Lago de Coatepeque

Did you know that one of the biggest volcanoes in El Salvador is actually a lake? Lake Coatepeque is a volcanic caldera in the department of Santa Ana, El Salvador. A couple of weeks ago, Love & Hope Children’s Home took a day trip to the lake.

The Love & Hope kids love the ocean and the beach. We make it out to the ocean a few times a year, but this was only the second time we’ve visited Coatepeque Lake. The lake is certainly different than the beach: calm, quiet, cool, and deep. On the way, we asked the little boys, “How is a lake different from the ocean?” Their answers were a little off, so it was a good learning experience!

Thanks to money donated specifically for outings such as these, we were able to rent a small cabin right on the lake front for the day. The property had a deck and a floating dock out in the water. We swam out to the dock, jumped off and laid out in the sun. The little boys played in a shallow area close to the shore.

Later, we were able to rent a jet ski! When the owner of the jet ski asked, “Who wants to go first?” Chamba was the first to say, “Me!” We were all a little surprised that Chamba hopped right on that jet ski with the other boys, showed no fear, and even got to “drive” a little bit. The older girls also took a turn, screaming and laughing the whole time.

Afterward, we took a calmer boat ride together. The owner of the boat, drove us around the lake, answering our questions about the lake and surrounding landforms (Cerro Verde and the Santa Ana Volcano) and pointing out the well known families that owned each house. He even gave us a chance to jump off the boat into a deep part of the lake. Again, the kids showed no fear and jumped right in!

We ended the day with a snack and headed home exhausted but happy. Spending a day at Lake Coatepeque was a great experience! Thank you to those who help provide these experiences to our children through your generous donations.