Breathtaking Santa Ana Volcano Hike & Lake Coatepeque

We went on a Surf City and Volcano tour with Erick and Doris!!! Eric took us to the volcano and gave us a lot of local information on the way and while touring the site. He then took us through the country side to another viewpoint to see the Pacific Ocean in the distance. Then we walked all around Surf City with him providing commentary. We met up with his wife Doris who finished the tour and went to lunch with us. She took us to a coffee farm, but it was the wrong time of the year really but we still enjoyed the one-on-one talk. We also really enjoyed hearing about their family and how the history of El Salvador has affected them. Great tour and we will be calling Erick when we go back to El Salvador!!!

We had an amazing time in El Salvie..Thanks to Erick, especially for making it all so easy to plan and enjoy. One Pupusa at a time :)

Our tour guide Gerry(for short) was just so knowledgeable not only did he provide information place as visited on the tour, but also things that we were curious about. Because it was private we were able to go at our own pace. He made our experience feel special left us with a great understanding of El Salvadorian culture, history and its people. 10/10 must do! The meal we had at the Lake Coatepeque delivered on flavor and that watermelon smoothie… just get it, you won’t be disappointed! Erick the tour rep from Papagayo Adventures, was recommended by the Hyatt Centric Staff, he was the utmost professional and made everything easy and accommodated us, at the last minute for two tours. Highly recommended hitting them up when you get to San Salvador or before you get there to get things set it!! 10/10 service!

Gerardo of Papagayo Adventures guided our hike of the Santa Ana Volcano. We were staying on Lake Coatepegue, and he met us early in the morning on the lake. Gerardo knew about a private car park near the trail to the volcano summit, where for $3 we were able to leave our rented car. We began hiking early, before the trail was open. As a licensed guide, Gerardo can begin tours early. We didn't see another person on our hike until after we visited the crater. Having the trail to ourselves was fantastic! Gerardo was an awesome and informative guide. He is approved to guide anywhere in El Salvador, and not just natural wonders - cities, ruins, the Rutes de las Flores, everywhere. The Santa Ana Volcano hike is amazing - wildflowers, views of volcanoes and the landscape of El Salvador, the surreal neon teal-green colored lake in the caldera. As you climb, the flora changes from lush vegetation to desert plants. It's an incredible experience! After our hike, Gerardo recommended Los Volcanes Bistro for a well-deserved breakfast. It's a great restaurant with wonderful coffee and views of Izalco Volcano.

I highly recommend this tour company and Erik the guide. Door to door service with highly knowledgeable guide. We toured the mayan ruins in 2 locations and Erik explained everything about the structures, people, timelines as well as folklore. He also took us to local vendors to taste yuca/cassava with different toppings. Very tasty! Erik is extremely knowledgeable in local politics both past and present. I'm highly interested in this subject and he provided so much information and I really loved it! We also toured the volcano crater lake 8th wonder of the world! Stunning views. Following day we went to see a volcano with a crater in the middle and a crater in the crater! Then we went to a pupuseria and we tried pupusas for the first time and they were delicicious. He took us to a coffee plantation adjacent to the restaurant and learned about coffee harvesting and various coffee beans. Then we got to try and buy some great coffee. We also tried empanadas and had coffee and enjoyed cool weather with a beautiful view. Highly recommend this tour vendor and he is reasonably priced and we learned so much about el salvador!

My family and I had a great time with this tour service. Our guide Erick was a very down to earth guy and very knowledgeable, we saw some amazing sights and I would 100% reccomend this guide service and would definitely use them again in the future. I already knew El Salvador was beautiful but being taken to the sights not everyone thinks about.

Did the Santa Ana volcano tour and the Ataco coffee plant with the indigenous villages. This tour company is phenomenal and will definitely go the extra mile to make sure you’re pleased!!! Would definitely use them again!

WOW! Worth every penny and then some. I went on a private day tour with Gerardo (who speaks perfect English, btw!) and our driver Luis. I felt incredibly safe the entire time and as a 28 year old American that was very important to me. Gerardo allowed me to customize what I wanted to do and see and I also got to select how much time we spent at each place. I felt like royalty. He is so knowledgeable and friendly. He took me to the San Salvador volcano, an amazing restaurant with a gorgeous view (it cost $15 total for 3 of us!), the coffee farm next door, Picnic Steakhouse (the slide is fun but very short), and finally ended the day at El Tunco. They picked me up from my hotel at noon and dropped me off around 7 PM, and I felt like I saw a ton in those seven hours. The tour was well worth it and I am so glad I did it. Papagayo Adventures was a recommendation from coworkers and I will also recommend them to other coworkers. Great guides!

The tours at Papagayo Adventures are EXCELLENT!!! Very experienced and knowledgeable tour guides. Very friendly, always on time with reasonable prices. Very clean and safe vehicles. Both English and Spanish speakers available. Highly recommended!

Very professional company. As a solo traveler i was a bit worried about safety but the tour guides showed up exactly when they said they would, the bus was very clean and well kept. The tour guides let me go at my own pace all throughout the day and I got to see some very amazing views at the volcano and lake. I would highly highly recommend this tour group and Gerardo the tour guide for your adventures!