El Salvador's largest coffee range, in the west, taking in the Santa Ana volcano (Ilamatepec) at 2,381 m.
Apaneca-Ilamatepec is a coffee range in western El Salvador, at roughly half of the country's plantings, and takes its name from the Cordillera de Apaneca and the Santa Ana volcano (Ilamatepec), 2,381 m. Perfect Daily Grind calls Santa Ana, which this range includes, the largest and most historic of El Salvador's coffee regions.
Field notes
- i
Santa Ana volcano, also called Ilamatepec, reaches 2,381 m and is the highest volcano in El Salvador.
- ii
Bourbon has been recorded on about 64% of Apaneca-Ilamatepec's area and Pacas on about 26%, according to one roaster's survey of the range.
- iii
Café Apaneca-Ilamatepec was described in a 2011 trademark notice as El Salvador's first appellation of origin for coffee, granted to the government on 25 January 2010.
- iv
In the 2025 Cup of Excellence, 14 of the 29 winning lots came from Apaneca Ilamatepec, including a Geisha honey from Los Naranjos that scored 90.02 and a Bernardina honey from La Esperanza at 89.55.
Elsewhere in El Salvador
Sources · 8 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-10. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Coffee production in El Salvador · Wikipedia
- Santa Ana Volcano · Wikipedia
- Coffee production in El Salvador · Ozone Coffee Roasters
- Coffee production in El Salvador · Ozone Coffee Roasters
- El Salvador Coffee Origin Report 2023 · Genuine Origin
- First Appellation of Origin for coffee in El Salvador (Café Apaneca-Ilamatepec) · Marcasur (intellectual property agency)
- Cup of Excellence El Salvador 2025 results · Alliance for Coffee Excellence
- Guía de origen: así es el café de El Salvador · Perfect Daily Grind