season (May to October) Santa Ana and the Santa Ana Volcano hike might be a good place to skip.
That being said, if you do get a clear day the views are incredible (photos courtesy of my sister)…
Getting Back to Santa Ana City from the Volcano Hike
To get back to Santa Ana, catch the same bus at either 1 pm or 4 pm (be ready early.) You can catch it on the road part of the hike instead of walking all the way back to the national park (ask your guide about this as I believe it has changed.) There is a hotel and restaurant which sells cold beers, coffee, and snacks while you wait.
You will see the bus drive by and that is your cue to go to the road as it is driving to the national park entrance where it turns around and comes back the same way. Workers from the hotel and restaurant will also likely be waiting for the same bus.
In Santa Ana, the bus ends at the same station it started, only a couple of blocks from Hostal Casa Verde.
Santa Ana Volcano Hike Cost Summary
Bus from Santa Ana to Cerro Verde – $0.90 USD
Entrance to Cerro Verde National Park – $3.00 USD
Cost of Guide – $3.00 USD
Hike Entry Fee – $6.00 USD
Bus from Cerro Verde back to Santa Ana – $0.90 USD
Total Cost per person – $13.80 USD
Related Read: If you liked this hike, then you will love some of the other volcano hikes you can take when visiting Guatemala!
Where to Stay in Santa Ana for the Volcano Hike?
$ – Hostal Casa Verde (where we stayed)
One of the best things about staying in Santa Ana is a famous hostel called Hostal Casa Verde. This hostel really has thought of everything! There is a pool, laundry area, spacious and comfortable rooms, as well as the most beautiful kitchen you will ever see in a hostel complete with a spice rack and non-stick pots and pans. They offer dorms as well as private rooms that are as modern and comfortable as a mid-range hotel!
Plus, this hostel is located only a five-minute walk from the bus station where you catch the bus to the start of the Santa Ana Volcano hike.
You can book on Booking.com or HostelWorld
$$ – Remfort Hotel
If you’re looking for a more private stay then the Remfort Hotel is a great choice. The location is ideal and the hotel has some great luxuries including spacious rooms and a pool.
You can book on Booking.com.
Getting to Santa Ana, El Salvador
Like I said before, you need to catch the 7:30 am bus to get to the start of the hike, this means you need to spend the night before in Santa Ana city. Here is how you can get to Santa Ana city from other nearby places:
From San Salvador
Chicken buses leave from the Terminal de Occidente every 15 minutes or so. They take about 1 hour and prices vary but should only cost $1-2 USD.
From Sonsonate
Chicken Bus number 216 and 209 leave regularly and take just over 2 hours. The price is $0.70 USD.
From Juayua
Chicken Bus number 238 leaves from 5ta Ave Nte and Calle Merceditas Caceres Poniente (location marked on the MAPS.ME app) at 5 am, 6 am, 7 am, 9 am, 12 noon, 2 pm, and 4 pm. This bus leaves promptly so make sure you are there a couple of minutes early to buy your tickets and store your bags.
It takes about 2 hours and costs $0.90 USD.
From Guatemala
In my opinion, the best option would be by Tica Bus which leaves from both Antigua and Guatemala City. It is a bit more expensive at $20 from Guatemala City and $32 from Antigua but it is a comfortable “Greyhound-style” bus where you don’t even need to get off of the bus at the border. Tickets can be bought on their website here.
I have heard horror stories about making this route by chicken bus as it takes at least 10 hours and is known to be a dangerous route – so we would recommend the Tica Bus.
The Tica Bus station in Santa Ana is a couple of kilometers from Hostal Casa Verde so just contact the hostel in advance and let them know you are arriving by Tica bus. The hostel will arrange a safe and reliable taxi to be waiting for you when you arrive.
Note: All buses (except for the Tica bus from Guatemala) will arrive at Terminal de Buses de Occidente in Santa Ana. This terminal is only a couple blocks from Hostal Casa Verde and is fine to walk. I would recommend trying to arrive before dark though just to be safe.
Before you go…
In all honesty, the Santa Ana Volcano hike was pretty average for us due to the bad weather, although, I have seen pictures of the volcano from the dry season and it looks stunning!
The hike was not too hard and made for a fun day overall. A good group of people from our hostel all went together and we had coffees in the morning while waiting to begin the hike, and beers at the end while waiting for the bus to return to Santa Ana.
It’s a full-day activity and good value at under $12 per person.
The affordability, ease of access, and amazing views (if you get good weather) are enough reasons for me to say the Santa Ana Volcano hike is totally worth it! In fact, if I’m ever back in Central America will be doing this hike again just to try and get the best views possible!
If you liked this blog, then be sure to check out all our other Central America blogs including the best places to visit in Central America. We have lots of guides to make traveling the region easier!
-Bailey
Farah
Friday 10th of February 2023
Thank you so much for creating this blog about hiking Santa Ana Volcano! We are on our way there next week and your blog answered all of our questions! Loved it :)!
Dave
Wednesday 9th of February 2022
As of February, 2022, here's what they are doing: 730 bus goes up, driver now tells everyone to get off at Tibet, NOT at the end of the road at the park. Guides are waiting at Tibet, and nobody is leaving until the bus arrives, as there are too many tourists on it. You pay $3 to the guide, our bus got there around 945 and we started walking at 10 (guides want to go up early so that folks can get back down to catch the 1pm bus, and not have to wait until 4). After 5 minutes walk you reach the park entry place where you pay $6 per person. There no longer are police walking with you, but there were armed guards both at the entry and also security up on the crater patrolling. It takes around 3 hours total to complete the hike, not going fast and taking around 15-20 minutes at the summit. However on the way down, the guides pretty much disappear, and if you lingered and did not reach the road by about 1:05, you won't make that bus.
Trevor
Friday 25th of February 2022
@destinationlesstravel, Feb 2022 Guide is 3 USD. park entrance is 6 USD.
You get dropped at El Tibet. WC is 40 cents.
We left at 10am.
If you miss the 1 pm bus, hitch a ride in what ever is going.
destinationlesstravel
Saturday 12th of February 2022
Hey Dave,
Thanks so much for this. So did you pay $3 to the guide, $6 to enter the trail and another $3 for the park entrance?
Thanks Daniel
Daniel Gaichas
Wednesday 29th of December 2021
Visited Cerro Verde today and was informed that the hike to Santa Ana departs at 9:00am (arrived 45 mins too late). The hike to Izalco leaves at 10:45am. Either way the day was very cloudy and visibility was poor.
Vondy
Friday 3rd of December 2021
Please dont spread this misinformation. Because the instructions in your article we came there at 11am and were told that trail is closed already. Tours starts from 7:30-10:30am.
Vondy
Saturday 4th of December 2021
Yeah, like I said we were told that the tours starts from 7:30-10:30am and after 10:30am nobody can enter the trail.
destinationlesstravel
Friday 3rd of December 2021
Hey Vondy,
Sorry to hear you missed the tour. The tour time may have changed.
Can you confirm the tour leaves at 10:30 am so I can update for others?
Thanks Daniel
Jérôme
Friday 29th of June 2018
Your cool building is Escuela Jose Mariano Mendez, was there today. Very nice ruins indeed. Will try the volcano tomorrow! Great blog, lots of info but more importantly: love your writting style! I'll come back for more tips as I'm biking South.
Destinationless Travel
Sunday 1st of July 2018
Thanks for your kind words, best of luck on the rest of your trip and feel free to contact us if you have any specific questions! Cheers!
Jerome
Saturday 30th of June 2018
Awesome hike, gorgeous sights, but lots of people! We were at least 30 and met other big groups on their way down. Bus 209 also goes to Cierra Verde. If you want to save 3$ of the park fee you can get out at a place called El Tibet; the hike passes just in front and people joined us from there. You'll miss a shorts part of a hike which is a 300m descent from Cierra Verde park but have 3$ for more pupusas. The old building is also known as Escuela de arte y oficio and is worth a sight of you like spending time in quiet ruins that nature is slowly taking back.