Our travels bring us to Cerro La Silla in El Valle de Anton, one of the largest inhabited dormant volcano calderas in the world.
One of the most beautiful yet uncrowded hiking trails around the valley is Cerro la Silla.
Getting There
To get to the Cerro La Silla trail from El Valle, head east on route 71 which is the main road through town.
Around 3 kilometers after Reys market, keep an eye out for this building on the left. Soon after the curve, turn right at the unmarked dirt road.
Follow the dirt road for approximately 150 meters up to the 90 degree curve. I recommend parking here.
Once you start off on your hike, approximately 150 meters from the parking area, turn left at the first intersection.
Statistics
From our starting point, the hike to Cerro La Silla is around 5.5 kilometers out and back.
Total elevation gain from our starting point is somewhere around 600 feet.
The terrain mainly consists of rock, soil and grass yet it is relatively easy to navigate.
Cerro La Silla is a relatively easy hike. There is currently no cost to hike on this trail.
The Trail
Don’t forget to look around as you make your way on the trail. You might get lucky and see a leaf cutter ant hill, or a blue morpho butterfly.
As you reach the towers, you will get your first glimpse of the incredible landscape.
The trail is flat for the most part and mainly follows a steep and oftentimes narrow ridge line with steep drop offs.
Keep an eye out for incoming clouds as the weather can be somewhat unpredictable.
The further you venture out on the trail, the more you will appreciate the views of the valley and surrounding area.
As a result of rain or accumulations of morning dew, the climbs can get quite slippery on the packed claylike soil surface.
The ridge line itself is impressive with its’ abrupt drop-offs. It is lined with grasses that gently dance in the wind, making for breathtaking views.
The Views
Cerro La Silla is one of the most captivating hikes in El Valle de Anton. Once you reach the summit, among others, you will be able to see incredible views of the Pacific Ocean, Cerro Picacho, Cerro Gaital as well El Valle de Anton’s caldera.
From this vantage point, you can also see La India Dormida, which, will be the subject of one of our next videos.
During our hike, we were lucky to see a falcon practice its’ impressive high speed aerials. If you know what type of falcon this is, let me know in the comment below.
Of all our hikes in El Valle de Anton, Cerro La Silla is, by far, my favorite one.
FOLLOW ME:
WEBSITE: https://taintedmango.com
YOUTUBE: https://goo.gl/3KcPLx
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TaintedMango
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/TaintedMango