The breathtaking view of the turquoise blue lake Coatepeque ensconced in the eastern arms of the Lago de Coatepeque, a volcanic caldera in El Salvador, is reward enough for the geology classes that you suffered through in school. At an altitude of 745 meters above sea level, this geological wonder has a piece of Mayan history floating right in its center-in the form of the island of Teopan.
The lake also has several hot springs bordering it.
The lake has its shore dotted with several beach houses of the wealthy and several hotels that provide boutique services to tourists. To truly enjoy the serene beauty of the lake and the caldera, one has to put up, at least for a night, at one of the several small hotels along the lakeside. These hotels come at extremely cheap rates and offer commendable services. You can spend a night for a meager $35 at most of the hotels around the lake. These hotels have a limited number of rooms-four to six. This drives home the fact that the place is not yet a tourist hub, which, in fact, is a blessing for those that wander to the lake in hopes of finding tranquility in nature’s breast. After all, what is better than a book by a lake and a volcano that lies asleep?
And when you put down your book, you can hit the blue waters for various activities like kayaking, swimming, jet skiing, boating and diving. El Salvador does not promise a Caribbean diving experience, but the lakes here offer the opportunity for a dip in a volcanic caldera. Lake Coatepeque offers a rich sea life view, including but not limited to catfish, guapote and zebra fish. Plus, the specialties that come with a volcanic lake, are a given. Divers can find volcanic nodules, which are actually chunks of frozen lava. Then there are fumaroles and hot springs, which are again a proof of the varied facets of nature.
Even if you do not have the leisure to tarry here awhile, the lake has a splendid view from the highway road. Most travelers take a detour to enjoy the blue and green visual delight of the lake and its surroundings, from the road above. If you are in El Salvador, and love to work with your lens, do not miss this ‘photogenic’ lake.
Lago de Coatepeque Map
Facts about Lago de Coatepeque
- Lake de Coatepeque has been nominated for the 8th wonder of the world
- The Lake is one of the largest lakes in El Salvador
- Lago de Coatapeque was formed after a series of eruptions 72000 and 54000 years ago. Parts of Santa Ana Volcano and several other overlapping stratovolcanoes to the east of Santa Ana collapsed after the eruptions, to form the Lago de Coatepeque caldera.
- Deposits from these eruptions form a large layer in parts of southwestern El Salvador and Guatemela.
Where is Lago de Coatepeque?
El Lago de Coatepeque is located 53 km from San Salvador and 12 km from Santa Ana.
Lago de Coatapeque can be reached both from Santa Ana and San Salvador. Buses that take route 202, 201, 201-A, 456 will take the visitor to El Congo. Buses ply every half hour. From El Congo, buses plying on route 220 will take the visitor straight to the lagoon, visitors planning to visit the Laguana sector will take route 242.
San Salvador is connected to all major destinations by an international airport, the San Salvador International Airport at San Luis Talpa Department of La Paz.
Best time to visit Lago de Coatepeque
The lake is open to visitors year round, but visitors would do well to carry a couple of warm clothes since it gets chilly at night, and during monsoons.
More on Lago de Coatepeque
What are the co ordinates of the lake?
13.87 deg north, 89.55 deg west.
Which are the interesting places located around Lago de Coatepeque?
Lago de Coatepeque is one of the gems in El Salvador. Other places that will delight a traveler are Estadio Cuscatlan, the biggest Central American stadium, the clubs in high end Zona Rosa area of San Salvador, the El Boqueron National Park, and the Mayan ruins in Tazumal.
Image credit :