Thanks to its convenient location, panoramic views, abundant hiking trails, and pleasant year-round climate, El Boquerón is one of El Salvador’s most visited national parks—and one of its most fascinating geological marvels.
Tours typically combine El Boquerón with exploration of the capital city, San Salvador, or Suchitoto, one of El Salvador’s best-preserved colonial cities. Day trips often include hiking trails that weave their way to scenic miradors. The park also has also a small museum and several restaurants where you can feast on Salvadoran food and soak up spectacular vistas.
El Boquerón is a must-see attraction for adventure travelers and outdoor enthusiasts visiting El Salvador.
Bring cash, plenty of water, sun protection like a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses, as well as insect repellent.
Wear comfortable shoes suitable for walking over uneven surfaces.
There are plenty of restaurants along the hiking routes and some local stalls at the top.
There’s also a small museum if you’re interested in finding out more about El Boquerón and the volcanic history of the park.
El Boquerón is located atop an active volcano, but it’s closely monitored for any signs of seismic activity. The last eruption was in 1917.
El Boquerón national park is on the outskirts of San Salvador, around 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the center of El Salvador’s capital. Most visitors arrive by tour or taxi/rideshare, which takes around 30 minutes. It’s also possible to reach El Boquerón by local bus, but this isn’t the best option if you’re short on time as it takes two buses and a short walk to reach the park.
The best time to visit El Boquerón is during El Salvador’s dry season, from November to March/April—however, the park is still beautiful during the warmer, wetter summer months. El Boquerón is open daily, but if you’re planning on hiking then it’s worth arriving as close to opening as possible so you can enjoy the cooler morning temperatures.
El Boquerón is actually a massive stratovolcano that formed inside the caldera of an old volcano that collapsed over 40,000 years ago. Also known as San Salvador volcano and Quezaltepeque, the crater at El Boquerón—which translates as ‘big mouth’—was previously home to a huge caldera lake, but during the volcano’s last eruption in 1917, this was replaced by the cinder cone known as Boqueroncito that you can see in the center of the crater today.
