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Lago de Coatepeque is a lake inside a large volcanic caldera in the Santa Ana region of El Salvador.
Most travellers visit the lake on a day trip from Santa Ana, often combined with the popular hike up the Santa Ana Volcano. But we decided to spend a couple of days here on our El Salvador itinerary!
Our two main priorities in this part of the country were seeing the lake, and hiking the volcano, so we figured why not cut out the middle man and stay at the lake instead of in Santa Ana.
We'd seen plenty of cities, and as far as we read, Santa Ana isn't anything that special. The volcano is just as accessible via bus from the lake, so we spent two nights at Captain Morgan Hostel on the lake.
Is Lago de Coatepeque the nicest lake in Central America? Not by a long shot. Is Captain Morgan Hostel an amazing hostel? Not really. Was this a nice place to relax for a few days, with managed expectations? Definitely.
If you're not super interested in wandering around another city but still want to see the natural sights the Santa Ana region is known for, then you should consider staying at Lago de Coatepeque!
Read on for information on how to get to the lake, choosing where to stay, places to eat to keep costs down and the few things to do.
About Lake Coatepeque
Lago de Coatepeque is a large volcanic crater lake in the Santa Ana region of El Salvador. It sits in the shadows of Parque Nacional Los Volcanes, with three of the country's largest volcanoes, Santa Ana, Izalco and Cerro Verde, looming over the lake.
While not the largest lake in El Salvador, its surface area of 26 km² (10 mi²) is pretty impressive, with a maximum depth of 115 m (377 ft).
The lake is a popular tourist destination for Salvadorans, and the majority of the lake is privately owned.
Grand holiday houses provide a peaceful nature escape for wealthy residents of San Salvador, while restaurants and cheaper accommodations provide access for those on a tighter budget.
It's a tricky place to visit, with public access virtually impossible. You can hardly even get a glimpse of the water from the road due to all the tall brick walls concealing the lake.
To get access to the lake, you have the choice of staying a couple of nights in a lakefront accommodation or paying a small fee for a day pass to one of the restaurants or accommodation options.
There isn't really much to do here, besides soak up the stunning scenery of the deep blue water against the surrounding mountains and volcanoes, and ponder how cool it is that you're inside a volcanic caldera! It's a nice place to chill out and get away from the hustle and bustle of Santa Ana or San Salvador, and we're glad we included it on our El Salvador itinerary.
Where is Lago de Coatepeque
Lago de Coatepeque is located in the Santa Ana region of El Salvador and is a central spot of blue on the map between the city, the volcanoes, San Salvador and the coast.
There are some very small towns around the lake, but the gateway town and transport hub is El Congo in the north of the lake.
How long to visit (day or stay?)
Lake Coatepeque is a common day trip from Santa Ana, and you can get a feel for the lake in just one day. There's not really much to do here.
However, if you're looking to slow down your travel pace, it can be a nice place to spend a night or two.
We opted to stay two nights and use the lake as a jump-off point for hiking the Santa Ana Volcano, instead of staying in the city. It was a good break for us after a busy few days in the Ruta de las Flores, climbing seven waterfalls and sliding down rainbow slides!
We're glad we did this, and it's super chill and relaxing, but we wouldn’t spend longer than two nights as there isn't much to do here, once you've done the volcano hike.
When to visit
TIME OF YEAR 🗓️
The best time to visit Lake Coatepeque, and El Salvador in general, is during the dry season from November to April.
The lake is famous for turning from a deep blue to a vibrant turquoise colour every few years. It occurs randomly, and scientists don't really know when or why it happens. It's something to do with the volcanic material in the lake, and possibly mixing with freshwater after heavy rain. A very cool phenomenon that always wows Salvadorans, but it’s not really something you can plan your visit for!
DAY OF THE WEEK 🌞
In my opinion, the more important factor to consider when planning your visit is what day of the week to go – weekend or weekday.
On weekends and holidays, the lake is crowded with locals. The hostels, hotels and restaurants will be jam-packed, with activities like boat cruises on offer, loud music pumping and plenty of good vibes and revelry.
If you come during the week, the lake is pretty empty and there's not much going on. You can usually still do individual water sports activities, like jet skiing or renting a SUP/kayak. But things like boat cruises and floating bars generally won't be operating without people to fill them. This is the perfect time to relax and enjoy the lake if you're hoping to read a book and chill out without the crowds and noise.
How to get to Lago de Coatepeque
By bus
The lake is accessible by chicken bus from a number of destinations around El Salvador.
The confusing part is working out the exact part of the lake you need to get to, as some buses travel around one side of the lake, but not the other and vice versa.
📍 Look at our custom El Salvador map to visualise the lake
FROM SANTA ANA ⛪️
There are two bus options from Santa Ana, depending on where you are going at the lake. Be sure to specifically ask for the destination you are going to, rather than just the ‘lago' or you could end up on the wrong one.
- Bus #242: leaves from Terminal Francisco Lara Pineda, passes through El Congo and runs down the western side of the lake, past Captain Morgan Hostel.
- Bus #220: also leaves from Terminal Francisco Lara Pineda, passes through El Congo but runs along the northeastern edge of the lake, past popular restaurants like Las Palmeras and Rancho Alegre.
If you're coming from anywhere along the Ruta de las Flores, you first need to get to Santa Ana and follow the instructions above. Bus #238 runs from Juayua to Santa Ana and drops you off right near the terminal.
FROM SAN SALVADOR 🏙️
The trip from San Salvador involves two buses.
- Bus #201: leaves from Estacion Ceiba de Guadalupe in San Salvador to the town of El Congo.
- Bus #242 or #220: depending on where you are going on the lake, you want to take either of these buses from El Congo. #242 goes to Captain Morgan and #220 goes to Las Palmeras and restaurants on the northeast edge of the lake. I'd suggest waiting around this area for the bus.
If you're coming from the coast (El Tunco, El Zonte, La Libertad etc.) you first need to get to Ceiba de Guadalupe in San Salvador, and then change to a bus to El Congo. Bus #102 (from La Libertad) and #102A (from El Sunzal, which passes El Tunco) runs this route.
By Uber
Uber is very common in El Salvador. Being a pretty small country most places are quite close and using Uber is cheap.
You can get an Uber from Santa Ana to the lake quite easily and it should take just over half an hour. It's a common route and should cost around $10. Getting one back can be a little trickier, so you need to be prepared to take the bus home.
From San Salvador, the journey would be more like 1 – 1.5 hours and cost upwards of $30. You may or may not find a driver willing to take you. Again, it would be tricky to find a driver to come back so plan to catch the bus.
By car
If you’ve rented a car for your time in El Salvador, you can drive yourself to the lake. This makes it more feasible to visit the lake on the same day as hiking the Santa Ana Volcano, which can be otherwise tricky if relying on buses.
• From Santa Ana: 30 minutes
• From San Salvador: 1.5 hours
• From El Tunco/El Zonte/La Libertad: 2 hours
🚙 Browse for rental cars in Santa Ana, San Salvador or the international airport
Getting around
It's pretty straight forward to get to the lake, but once you get there, you're basically stuck at your accommodation or restaurant of choice.
Unless of course, you've come with a vehicle. It is possible to rent scooters from Captain Morgan Hostel too if you want to explore further.
The buses (#242 or #220) pass by infrequently and although are handy for day trips (to the Santa Ana Volcano), it wouldn't really be worth the effort to catch one into El Congo and wait around to go back again.
And honestly, there's not really anywhere to go.
You can't access the lake in many places outside of the dedicated venue that you've paid for, so unless you feel the need to go to a different venue (which would also probably charge a cover charge and serve similar kinds of food), you don't really need to leave too much.
Depending on where you're based, there might be a few things within walking distance.
From Captain Morgan, we could walk to a local pupusa restaurant. If you're on the northeast edge of the lake, there are a few more venues close together that you could walk between if you need a change of scenery.
There are taxis in El Congo, and I'm sure your accommodation/restaurant could call one for you if need be.
Where to stay in Lake Coatepeque
- Captain Morgan Hostel: it's not the best, it's not the worst hostel. The location is fantastic and the lake-front chairs and hammocks were super relaxing. The facilities were a bit run down and not exactly clean, and there were more staff than guests lazing around not doing much. But it was fine for a couple of nights and the location and views really are exceptional.
- Las Palmeras: one of the most popular day-pass restaurants on the lake has recently opened brand new cabins. This would be my pick of where to stay. They've got cute little A-frame huts that are fully equipped. You have to get in contact with them directly to book.
- Cardedeu Hotel: the fanciest hotel option on the lake. Located on the northeast shores, the rooms are fresh and modern but lack any kind of kitchen amenities. There are multiple swimming pools, excellent views, access to the lake and a restaurant on-site. If you want to relax in luxury, this is the place.
- Cardedeu Residence: from the same brand as the hotel, these ‘residences' are one and two-bedroom apartments with fully equipped kitchens. A fantastic amenity to have on the lake that is so restricted with good food options. The extra cost is worth it in my opinion. The residences are on the western side of the lake near Captain Morgan Hostel, which means amazing sunrise views.
- Equinoccio Hotel: a bit more remote on the southern edge of the lake down a very bumpy road, I think you'd need a car to get here. Quite fancy, with a bright and airy design, modern rooms, a huge gorgeous pool and a restaurant on-site. A little cheaper than Cardedeu, but of the same calibre.
- Airbnb: if you're a larger group, or just have a bigger budget, a lot of the gorgeous mansions on the lake are available for rent.
Things to do in Lago de Coatepeque
Spend the day relaxing at a lakefront restaurant or hotel
This is pretty much the main attraction here! Wherever you decide to access the lake from will be your activity hub.
Most hotels and restaurants have great lounging areas set up, with restaurants and hang-out spaces on wooden docks jutting out over the lake. Find a hammock, pull out your book and soak up the views!
If you’re not staying overnight, you can purchase a day pass from one of the venues on the lake.
Captain Morgan Hostel is a popular place, with a day pass for $5 that includes one drink and gives you access to the amenities. Restaurante Las Palmeras charges a $3 cover fee to enter the restaurant and use its facilities, and you can eat and drink in addition to that. Rancho Alegre is another common option, as is La Octava Maravilla Restaurante.
Swim in the lake
Can you swim in Lago de Coatepeque? The answer is, it depends.
Most people say yes you can, and most of the time, it is safe to swim. Occasionally there can be some yucky blooms of algae, and it’s best to avoid swimming then.
There was a bit of yucky stuff along the shoreline when we visited, but most people were still swimming and we both jumped off the dock a couple of times and were fine.
Ask around at your venue before you jump in to make sure it’s safe. Most venues have swimming pools or at least small plunge pools if the lake is not clean when you visit.
The water is actually nice and warm year-round because of the geothermal activity in the volcanic crater lake! Apparently, there are some small sections of hotter thermal waters on the shores of the lake (I’m not exactly where sorry), but the lake as a whole is quite warm!
♨️ For a crazy hot springs experience, visit El Salto de Malacatuipan, a hot springs WATERFALL in the north of El Salvador
Watersports
It’s possible to rent jetskis, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks and even small boats from most places around the lake. You can cruise around for an hour or so and explore the further reaches of the lake.
We rented a paddleboard from Captain Morgan which we both went out on. The fin was broken so we didn’t get too far and ended up paddling around in circles. It kind of summed up our time on the lake, not quite perfect but not too bad! It was still nice to get a view back towards the shore with all the docks.
Boat cruise on the lake
A couple of the popular venues offer short boat cruises around the lake.
There is a small island in the southern corner of the lake, most cruises will give you a closer look at that.
Las Palmeras restaurant has a big pontoon boat which they call a ‘ferry’, and offers cruises on. Captain Morgan Hostel has a floating tiki bar that does short cruises.
Both will usually only run if there are a minimum number of people. This generally will only be on the weekends or holidays, unless you're travelling as a big group.
Catch a sunrise or sunset
You can see excellent sunrises and sunsets from the lake if you’re staying overnight.
Which you see will depend on which side you’re staying on.
We got some gorgeous sunrises from Captain Morgan Hostel on the western side of the lake. It was so worth the early wake-up to watch the peaceful and still lake glow up as the sun peaked over the volcanoes.
Hike the Santa Ana Volcano
While most people will depart from Santa Ana city, the lake is an easy jump-off point for the Santa Ana Volcano hike.
Also known as Ilamatepec, it’s the tallest volcano in the country at 2,381 metres (7,811 feet) above sea level. The volcano is still active, and at the summit, you look down into a bright turquoise crater lake, filled with sulphur and gases.
It was an incredible experience and was one of the best volcano hikes we did in Central America. It’s the highlight of this area, so don’t miss it, whether you depart from Santa Ana or the lake.
This was how we spent one of our days at the lake. It was easy enough to get there via bus, and I’ve detailed the exact steps in my guide to the Santa Ana Volcano hike.
Where to eat
If you’re just visiting the lake for the day, this isn’t really an issue and you’ll just eat at whatever venue you’ve chosen to access the lake.
If you’re staying a night or more, you’ll want to consider where you’re going to eat. The hotels and restaurants in the area are pretty pricey, and the food isn’t that amazing, for 3 meals per day. Most accommodations don’t have kitchen facilities either.
Unless you have a vehicle, you’re kind of trapped into eating at where you’re staying and what is immediately nearby, which in most cases, is nothing.
I think pretty much every restaurant around the lake has a similar menu, with similar prices. You could hop around to the different hotels/restaurants for different meals, but I think you’d find much of the same with no difference in cost.
We stayed at Captain Morgan and found their menu to be pretty reasonable for a remote hostel. Definitely not cheap, but it wasn’t outrageous. The food wasn’t great, but we went in with low expectations so it was fine.
We tried to only eat a maximum of 2 meals a day at the hostel to keep costs down, and this was what we did for the other meal of the day:
- Bring snacks: we brought a few snacks with us, like fruit, pastries, corn chips, avocados etc. The hostel does have a fridge, but it was packed and gross so I wouldn’t be bringing a ton of perishable stuff. We got by with mostly non-perishable foods and had that for a couple of throw-together meals. Check if your accommodation has a fridge.
- Pupusa place: a few hundred metres to the left of the hostel (if you’re facing away the lake) is a small shack selling pupusas, in Google Maps as Great Pupusas. It’s nothing special, but it’s a very cheap meal.
- Take advantage of street vendors: there are locals wandering around selling different homemade things. We had a lovely lady come into the hostel selling sweet treats one afternoon, which was the perfect snack with an afternoon coffee. We’ve heard about people selling tamales too.
- Eat in El Congo: on the day we went to Santa Ana Volcano, we got breakfast in El Congo while we were waiting for the bus, and then had lunch in town when we got back before we caught the next bus back to the hostel. There are a lot more options in town and it’s way cheaper.
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Is Lago de Coatepeque worth it?
I think so, yes. It wasn’t my favourite lake in Central America, that title goes to Laguna de Apoyo in Nicaragua or Lago de Atitlan in Guatemala, but it was still a nice, chilled-out place to spend a few days.
It’s one of the top things to do around Santa Ana, so I think it’s worth a visit. It was beautiful to be right on the lake, and for us, it was a better choice than staying in another city.
You can easily access the Santa Ana Volcano which is most likely at the top of your to-do list and this offers a peaceful and pretty place to rest after the hike.
All in all, I’m glad we went. It wasn’t the best place we visited in El Salvador, but it was worth the stop. It’s not every day you can say you climbed an active volcano in the morning and swum in a crater lake in the afternoon!
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