El Boqueron National Park in El Salvador is a natural area located on top of the San Salvador or Quezaltepeque volcano. El Boqueron park is at an altitude of 1700 meters above sea level; it is on the outskirts of the nation’s capital, about 23 kilometers from the San Salvador historic district.
The National Park El Boqueron is a natural haven ideal for sightseeing and enjoying Salvadoran nature at its best. The best part is that it is only about 20 minutes from San Salvador.
The main attraction at the park is the astonishing large crater, which is about 1.5 kilometers in diameter and about 550 meters deep. Extraordinary as it sounds, there is also a small volcano crater inside the principal volcano crater called El Boqueroncito, or little Boqueron in English.
People from all over the country and foreign tourists go to El Boqueron National park to get a glimpse of the unique volcano craters.
El Boqueron has a refreshing climate the entire year-round. Visitors can enjoy the pleasant weather and walk the trails surrounded by pine trees. Here, you can appreciate the beauty of the local flora and fauna.
To historians, inside the main crater of this volcano, used to be a lake. However, the lake disappeared during the eruption of 1917 and left in place a mini volcano crater commonly known as El Boqueroncito.
The eruption of 1917 was the last time the San Salvador volcano had volcanic activity. The volcano outburst caused extensive damage to San Salvador and other towns nearby, like Nejapa and Quezaltepeque.
Tourism at El Boqueron National Park
El Boqueron Park is a popular destination for local and foreign tourists for reasons such as the climate, the views, the flora, the fauna, and of course, the volcano craters.
Today, you can visit the Boqueron National Park and enjoy the views at the many viewpoints, taste the local cuisine at the many restaurants in the area, take the trails and explore the park, and reach the summit and view El Boqueroncito.
The El Boqueron Museum
If you want to know more about the park and the volcano, you can visit the small museum that is located at the entrance of the park. At the museum, you will find photos, videos, and other information related to the history of the park and the volcano.
Once you finish with the museum visit, you can start touring the fantastic national park. On the positive side, the hike to the summit is not that difficult, and the trails are well marked.
Gastronomy
While visiting El Boqueron National Park, you can try the typical Salvadoran foods at the many restaurants along the way to the park.
Additionally, you can eat at any of the many small food places located at the entrance of the park; they all serve typical dishes like pupusas, tamales, enchiladas, and many others.
Hiking Down to El Boqueroncito
Another popular activity at El Boqueron is to hike down to El Boqueroncito; this hike is for those who are looking for something more challenging to do.
Hiking down and hiking up is not easy to do, there are no roads or clear paths to the bottom. So, you will have to do the hiking with the use of ropes, through densely vegetated areas, and loose rocks.
Also, some people that hike down to El Boqueroncite; choose to camp inside the main crater, around the small volcano crater.
Click here to see a short five-minute video done by Juan Lievano showing their hike to El Boqueroncito; the video is in Spanish, but you can have subtitles in English.
The Views from El Boqueron National Park
The views from El Boqueron are beautiful and plentiful; the best part is that you don’t have to hike to the top to see them.
Along the road to El Boqueron, you will find restaurants and viewpoints; where you can see and appreciate the landscapes of the area, which includes astonishing views of San Salvador.
The park has trails that lead to EL Picacho, which is the highest point in the park; along these trails, you will have plenty of opportunities to appreciate the landscape around the park.
El Boqueron National Park in El Salvador
There is no doubt that El Boqueron park is a great option to enjoy nature and practice ecotourism; this park has ample natural beauty for visitors to enjoy and appreciate.
If you get the chance to visit El Boqueron, go to El Picacho, is the highest point of the volcano; from there, you will get great views of the incredible volcano craters.
In any case, El Boqueron National Park in El Salvador is one of the best natural parks in the country; therefore, you should visit it as soon as possible. El Boqueron is a great option to get away from the noise of the city and to breathe fresh air; it is not that far away.
