View of Santa Ana from the mountains on the western edge of town
Santa Ana
Time spent: 42 days ;11 Jan 2025 - 22 Feb 2025
Elevation: 9,350 ft (2,850 m)
Currency: US dollars
Lodging Cost: $16.38 per night; Airbnb
Santa Ana is Bitchin'
Before I get into how to actually get into the meat and potatoes of Santa Ana, I just have to say what a great town this is. I was here six weeks and loved every second of it. It isn't a big tourist town per se, like it doesn't have a bunch of hotels and hostels, but it is easy enough to find one when planning a trip here. It is TRULY a hidden gem for tourists looking to go off the beaten path. This place would have been great on its own, but as an awesome bonus for me, my brother, Ryan, came to visit for a few days while I was here.
This dude is all about eco-tourism—not just hiking with a walking stick, but spotting some El dafukisthat strangi or other weird creature from 50 meters away. We kept talking about meeting up in Latin America hot spots like Lima or Buenos Aires, and the trips kept falling through, but personally, I think he just wasn't interested in that big city bullshit until I put this place on his radar, and then he zeroed in and planned a trip.
Me and my bearded baby brother Ryan hiking up Volcan de Santa Ana
How to get to Santa Ana from San Salvador
Now, I came here from one small city in Peru to another small city in El Salvador, so it took me a while to get here, but the hard part of the journey is going to be pretty much the same for anyone.
I landed in San Salvador kind of late, so I spent the night there. Since I was only there about 12 hours, I can't really document the trip, but the city does supposedly have the nicest Starbucks coffee shop in the world, so I stopped there in the morning.
The hotel I booked offered a driver from the airport for $30, and I took that out of ease. I did check the Uber app to see if I could have saved money, but the price was comparable and fair. The ride from the airport to town is about 30 minutes. There will be plenty of cabs waiting, and Uber is available, but however you get where you are going, keep that price point in mind.
Immigration was also super easy to get through, American citizens can get a visa on arrival. Google told me there was a $12 fee, but I didn't get charged that, though there is one minor thing to be aware of.
San Salvador Starbucks. Yeah, it was pretty fucking nice. Just like a museum, I was scared to touch shit on the wall.
I was given a passport stamp and allowed 180 days in El Salvador, BUT if you are continuing on to Guatemala, Nicaragua, and/or Honduras, there is something called the CA-4 agreement. It probably won't be an issue for most tourists, but you need to be aware of it. If you are familiar with traveling in Europe, it is similar to the Schengen Area. No matter how long El Salvador allows you to stay, you only have 90 days total to travel between those four countries.
For example: If you plan to stay 50 days in El Salvador and read you can spend 90 days in Guatemala, but only want to do 50, you will not be allowed to do 50 days in each consecutively because it is over 90 total between the two.
Now, you may read something else somewhere else that someone got in—in practice, I don't know how well it's enforced. I'm just telling you that's the rule.
Anyways, once you leave the airport or your hotel, you want to head to Terminal de Buses de Occidente, and you are looking for the 201 bus. This is a very common route to Santa Ana, and they leave often.
Now be warned, this bus station isn't like most you have probably seen. I've been to a lot of bus stations in South America and they were all relatively modern, as in, you buy a ticket and get a printed piece of paper at the minimum. Here, you give the driver (or porter) the cash.
This place looks kind of like a flea market. You walk in and at first you don't even see the buses, just a lot of vendors. But just keep walking and you will see the buses arranged in a giant horseshoe shape. When I was there, I found the 201 at the northeast corner. If you don't see it, don't worry—ask literally anyone, "Autobús doscientos uno?" and they will point you in the right direction. It is likely the only route a tourist takes (and you will obviously be a tourist).
The ideal route is "directo." It is a slightly more expensive and more comfortable bus, and it has fewer stops. But if for some reason you can't tell, any bus that says "201" will get you there. 201. All you need to know.
My San Salvador suite
The directo costs $1.50. Now, I usually list prices where I can, but I took so many buses in Santa Ana I don't remember them all, so just know this will be your most expensive fare, and I'm not fucking bothering listing which is $.60 or $.75. Hand any driver one of those pretty gold Sacagawea coins and you're fine.
One last thing to note: I had a suitcase and no one was there for me to hand it to so they could load it. Now, I'm not a helpless tourist, but I just expected someone to store it. There wasn't anyone there, and when I asked the driver what to do with my bag, he just gave me the "thumb over his shoulder" gesture to load the fucking thing myself.
Just saying, it isn't hard, but you've got to open the undercarriage of the bus and load the bag yourself.
My Santa Ana AirBnb
Now, I want to make this REALLY clear. This next section in no way reflects Santa Ana or Airbnb. And I'm not saying it for legal reasons either. It is just one of those "shit happens" stories I wanted to share and prepare any would-be long-term travelers.
I had an apartment in a condo complex on the north edge of town. After about two weeks, my water went out for about a day. No big deal. Shit happens. Then it was two days, and literal shit started to happen.
El Salvador is generally referred to as a "warm" country. With warmth comes sweat, and with sweat comes stench. And no water means no shower. But that wasn't the bad part.
It also means toilets can't flush. And after two days of not flushing... well, you get it.
Now, the water did come back after about 48 hours, but then it shut off again a few hours later. I was able to flush the backlogged turds, and then I got one free flush until it came back on.
This continued for a while. The water would just come on in the middle of the night to refill the toilet, but unless I was awake, I couldn't shower. Then it started coming on for about half the day, but at a very slow trickle—not enough to shower with.
This is where the adventurer's spirit takes hold and survival skills help. I started keeping the jugs of drinking water I would buy and filled them up with that slow trickle when it came on. Then I'd dump those in the back of the toilet tank for a good flush or use them for a whore's bath.
Then the water would come on completely for a day, and I'd think it was fixed, only to have my hopes dashed again.
This went on for weeks, and I was starting to get nervous. Ryan was coming, and while the apartment was tiny, it did have two bedrooms. But still... you can deal with your own turds in the toilet, but someone else's is gross, even if it is your brother.
But it was semi-ok by the time he got there. It became routine that the water was out one day and on the next, and I had about 10 five-liter jugs of water stored up to dump in the tank when we needed to take a shit.
While all of this was going on, I was looking at local news, and it appeared that this was happening just within our complex. People I talked to outside weren't having any water issues.
The only thing that REALLY struck a nerve with me was a message I got from the Airbnb host.
Now, I always clean up, take out the trash, and such when leaving, but on my last day, I had 10 five-liter jugs of water in the shower. For one, I didn't want to carry them all to the trash, but two, I left them in case someone was coming right behind me.
Now, the host didn't give me a bad review, but this bitch had the nerve to message me and say I should have "removed the water jugs from the bathroom."
My Santa Ana apartment. It wasn't bad just needed running water.
My survival kit
It also had a small balcony with a great view, except all of these places were without water
Things to do in Santa Ana
Catedral de Nuestra Señora Santa Ana
Yeah, I know. The entering the country guide was probably helpful, but I went on way too long discussing how I got rid of poop.
This is the stuff you are here to see.
What is there to do around town?
The honest answer for short-term travelers is... well... not a lot, BUT there is a SHITLOAD to do around the area, and we will get to that.
The main square revolves around this picture to the left. This place always has stuff going on day or night, but I mean that loosely. It is a nice hangout spot with plenty of good food, but except for a couple of overpriced restaurants, honestly nothing too exciting for a tourist—i.e., no bars.
But as a long-term visitor, I loved the square at night. It had tons of booths for food that would be great for grabbing a delicious sandwich, but really had no business cramming tables in, though they do anyway.
Atop the Catedral de Nuestra Señora Santa Ana. It was a hell of a view. Only a couple bucks to climb it.
Low budget John Woo
The square around the cathedral
The end of one bench pressed against the next. Tight fit for a good sandwich.
During the day the area for several blocks around the church is a huge market just along the streets. I think this is "semi" temporary. In 2021 there was a huge fire that burned down El Mercado Central. Luckily (or maybe unluckily because it may have been contained sooner) it happened at night and there were no casualties. It was a pretty devastating loss for many and it has evolved into just several hundred vendors on a street (that still has traffic). When I was there they were rebuilding but it seems to be a very slow process.
You can get all sorts of food here but isn't really "tourist" area. Mostly clothes and other essentials. But still, as I have mentioned many times, I love these places. Truly one of my favorite parts of traveling.
My brother, being the caveman that he is, has an aversion to shoes and had to buy a new pair in the area to hike the volcano I'll be talking about soon.
"If it's stupid but it works, it ain't stupid." Buying juice in a bag is pretty common. I also think it may be a Salvadoran waste thing because it was common to buy water in bags, like milk in school, only with no straw. You just bit the tip off and apparently spit it wherever, which I find a little counterproductive.
These are the ruins of Jose Mariano Mendez School. After an earthquake, it fell into disrepair, but it still stands as a landmark. It's odd because tourists aren't allowed in, but there is a guard. I've heard that if you tip him a few bucks, he'll let you run through it, but I found that out later and didn't get to go inside.
Ruta de las Flores (Flower Route)
The Ruta de las Flores is what El Salvador is trying to advertise for their tourism industry. It's cool... but not that cool... but also it's cool. I'll try my best to explain.
As far as tourism and day tours go, Santa Ana has two main ones: a hike up the Santa Ana volcano and the Ruta de las Flores. Now, I'm not trying to take away from the people running those—I'm sure they are fine—but you should take neither.
The bus system is really easy, and you can see what you want and more at your leisure. Now, Santa Ana isn't really a destination that a family of four from Chicago just decides to visit for a week, but for ease, I am going to try to explain how to see this, the volcano, and two more spots.
Here are the five official stops on the Ruta de las Flores:
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Apaneca
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Nahuizalco
All of these spots involve the bus terminal Francisco Lara Pineda. It seems daunting, but it's much easier than it sounds. First, you want to familiarize yourself with the map below (and download the map from Google to your phone). The buses all have their final destinations listed, and it is really intuitive, so if you want to go to Chalchuapa and the bus says Ahuachapan, it will get you there. I took the #214 bus to Chalchuapa but routes change from time to time, so don't put too much stock in that and just follow what the buses say.
Tazumal
Chalchuapa is the easiest and best site to see around Santa Ana, so it should not be missed.
I had to work and had already seen it, so my brother went there alone. Without speaking a lick of Spanish, and without realizing his phone didn't work until he got there, he still managed to do it, so you can too.
Tazumal is the main attraction in this quaint little burg.
The bus will drop you off on the eastern side of the town near the Casa Blanca Archaeological site. I walked from there to Tazumal. While all old-ass ancient pyramids are cool, I think they really mailed in the restoration and just used concrete.
You look at it and think it looks cool, but then you pause for a second and realize, "Wait, the Mayans were good at architecture, but they weren't THAT good."
The red dots are the stops on the Ruta de las Flores. The yellow dots are two worth seeing but not on the official route
After that, I walked back and stopped at Laguna Cuzcachapa and walked around it. It is a nice lake in an area where they are scarce, but nothing you haven't seen before.
Then I headed back to where you catch the bus to Santa Ana, intending to stop and see the Casa Blanca Archaeological site.
To me, this looked totally skippable (and I did skip it). From the road, you can see into it, and it was just a bunch of dirt hills. I didn't easily see the entrance, so I just waited for the bus back.
Tazumal
There was a small museum and this was an overhead shot of the ruins
When you see this get off at the next stop
Anything is a dildo if you're brave enough
Ahuachapan and Los Ausoles
Now, I caught the bus and went back to Santa Ana and did Ahuachapán another day, but to continue on, it is as easy as catching a bus while standing on the other side of the road. Let's carry on as if I did it in one trip.
The bus to Ahuachapán drops you off close to Parque General Francisco Menéndez, the closest thing to a Plaza de Armas this town has.
The only thing worth seeing, and the only reason I was here, was Los Ausoles, a set of hot springs and geothermal vents.
No Uber here, but from the park, there will be plenty of tuk-tuks: little red motorcycles with a back seat.
I just said to the driver, "Los Ausoles, ¿cuánto cuesta?" (Los Ausoles, how much) It was a buck or so, and away we went.
In what I consider a real dickhead move by the driver, he dropped me off at the entrance of a neighborhood called Los Ausoles, about a half-mile from the actual geothermal vents. "Motherfucker, I'm obviously a tourist, why would you think this was my stop?"
Anyway, it was a pretty nice walk to the springs anyway, so it wasn't the worst thing.
Now, I suppose this is technically a tourist attraction, but apparently not a big one. I found it by just scouring Google Maps, and I was excited to see it. When I got there, I expected a ticket booth and such, but it was just a gate with a house about 20 meters behind it. I didn't know what to do, so I just yelled, "HOLA!"
A dog came running out barking, and a sleepy old lady followed and just said, "Un dolar." I gave her one of my Sacagawea tokens and went on in.
My walk from the neighborhood Los Ausoles to the geothermal springs Los Ausoles
I thought the boiling water was cool as shit
I thought the springs were fucking fantastic. I mean small but definitely a fun end to the journey. One more thing I didn't understand why it wasn't on the Ruta de las Flores.
I have seen some bullshit hot springs in my travels where the water is technically near a volcano but barely warm. This wasn't that.
This place has less than 100 Google reviews. Go see that old lady her dog
Concepcion de Atco
I guess with all the talk about the Ruta de las Flores, I should actually talk about the Ruta de las Flores.
Well, after the geothermal springs named Los Ausoles, I walked back to the neighborhood called Los Ausoles. I was kinda worried about how I was getting back because this area wasn't high-traffic at all.
As I was walking back, I saw an old lady standing by the side of the road. I just crossed my fingers and hoped she knew about a taxi going to town, so I stood next to her (close, but not creepily close). Sure enough, a tuk-tuk came along and scooped us both up.
Now, from here I had no clue how to get to Concepción de Ataco, but I just looked at my map and thought, "What would a local do?"
CA-8W was a road not far from where I was originally dropped off, and it goes all the way there, so I just walked to the intersection. Sure enough, there was a line of vans waiting to take people there.
I hopped in and took about a 20-minute ride to the town. It was a gorgeous route along a mountain road, but really, that was the best part.
Concepción de Ataco is almost what I would call a fake town. The entire place, which is only a few blocks in any direction, looked kind of like an Old West recreation. There is a restaurant high on a hill and a coffee plantation with a hotel that you can tour. I read up on them online and heard you need to book a tour in advance. I sent an email to do so, but never got a reply.
I didn't bother with either. After an hour or so of walking around the town, I hopped on a bus and did the whole route in reverse back to Santa Ana.
I assume this chill little prince ran the town
If it is good enough for Homer it is good enough for me, but it was around noon and this place wasn't actually open.
It has a cute rustic vibe but there really isn't much to it.
Getting to Juayua
I think the day in Juayúa was one of the highlights of the trip and probably one of the best stops on the Ruta de las Flores.
To get here from Santa Ana, go to the same bus terminal as before and look for bus #238. This bus isn't as common as the others and leaves about every two hours, around 8:00, 10:00, 12:00, etc. Just keep in mind it is "Latin America time." We got there at 9:00 and grabbed some pupusas from a place that had a view of the parking spot for #238.
If you are still eating, don't be in a big rush to hop on as soon as it gets there because it waits a while. There are also vendors hopping on and off selling fruits, drinks, socks, phone chargers, and other random odds and ends. A vendor touched my brother's face and called him cute, so he immediately emptied his pockets and bought some candy from her.
It is a pretty direct route and takes about an hour to get there.
Riding in style. Sometimes people get on the bus, hook up a speaker and start singing for tips.
Iglesia El Senor de Juayua
Juaya Central Park
Things to do in Juayua
Juayúa is a cute little town. We had a nice time walking the streets around Central Park, but it isn't anything that different than other towns along the route. There is the Iglesia El Señor de Juayúa. I'm not religious whatsoever, but I always enjoy seeing the local churches, though this one was closed for renovations when we went.
The two main "claims to fame" Juayúa has are the waterfall hikes. The biggest is the Seven Waterfalls hike, which requires a guide. It takes about five or six hours and costs $15. We did want to do this, but really didn't want to spend all day with a guided tour, though I've heard it is a great hike.
The other popular waterfall is Chorros de la Calera, but I don't know if this is still a thing. Parts of the path are on private property, and it was shut down completely when I went because someone recently fell and died there. I've heard mixed things about getting a guide versus not needing one.
We went off the main tourist trek and took the way of the locals, heading to Cascada Monterrey instead. This was a great walk through the woods and along a coffee plantation, leading to a small spring with a waterfall that you could swim in. Truly one of the best hidden gems I've found in my travels.
We took a tuk-tuk to Salcoatitán from Juayúa. Now, Salcoatitán is on the Ruta de las Flores, but it is probably the smallest town, with really nothing to do. We had the driver drop us off at Parque Central de Salcoatitán and headed east.
There was a great view of the mountains along the path
Now, if you are using Google Maps, the falls look trickier to get to than they actually are. Just go to 2a Calle Oriente and head east. The road disappears from the map, but there is one there. You follow it to a gate.
Now, at the gate is a sign saying $2, but the people nearby just waved us through. From there, we just followed a wooded path for about 30 minutes until we came to the falls. Here, there is a small bridge and someone collecting the money.
Once you get here, you can't miss the springs. Just follow this shaded path for about 30 minutes.
Haunted outhouse on the way. There was just a pit. No water or draingage.
You'll probably see a few locals hanging out at the spring. It's a gorgeous little place, and I owe it all to my brother for finding it. We hopped in for a dip and splashed around under the waterfall like a couple of kids. The water was cold as balls, but it felt great in the Salvadoran sun.
When you're ready to leave, there is a staircase leading up and out, and you can follow this path all the way back to Juayúa.
You will walk down a long road that has a lot of dilapidated homes that might give you the vibe of a sketchy neighborhood, but don't worry, it's a pretty safe area. It's just how the local residents live.
Now, keep your eye on the clock during the day here because the last bus to Santa Ana leaves at around 4:30. If you miss it, there are hotels around, or you may be able to take a pretty expensive cab or Uber back, but I wouldn't rely on that.
There is a really strong current near the falls so hold onto that phone if you want a pic
Up close to the falls
This is from the bridge where you pay the entrance fee
This is Ryan playing in a big pile of coffee shells but it reminded me of that scene from Jurassic Park. They had a really strong vinegar-like a scent. There were a few mounds like this and you could smell them before you saw them.
The way the locals live always interests me but part of me feels bad taking pictures. I don't want to seem to them like I am fascinated by their poverty. It is just a way of life many people don't get to see so I wanted to document it.
Volcán de Santa Ana (Volcán Ilamatepec)
We've saved the best for last—this is what most people come here to see: the Santa Ana Volcano. It is a good hike that is challenging, but pretty much anyone with no major ailments should be able to manage it.
There are a few places that offer tours to the volcano, but those places should be completely ignored. All that is is an overpriced ride to do exactly what you will end up doing anyway.
Now, the main thing to be aware of is that this has a completely different bus station than the one I have been using during this guide. You will go HERE: a bus station on Avenida Fray Felipe De Jesús Moraga, between Calle 11 and Calle 9. There is only one bus a day that leaves from here to the volcano, at 7:30 AM every day. This is all you need to do. This bus takes you to the exact spot the tour buses drop people off at, and it costs less than $1.
This is near the beginning of the climb and that peak is the summit.
We all kinda globbed together as a big group of about 20 or 30 people, and a couple of people came out and gave us some instructions, entirely in Spanish. The gist was: don't throw trash, and cigarettes aren't allowed at all. They even pass something around to collect them and give you a number to pick up your pack later. I don't know why anyone would bother with that, though, because they don't pat you down. Just be civilized and don't leave shit on the mountain.
Now, you are pretty much expected to go with the group, but I don't think it is entirely required because I saw some people just bypass this first stop and keep walking up the path. Really, I think that is what we should have done, but as the hike goes on, the gap between the crowd spaces out quite a bit so you aren't bumping dicks with a big crowd the whole way up. There will be a person in the front and a person in the back communicating with walkie-talkies. It didn't really feel like going with a group, but more like you are on a hike in a popular area with tourists.
This part also kinda felt like we were being nickeled and dimed, but since it was still less than $10 total, it isn't a big deal. At the beginning, we had to pay the guides about $3, and then shortly after the hike started, we had to pay a random person a buck. I think this was because it crossed over private property, but I had no idea. You could also get a walking stick for another dollar—I did, and I found it pretty useful. Then, after another short walk, you get to the entrance to the park where you pay another $3. There is also a place to use the bathroom or get water and snacks.
The neighboring Volcan San Marcelino
You can't really tell from the picture but you can see the Pacific Ocean from here. This was taken at the final lookout before the push to the top
The entire round-trip hike is 4.3 miles (7 km) and probably takes a little under four hours: two hours up, 30 minutes at the top, and 90 minutes down. The total elevation gain is about 1,500 ft (450 m), but it isn't like a mountain in the Andes. The area isn't high enough and the air isn't thin enough to be a real factor on the climb.
The only thing that makes the climb somewhat tough is that it isn't a steady incline the whole way. The first two-thirds of the trip is pretty easy and in the shade, but the last third is where it elevates sharply, has uneven rocky ground, and is entirely out in the sun.
You'll stop at a lookout for a break before the final push to the top
Almost to the top of the mountain to win our just reward
At the top, you are treated to a spectacular view and a dude selling ice cream. Yeah, that dude makes the hike every day with a cooler full of dry ice and sweet treats. It was only $1.50, and I would have paid twice that. Sucker.
The view at the top is a spectacular 360-degree view of the region, and you can see all of Lago de Coatepeque in the distance. This is on a short list of the best views I have ever seen.
It also features a very unique lake of sulfuric acid down in the crater at the summit. There aren't really any guardrails, so watch your step.
180 degree view from the top. The crater is right behind me.
Don't be fooled. It is not filled with delicious limited edition Shamrock Shake from Mickey D's.
Lago de Coatepeque from the top of Santa Ana Volcano
We had about 20 minutes up here, and honestly, I would have liked a little more. The guide was kind of rushing us down. At first, I was a little annoyed, but we got to the bottom just as the bus pulled up, so I guess she was right.
From here, we just headed back to Santa Ana, but if you want to see Lago de Coatepeque, you can get off in El Congo. It is a small tourist town near the lake where you can catch an Uber or tuk-tuk. I didn't go, but I hear the lake isn't super easy to access. Most of the shoreline is on private property, so you need to pay for entry or go to one of the restaurants around it to really access the water.
Heading to Guatemala from Santa Ana
If you are backpacking through Central America, heading to Lake Atitlán or Antigua in Guatemala is a popular next stop from here, and getting a bus there is pretty easy. You can book online through any of the major shuttle or bus companies, but there is one major caveat to be aware of: you don't actually get picked up at any of the local bus terminals in Santa Ana. The international buses coming from San Salvador stay on the main highway and bypass the town center entirely.
No matter which company you choose, you will need to head to the Puma gas station on the edge of town, right across the highway from the McDonald's. I used Transporte del Sol and paid about $35. It was a pretty comfortable ride, and you can even pick your seats in advance when booking. They also basically hold your hand through the whole border-crossing process into Guatemala.
Just don't forget the C4 agreement rule I mentioned earlier: no matter how long of a stay you were granted in El Salvador, your total time between El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua cannot exceed 90 days combined.
Final thoughts on Santa Ana
As I said at the beginning, I loved this place. You may have heard about El Salvador being very dangerous, and a few years ago you would have been right.
They have made some amazing strides cleaning up gangs (maybe even using some policies that people from the US would consider a little unconstitutional) and making it one of the safest countries in all of Latin America. That said, it is still a very poor country, so you should stay alert and avoid flashing valuables in public—but that is just good practice anywhere.
Would I come here again? Probably not solo. If you are just looking for some time away and a cheap place to stay, maybe... but like I said, there really isn't that much to do, and I think for most people the small-town charm would lose its luster after a while. Still, I loved the hell out of my six weeks here.
Catedral de Nuestra Señora Santa Ana lit up at night