El Espíritu de la Montaña

On a recent trip to El Salvador, camping on top of this mountain was the highlight of my vacation! Amazing views, sunsets, sunrises and such a feeling of calm. The night sky was lit up with stars! Coming from the studio, I haven't seen that many stars in a very long time without needing a telescope. I will definitely be back!

Absolutely stunning views. I highly recommend taking the 15 dollar ride up (Maravillas de Oriente Tours) otherwise the ride up is very uneven and many rocks on the road. You absolutely need a 4X4 vehicle or you can be in trouble. Once up, the views are stunning and beautiful. I recommend a jacket; it gets pretty windy and chilly up there. I was given a tour around the mountain trail. They do have a small shop with snacks and coffee from the mountain. Hot Chocolate was amazing. Additionally, they had a nice little restaurant up in the observatory. Selection was small but the food had amazing flavors. Highly recommend this place.

Great place, beautiful views of the gulf plus the island on it. Good weather and great camping experience

Amazing experience! Knowledgeable guides explain the history behind what was once the Mayan and lenca culture there. They’ve recently made a pyramid to show you the roots of the local tribes. The view was amazing!!

This was an incredible experience and I'm already planning on going back! You can see Honduras and Nicaragua from this viewpoint. 🤩 We didn't get exactly what we were hoping but it was beautiful. Pictures and videos couldn't capture how beautiful. There was a lightning storm so we didn't get to see the stars, but we did watch the storm and amazing sunrise. We went in August and storms are the norm. It was windy so if you are a nervous camper like me, you might think your tent will fly away in the middle of the night but obviously I'm still alive. 😆 I enjoy camping every once in a while but I'm not an expert, so it was great having a tour guide (shout out to Chamba from Tunco Life) who helped with setting up the campsite and took care of all the driving. Also, there's a little restaurant up there with very cheap food but I only had the hot chocolate, which I loved. Can't wait for the next time I go back!

When we came across this little gem we had to visit! There are trucks going up the volcano but you can also hike if you want the path is very well marked and it takes about 1hour to go up!
Once at the viewpoint you are rewarded with the most beautiful view and you can see all the way to Honduras and Nicaragua!
Unfortunately the weather wasn’t on our side and it rained the whole night so that we seeked shelter under one of the roofs and didn’t sleep on the deck but this is probably the most beautiful experience so go there when you have a good weather forecast!
Incredible! And their service is 10/10 - food in the restaurant was good and cheap and everybody was super helpful and nice! Probably the coolest thing we did in El Salvador

One of the most beautiful hikes in the Union area.

It is totally worth it , very steep from the beginning.

Once you get to the top , there’s a 5$ fee entrance - if you want to camp 🏕 you pay an extra 2$ for a total of 7$ then they have tents available for rent so you can bring your own or you if don’t have one don’t worry they got you.

The property is located in a coffee plantation.

Grab a beer or a cup of coffee and enjoy the amazing view this place has to offer.

( It took me and my husband an hour and 25 minutes to get to the top 🔝, don’t be fooled by the people in the trucks 🛻 trying to get you up there for 5$ , the hike is a good one , a little hard but totally worth it.)

Have fun!

Definitely a must see when in El Salvador! All the staff are very professional and go above and beyond to help you. They were quick to answer all my questions on What’s App (in English) and even went out of the way to drop me off at the bus station on our way back to town.

There is breakfast, lunch and dinner available on the mountain as well as snacks, beer and other drinks all day. The prices are very fair. Meals start at $2.50 and $2 for a beer. They also offer tent, mattress and sleeping bag rentals if you don’t have your own with you.

The owner is extremely hard working and is constantly expanding the property. He said he will soon be offering cabins to rent, a museum of the local history and a second tower on the other side of the mountain to watch the sunsets.

Send them a message on What’s App and they will get you all setup and ready to go!

I will be sure to visit again and look forward to seeing how this property grows.

Lovely place! Amazing view and unforgettable moments

Absolutely incredible experience. The only problem was some drunk, wealthy tourists who stayed up very late and were very loud, and broke the toilet...literally. I felt bad for the amazing workers there. Overall, an incredible experience that I would not trade - prepare for a late night and an early morning...or stay in a more remote part of the forrest to avoid anyone not respecting the tranquility of the place. Despite the ruckus, I would return again with my kids. Camping is only $2 per person. The restaurant food was amazing. We made friends too - many locals visit and most of the tourists are respectful.

Nice experience,beautiful view

Fantastic views! Great place to hangout.
Kids can play around and enjoy nature.
The restaurant on site is excellent. We had every meal there.

I couldn’t find any information about visiting “Espiritu de La Montana” with a motorcycle before going, so here’s a report in case it helps anyone. The road up to the lookout from Amapalita (near La Union) is usually described as a 4x4 only road. Be careful that there is a route google shows coming from Cachagua, but it does not exist! Locals told me if I went that way, I’d be going off a cliff. Based on the description of the official route up from the paid entry point at Amapalita, I was expecting a dirt road, probably rutted with big rocks, etc.

However the road after the gate is actually made of huge embedded cobblestones/river rock, so it’s not dirt, and on a motorcycle, not the same as a dirt road would be. I did it on a fully-loaded adventure bike (400lbs), and managed it both up and down. Locals seem to take little bikes with street tires up and down easily, and there are a lot of stickers from Central American moto clubs up top. But it is incredible steep, with several very challenging hairpin turns. The cobblestones bounce you around like crazy, so some ground clearance is needed. The way up took me 25 minutes, down took longer because a few of the turns I basically had to walk the bike in gear to make it. I think most motorcycles could do this road in dry conditions, as long as you are comfortable with very steep, exposed riding with tight turns and an uneven surface. There are also trucks coming both up and down, and they take up the full width of the road. If it’s wet, I would not attempt it as these types of cobblestones turn super slick.

You can camp at the lookout point, which is incredible for sunrise. It’s not quiet or relaxing because people are arriving all night, but definitely worth it for the view! They charged me $1 to enter with the bike, $7 for camping (with my gear), hot chocolate up top is $1. If you want to avoid riding the road yourself, it sounds easy to catch the big shuttle truck up from town instead and camp that way.

Loved going up here!

Unfortunately didn't get to see the sunrise as had a bus that morning, but went up at 3pm and came down at 6pm after sunset. Spoke in detail with the owner and love what he's trying to achieve.

Facilities up there are great, a very well priced restaurant and shop with snacks/drinks etc. You can also rent tents, mattresses and sleeping bags here, no need to preorder or do it with a tour.

We turned up to the red dragon restaurant in la union at 3pm and got a lift up to the top and back down.

Really great view from the top, would love to come again for sunrise, all the best to the great team there.

A tour company will take you up from downtown La Union. $15 for transport and park entry fee. Leaves daily at 3 pm, back around 7.
The view is just spectacular of the whole bay and overlooks 3 countries. The clouds often roll through, but quickly so you should get some amazing views!
There is a 30 min walk at the end with an anticlimactic view but still great to be out in nature.

Increible view! Just be aware, the road is absolutely ROUGH! 4X4 Vehicle is highly recommended...

Incredible views and a lovely spot for a morning tea. The journey to the top was fairly rough across a bumpy windy road, but well worth the trip!

Super experience!!

17$ transportation + depend of what you need for camping.
Tent 10$ mattress 7$ sleeping bag 3$
There is a small shop with all you need. Hot chocolate is great! Coffee awful 😬
Road is horrible and accessible only with 4x4, even motorbike can be problem.

I was talking to locals and found the tour company Maravillas de Oriente Tours, where you take the truck to the Espíritu de la Montaña. It costs 15 roundtrip same day or 17 USD next day return. They give you a ribbon.

I took the truck to go up the mountain at 3PM and we left at 3:15PM totally full o people, very packed, was even hard to find space and most of people were standing. Is very uncomfortable so get ready. We got there at 4:20PM.

There I rented a tent and mattress for 15 USD. They have simple toilet and a small kioski so you can buy groceries. Anyway I had my water and some snacks which was enough.

Next day morning I could take the truck to go back at 7AM or 9AM, maybe there is later but I don't think makes sense to stay longer. I took the second. We left actually 9:30AM, also full but not as much as before and got back 10:25AM.

Amazing experience, really magical views, definitely a must if you happen to be in the area, the hike by foot is not hard, about 2 hours.
They have pretty much everything up there, camping gear for rent, restaurant and a little "tienda" that serves coffee and hot chocolate:)