Volcano

When people hear about a volcano they think about lava, rocks, and something that you see from far away. In El Salvador, we think as the volcano as a place to go hang out with friends or family where we can have specialty food with an amazing view from the top.

Most people don't understand when I say I miss going up to the volcano with my friends and spending the whole day there just relaxing and enjoying the view. The volcano's name is "Volcan de San Salvador" and it has been inactive for hundreds of years. If it would be active, it would result in a huge disaster for the city because it is so close to the capital, where a lot of people live. This closeness to the city makes it easier, a 30 minute drive, to get high on it.

The commercialization of the volcano has grown throughout the years because people love the idea of dining and relaxing with a view from up high. Known Salvadoran chain restaurants have opened a branch in the volcano, and many people have bought vacation houses up there to go for the weekend. All of these businesses tend to include a small hotel for people who want to stay the night or a couple of nights. The cool climate and the peacefulness up here allows you to be disconnected from the city. 

All these places mentioned are not at the top of the volcano, they are scattered in places before reaching the crater, where the view is still a good one. Regardless, people still go up to the crater, typically on hikes or just to admire even more view. The crater is know as the Boqueron, and it is one of the main attractions for tourists in my country because there is a aqua colored lagoon in the middle.