San Salvador volcano has probably the most accessible summit crater in El Salvador, due to its proximity to the city of San Salvador. The best way to get there is to drive to Santa Tecla via the Pan American highway. At the second traffic light turn right (due south)and follow the road up to a "zona marginal" or shanty town. A dirt road starts there, climbing almost to the summit and across to the other side of the volcano.
You should drive along this road for about 6 km to the small village (or Canton) of El Progreso. There you will turn left and continue on this road until the end of the road, where there is a small parking lot. A short climb to the summit will reveal the crater which has a diameter of approximately 1.5 km. If you are interested in climbing down into the crater there are small paths that start to the south of the communication antennas
To see an image of a topographic map of San Salvador Volcano click here.
Photo by Williams & Meyer-Abich (1955). Oblique aerial view of San Salvador volcano from the north.