El Salvador's volcanoes dominate the skyline virtually everywhere in the country. Dramatic and beautiful, these sleeping giants have exercised an important influence on the country's agriculture, providing the fertile soil that today nourishes coffee, sugar and other plantations. Volcanoes have also played an important role in the country's history. The massive eruption that created Lake Ilopango in the second century, for example, is believed to have prompted mass migrations of El Salvador's native peoples to Guatemala and Mexico. An eruption in the 6th century buried an entire village under ash, providing archaeologists today with vital clues about small-town life in the Maya world.

Perhaps the most famous of El Salvador's volcanoes is Izalco, once known as the "lighthouse of the Pacific" because its glowing top could be seen far out at sea. In constant activity from 1770 until 1958, the volcano grew to a height of 1440 m from its base to its top before eruptions ceased.

Today, the barren slopes of this new colossus can be best seen from lookout points on Cerro Verde, just two kilometers away. A good road winds to the very top of Cerro Verde, an old volcano now covered with forest. Visitors can hike nature trails through the forest, tour an orchid garden featuring native species, picnic in the recreational areas and view nearby Izalco and Santa Ana Volcanoes from spectacular lookouts. Santa Ana, the tallest of El Salvador's volcanoes, towers 2365 meters above sea level. For a fascinating perspective on the immense power of volcanoes, visitors may also wish to visit a site known as El Playón, formed in 1917 when a lava flow from the San Salvador Volcano buried an expanse of farm land seven kilometers long and three kilometers wide.

Many of El Salvador's major geologic features, including Lakes Ilopango and Coatepeque, are of volcanic origin. No matter where you go in El Salvador, you'll have ample opportunity to witness the stately beauty of the country's many impressive volcanoes.