Lake Coatepeque in El Salvador is a beautiful caldera of volcanic origin located in the department of Santa Ana; the lake is surrounded by dense forest and a beautiful landscape. This stunning lake is a popular destination for local and foreign tourists looking for a great place to relax and enjoy with family or friends.
This is a unique fact about this lake, for the fifth consecutive year, an event has happened at this lake, the watercolor has changed from its traditional blue to a turquoise color.
As of today, I was not able to find out why this happens, some believe that it’s due to this being a volcanic caldera. Lake Coatepeque is an excellent location to visit and spend time relaxing.
Activities at Lake Coatepeque
Lake Coatepeque is an ideal location for spending time with family or friends in a relaxed atmosphere. Here, you can take a boat trip and explore the lake, go swimming, kayaking, fishing, Scuba Diving, or you can simply enjoy the scenery.
To start with, you can take a boat trip and explore this astounding lake and its surroundings, you will get to see the magnificent landscapes that encircle the caldera. Furthermore, you can enjoy other exploring activities such as kayaking or fishing.
Now, if you don’t want to spend the time exploring the lake, you can just stay at the shore and go swimming or just relax at one of the local restaurants.
Scuba Diving is also an activity that can be done at this caldera; however, there is no diving shop at this lake. So, you will need to make arrangements with a diving company beforehand.
El Salvador Divers is a diving company with great reviews that offers diving services at this lake.
Lake Coatepeque has astonishing scenery that can be viewed and appreciated from one of the lookout points around the lake, or from within the lake or its banks.
The activities at this lake are limited; nonetheless, this fantastic volcanic caldera, is one of the most popular attractions in El Salvador.
Accommodations at Lake Coatepeque
Staying at Lake Coatepeuqe is a fantastic idea, you can relax and enjoy what the area has to offer. Here are some of the hotels and hostels available in the area.
Additionally, the lake is surrounded by private homes, some of which are for rent. So, you can also look for vacation rentals by owners (VRBO) and see what is available in this area.
Accommodations at Lake Coatepeque are not as vast as other lake locations; nevertheless, there are plenty of great options.
Gastronomy
At this lake, you will have many choices of restaurants to choose from. All of them serve different variations of typical Salvadoran dishes and also dishes with fresh fish extracted from the lake.
Lake Coatepeque location
Lake Coatepeque is located near the small town of El Congo; the largest city near this lake is Ana. Click here to see the location on Google Maps.
If you are planning to visit Lake Coatepeque for the day and you have never been there before, I recommend you use a guide or a touring company to get around; it will be a bit more expensive, but you will get to see and enjoy more than in you do it by yourself.
Now, if you are going to stay for more than a day, you can take the bus from Santa Ana, El Congo, or other towns nearby. It’s best to check with the hotel you are staying at to see if they offer free transportation, or for them to tell you the best way to get to the hotel.
To sum up, this volcanic caldera is a fantastic location to spend a day or a few days relaxing. Activities such as boating, kayaking, swimming, or relaxing at the shore will make you visit unforgettable.
Stay at one of the local hotels and enjoy some fantastic local gastronomy, I am sure you will enjoy your time at this lake!
