A perfect week in El Salvador

This is the part where I start sweating buckets and probably don’t stop for the next four months. First impression of El Salvador, it’s warm. Very warm and I’ve resigned myself to the fact I’m going to have a SUL (sweaty upper lip) for the remainder of my time here.

El Salvador is the second least densiely populated country in Central America and currently the most dangerous country in the world due to having the highest murder rate in the world. Reading about El Salvador’s high crime rate and shocking murder rate should have been a deterrent to heading off hiking and running on trails alone but after a few days here I felt very safe and found the people so genuinely friendly. Not like other countries where if someone is being friendly I was always thinking right, what is it you want? It seems here people are nice for nothing. I’ve been running and hiking alone and have come back unscathed. So far so safe in El Salvador, touch wood. I’m still in the country so I’m afraid of jinxing it.

El Salvador’s often overlooked on the gringo trial but it really shouldn’t be skipped. Perhaps due to its bad rep because of safety concerns or the fact the backpackers are oblivious of its beauty and attractions. For whatever reason, it tends not to be on backpackers radar. The people and the waterfalls were the high light of El Salvador for me. I found El Salvadorians to be the most helpful and welcoming people.

Getting there

I got a direct shuttle from Antigua to Santa Ana with a very quick change of bus in Guatemala. Its a relatively quick journey but between driving around Antigua picking people up and dropping off in various locations in Guatemala and waiting on a taxi in Santa Ana to our hostel, it took about 7 hours door to door. From Antigua there are plenty of shuttles going direct to the beach and to San Salvador.

Santa Ana

First stop was Santa Ana to check out the Santa Ana volcano, just cause I hadn’t got enough of them in Guatemala and to have a wander around the city of santa Ana. Santa Ana is the second largest city after the capital, San Salvador. Two nights is enough time to do the listed things.

What to do

1. Climb the Santa Ana volcano. This volcano is El Salvador’s third highest peak. Its last eruption was in 2005 which triggered landslides that killed two coffee pickers and caused thousands to have to evacuate. It’s very safe though now to climb. From the summit, you can see spectacular views of the crater filled with turquoise green water on one side and Lago de Coatepeque on the other. Our hostel organised transport there for $10 and they require a minimum of four people. The tour left at 9.30 am and got back at about 3pm. The other option is to take a shuttle bus which leaves at 7.30am. There are two enterance to the volcano, 11am and 12pm so make sure you make one of them. It is about a 40 minute drive from Santa Ana. You have to go with a guide and police escorts for safety which costs $1 and the entrance fee is $6. Our hostel organised

2. Lago de Coatepeque– an amazing view of a 6km wide sparkling blue lake can be seen on the way to Santa Ana volcano from the mirador. Most of the properties dotted around the lake are owned by El Salvadors elite. You can swim, dive or boat around the lake for $5.

3. Tazumal ruins– these are easily accessed by bus from Santa Ana in 20 minutes. After the ruins in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala these aren’t anything special. They’re closed on Mondays and opening times are Tuesday-Sunday 9am-5pm and costs $3 in.

Where to stay:

Casa Verde is the only place to stay. Carlos and his team have thought of everything! Chargers in the lockers, individual fans, lockers and charging sockets at each bed, separate male and female bathrooms in the dorms and towels are provided. I was so happy not to see bunk beds. The hostel has a kitchen better equipped than my mother’s at home and has a lovely pool and hammocks to relax in. Definitely the best hostel in El Salvador.

Where to eat

Simmer down: they are the number one ranked  place to eat on trip advisor in Santa Ana and with good reason. The shrimp salad is delicious and the pizzas are insanely good. They’re huge so you will get lunch and dinner out of one pizza.

Juayua

This is the largest and most popular of the towns along La Ruta de las Flores due to it’s pretty cobbled streets, weekend food festival, nearby waterfalls and hot springs. La Ruta de Las Flores is a road that connections small traditional El Salvadorian towns. This series of beautiful towns each have a mix of colonial architecture in indigenous tones. The walls are painted with colourful murals and along the road, you will see bright pink, red and purple flowers.
Every weekend throughout the year there is a food festival which attractions tourists and locals alike. The 249 bus runs frequently (every 20 mins) between Sonsonate and Ahuachapan connecting Juayua, Apaneca and Ataco. 2-3 nights in Ruta de las Flores is plenty of time to explore the waterfalls, hot springs and towns.

Things to do

1. La Ruta de Las Flores– wander around Juayua and take the 249 bus to different towns along the route. My favourite was Apaneca with its beautiful murals and sleepy atmosphere.

2. Visit the hot springs- our hostel can organise transport to the Santa Tresa hot springs for $35 pp which is extortionate compared to the 75c bus which takes an hour and drops you a 1km walk from the springs. Entrance to the springs is $5 and they have 11 hot pools to chose from. It was like being in a spa in the jungle for the day. I was the only person bar two staff members at the springs that day. Well worth the trip! It is very easy to get there on the 249 bus that runs every 15 minutes. I did it in a morning so give yourself half a day.

3. Los chorros waterfalls– you can access the waterfall on foot from Santa Ana in about 20 minutes for free. However, they recommend a guide or a police escort as there have been robberies in the past. We went with a tour through the hostel which brings you on a hike through the fincas (coffee plantations), several different waterfalls which we climbed down with ropes. This was brilliant and well worth the $20 to see the other waterfalls and to hike through the fincas. Lunch was included too at the last waterfall. The tour was about 5 hours in total.

Where to stay

Hostal Casa Mazeta: Lovely hostel with a great kitchen, nice garden and very central. The bus dropped us right outside the door. The owner is English and organised a tour to the waterfalls for us. They have information in English and Spanish on how to get to different towns via chicken buses which is really helpful.

Where to eat:

• Esmereldas and Sugey for pupusas. Pupusas are corn tortillas filled with cheese, beans and meat if you fancy. They are cheaper than chips, usually starting at about 30c. Eat many when you’re here.
• Pasteleria Y Cafeteria: A cafe serving baked goods which are everywhere in El Salvador. My favourite was a cone shaped baked, hollow crossiant filled with a dulce de leche/ vanilla cream. Either way, delicious.

El Tunco

I got the bus from Juayua to Sonsonate (249 bus) which takes about 45 mins and costs 0.80 and then got a direct bus from Sonsonate (287 bus) to El Tunco which takes 2 hours. The last bus leaves at 3.30 pm to the beach from Sonsonate.

What to do

Apart from surfing and chilling out on the beach there isn’t a whole lot to do in El Tunco.

1. Surfing- I’m not a surfer but I hear the surf is great for advanced and beginners.

2. Watch the sunset- The sunsets are some of the best I’ve seen and are hard to beat.

3. Visit Taminque waterfalls- These waterfalls are incredible! The best in El Salvador in my opinion. We found it difficult to get information online about how to get there. Tours do runs but don’t go on an organised tour. It costs $35 and we did it for $7 including breakfast.

• Go early in the morning as it gets HOT on the steep hike on the way back. The bus leaves once an hour at quarter to the hour from El Tunco so catch the 7.45 or 8.45am bus.
• The bus to get is the 187 to Taminique that goes just across the road from the entrance to El Tunco. It goes up the hill , away from the coast, costs 50 cents and leaves Taminique on the hour to return to El Tunco.
• Don’t wear flipflops. Bit of a hands and knees climbing job at points so wear trainers or something you can hike in.
• Pay a local fella $5 each to take you to the waterfalls. Make sure he takes you to all three of them. The biggest and most impressive one is a bit of a hike down but worth it. These guys are on the street and straight onto you the minute you hop off the bus if you’re white or look anyway like a tourist. Negociate the price first. If you meet a guy called Alex, tell him the Irish girls say hi.

Where to stay

Papaya Lodge: A grand hostel with a dismal but functional kitchen, AC, a bar, a pool and hammocks. Social and basic but perfect whilst by the beach. I paid $8 a night for a dorm room. If this is full I’ve heard Tunco Lodge is also good.

Where to eat

I have done a separate post because I feel the food here is desering of it’s own post but here’s a few:

• Break Point cafe- crepes and salads.
• Day cafe- smoothie bowls, wraps, salads and sandwiches.
• Tunco veloz– best pizza in El Tunco.
• Sarita- ice cream.
• Loroco Bistro- artisan pizza and burgers.
• Green Falafel- Falafel and hummus.

Where to drink

• Monkey Lala
• Ocelotl restaurante bar- all drinks $1.50. And proper drinks, not watered down orange juice. Need I say no more.

Leaving El Tunco

So our next destination is Copan in Honduras. There are shuttles from El Tunco to La Ceiba, San Pedro Sula and Copan in Honduras but only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. We ended up staying in El Tunco for five nights as we had to wait until Tuesday to get a shuttle out of here to Copan. In fairness, there are worse places to be “stuck”. The shuttle to Copan is $35 and leaves at 12pm. We are told it takes about 5-6 hours. Buses leave daily for Leon so if Nicaragua is next on your hit list, this is fairly easy.

Until the next update in Honduras…