Lake Ilopango

Ilopango fills a caldera about eleven by eight kilometres east of San Salvador, formed by a very large eruption in the fifth or sixth century AD whose ash fall has been identified in ice cores far away and which is thought to have forced the abandonment of settlements across a wide area of the region. The lake is deep, the shores steep, and small islands appeared in the middle during an eruption in 1880. Beach clubs, restaurants and boat launches line parts of the shore at Apulo and Corinto, boats run out to swim and to the islands, and fishing continues. Water quality has been affected by run-off from the surrounding urban area.

What you actually see

• The caldera lake - the wide deep water in its steep-sided bowl.
• The 1880 islets - the small islands formed in the middle of the lake.
• Shore clubs - the beach and restaurant developments at Apulo.
• Boat trips - the runs out onto the water and around the islands.

When to go

November to April in the dry season. Weekends fill the shore clubs with visitors from San Salvador; weekdays are quiet. Mornings are calmest on the water.

Honest expectations

Water quality varies and has been affected by urban run-off; check before swimming. Shore access is largely through private clubs that charge. Boat prices are negotiated. Some shore areas are run down.

Nearby

San Salvador lies west; Cojutepeque is east.