One of El Salvador's gems, this park encompasses three major volcanoes and thousands of acres in the heart of the country. Cerro Verde is 1.5 million years old, Izalco began burping lava in 1770 and Santa Ana, aka Mother Hill, awoke from its slumber in 2005 in a dramatic cloud of ash. Closed for months, the park will reopen when scientists give the go-ahead.

A paved road leads all the way to the visitor center. You can climb Izalco or Santa Ana in a day - not the same day - or take a short stroll on a nature loop in the forested area. For a little more adventure, there are areas for camping, and guided hikes up the volcanoes from there. Before 2003, the park was simply called Parque Nacional Cerro Verde, and most Salvadorans still use that name; in fact, you may get some strange looks using the new name.