Lakes

Coatepeque Lake

Coatepeque Lake , nestled in the foothills of the Santa Ana volcano, is considered one of the ten most beautiful lakes in the world and competed in recent years as one of the new seven wonders of the natural world.

Coatepeque is a volcanic lake and its name in Nahuatl language means "Hill of Snakes". His body of water is around 24.8 km ², and its center reaches 115 meters.

On the banks of the lake there are two rock formations called the "glasses". It also has an island called "Teopan" which was a shrine to the goddess Izqueye (companion of Quetzalcoatl). On the island Teopan the Maya had a temple and a representative of the goddess Ixqueye monolith, female deity of pre-Columbian culture; so in some parts of the island you can see petroglyphs that show the importance of this island for the Indians.

Coatepeque Lake is an ideal condition for ecotourism, the observation of resident and migratory birds, you can hike around the lake, also allows the practice of mountain biking. The lake fishing is practiced, diving and you can tour the waters by kayak, jet ski or boat.

A gazebo and several restaurants overlooking the lake, make more pleasant the visit to this beautiful place.

Lake Coatepeque participated

in 2013 at the

eighth wonder of the world which took second place, and being a favorite for tourists from various countries who have visited destinations. Declared of National Tourist Interest Center Coatepeque is a destination you can not miss, simply because we love at first sight.

Ilopango Lake

Ilopango lake is a crater lake which fills a scenic 8×11 km (72 kmor 28 sq mi) volcanic caldera in central El Salvador, on the borders of the San Salvador, La Paz, andCuscatlán departments. The caldera, which contains the second largest lake in the country and is located immediately east of the capital city, San Salvador, has a scalloped 100 m (330 ft) to 500 m (1,600 ft) high rim. The lake is globally known for being responsible for the infamous Extreme weather events of 535–536, and locally Ilopango lake is known for being a hot spot for UFO sightings. The military airbase, Ilopango International Airport has annual airshows where international pilots form all over the world fly over San Salvador City and Ilopango lake.

Eruptive History

Four major dacitic - rhyolitic eruptions occurred during the late Pleistocene and Holocene, producing pyroclastic flows and tephra that blanketed much of the country.

The caldera collapsed most recently sometime between 410 and 535 AD (based on radiocarbon dating of plant life directly related to the eruption),which produced widespread pyroclastic flows and devastated Mayan cities.

 The eruption produced about 25 km3 (6.0 cu mi) of tephra (20 times as much as the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens), thus rating a 6 on the (VEI) Volcanic Explosivity Index. The "ash-cloud fallout [..] blanketed an area of at least 10,000 square kilometres waist-deep in pumice and ash", which would have stopped all agricultural endeavor in the area for decades.

Later eruptions formed several lava domes within the lake and near its shore. The only historical eruption, which occurred from December 31, 1879, up to March 26, 1880, produced alava dome and had a VEI of 3. The lava dome reached the surface of the lake, forming the islets known as Islas Quemadas.

Suchitlan Lake

Suchitlán "City of Flowers"  is an artificial lake created in 1973 after the construction of the dam Cerrón Grande on the Lempa River has an area of ​​135 km2, being the largest lake in El Salvador. His natural character dominates a large region between the departments of San Salvador, Chalatenango Cuscatlan and, Suchitoto is the site of preference for admission.

Its economic activities include tourism, fishing and marine transportation to the banks. There is an important wildlife, especially fish and waterfowl that give some interest as an ecosystem. You can visit three islands.

The lake is surrounded by villages which could be accessed, San Luis del Carmen, San Francisco Lempa or the emblematic city of Suchitoto. Near this town two miles away is the Puerto San Juan, a modern resort with cafes, various seating areas, dockside boat and ferry.

To address a boat or ferry will help you enjoy the Bird Island wich is a place where resident birds such as herons, ducks and migratory birds can be observed. Another interesting tour is called Hermit Island, this island is a teak forest and camping is allowed. The third path is to the Hacienda Colima This tour lasts 2 hours.