Cerro El Pital

Cerro El Pital reaches 2,730 metres on the boundary with Honduras and is the highest point in El Salvador, high enough that the summit carries cloud forest of oak, cypress and moss quite unlike the country below, and cold enough that temperatures drop below freezing on winter nights, which is a novelty in a tropical country and the reason Salvadorans come. The slopes below at Las Pilas grow strawberries, lettuce, cabbage and flowers in cool-climate market gardens, sold at roadside stalls. Access is through private land with several operators charging entry, and cabins and campsites cluster on the approach. The summit is often in cloud and the view is not the point for most visitors.

The landscape

• The summit - the highest ground in the country, usually in cloud.
• Cloud forest - the mossy oak and cypress on the upper slopes.
• Strawberry farms - the cool-climate market gardens at Las Pilas.
• Cabins and camps - the accommodation clustered on the approach.

When to go

November to April in the dry season, when nights are coldest and the novelty of frost draws visitors. Cloud sits on the summit for much of the year. Weekends and holidays fill the cabins.

What to expect

Access is through private land with several separate entry charges. Cloud usually removes the view from the summit. The roads up are rough and steep. Weekend crowds and litter are significant.

Nearby

La Palma lies south; Miramundo is on the same range.

Key facts