We arrived in El Salvador with a friendly welcome at the airport. The airport of El Salvador is about 1 hour ride from San Salvador on a well paved highway.
In San Salvador, we visited the historic center, where the main cathedral and the presidential palace are. There is also a rather large and brand new library, built for the people that is open 24 hours day.
One of the churches that really stands out downtown, is the Iglesia El Rosario in Plaza de Libertad. Iglesia El Rosario, designed by Ruben Martines, was one of El Salvador’s most famous architects. He designed a very modern church, in the shape of a bridge, and made of only concrete, iron and lots of beautiful stained glass windows.
On a walk in a northern suburb, we visited the home of Fernando Llort at El Albol de Dios. Fernanda Llort is one of the El Salvador’s most important artists. Visiting his small boutique museum offered an interesting view of his life, and his influence on the Art scene of El Salvador, and beyond its borders as well.
Some other museums we had opportunity to visit were as follows:
The Modern Art Museum (MARTE) and learnt about the history of El Salvador thought art. Interesting museum for historic and modern Salvadorean art.
We also visited the the National Museum of Anthropology (MUNA), and were able to learn a bit more about the lives and cultures of Meseoamerica ( Maya, Pipil and Lenca ) and its history. The museum has an amazing mural painted by Antonio Barila. The mural represents the history of El Salvador.
Just a short ride outside of San Salvador is El Boqueron National Park. We pretty much decided over breakfast on an overcast day, to go, so we took an Uber to the top of the San Salvador volcano. The volcano last erupted in 1917 and destroyed large parts of San Salvador. It is now inactive, but unfortunately, we picked a wrong day to visit this volcano. Each mile we ascended the steep and curved roads, the rain seemed to get heavier, and the fog more dense. We were with another fellow traveler, who had a limited time so we mustered onwards and upwards. It is a beautifully set up park with great stairways to go up and down, with many ‘Miradors” ( places to stop and get a great view) of the crater, the valley and the city below. Sadly all we could see were clouds, and fog, and the nearby tall trees and vegetation. It was an experience for sure. Not exactly what we had hoped for, but fun nevertheless.
A brief History of El Salvador
This small country was the center of several ongoing and recent Civil wars, and gang violence of historic levels, for many years. Many citizens fled the country to live elsewhere, and are only now moving back, as El Salvador has made tons of progress in the areas of stability and safety and security. In El Salvador, in almost every church you can see the portrait of Oscar Romero, who is a religious icon, and who devoted himself to the less fortunate, speaking out against social injustice and violence in the country.
“No matter which side of the political fence you were on in El Salvador in the 1970s you had to acknowledge the power of Archbishop Oscar Romero who had the trust and the ear of the poor and powerless which made up most of the population of the country. If you supported the FMLN, Archbishop Romero was a hero. If you supported the government, he was a target.
Archbishop Romero was assassinated by government death squads while celebrating mass in San Salvadoron March 24, 1980. Two weeks before he was gunned down Archbishop Romero said “If they kill me, I shall arise again in the Salvadoran people.” He was right. El Salvador’s civil war began with his death.” He is buried in the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador.
Santa Ana is the second largest city in El Salvador, after the capital of San Salvador. It is located only 64 kilometers northwest of the Capital, and a very pleasant 90 minute drive, with little or no traffic (once you depart from San Salvador). Santa Ana has a population of approximately 277,264 (2020) It is the commercial center of El Salvador, and especially it is a major coffee processing center, surrounded by many coffee plantations.
We stayed in the Casa Verde hostel, which was recommended by our neighbors. An amazing experience, and a perfect place to meet travelers from all around the world. To be honest it is the first time we had stayed in a hostel, in many years, but true to the recommendations of our friends and neighbors from Mexico, it was a great place to stay!
While hear we became aware of a world of travel that we had not now before. There are many mini buses that travel cris-cross around the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras. They travel by fixed times, will often pick you up at your hotel or hostel, and are the seeming choice of economic travel, all throughout Central America.
During our stay in Santa Ana, we had a chance to visit the historical landmark of the Santa Ana Cathedral ( neo-gothic cathedral which was completed in 1913). It is in the center of town, as is the custom and the style of most cities in South and Central America. Through a rare meet up in a nearby restaurant, we learned that it was possible to actually scale the inner stairs of the cathedral, and to visit the roof of this historical Cathedral. Wow. It was an awesome experience, as we scaled the roof and walked just below the spire, looking down on the town square, and enjoying a spectacular 360 degree panoramic of the city and nearby mountains.
After spending a full day resting in Santa Ana, we went hiking to the nearest volcano, named after the City. We spent a few breathtaking hours climbing to the peak of the Santa Ana volcano, which is still very much, an active Volcano. The 8 km hike, up and down, too a total of 3 hours. It was not an easy hike but was worth it in so many ways. There were countless breath-taking views, capped by the turquoise lake bubbling with hot sulfur gas emissions, in the crater below, but only viewable at the very peak. For sure it was a hike to remember!
The volcano was the inspiration for one of the active volcanoes in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s famous French novella (The Little Prince), based on his life with his Salvadoran wife Consuelo de Saint-Exupéry, who was The Rose in the story.
After our descent, our local guide/driver took us to the nearby lake, Coatepeque for lunch. Coatepeque lake is a crater lake with stunning colors of blue and glowing turquoise. We regretted that we did not bring our swimming suits along with us. After such a long hike, it would have been the best thing to jump into the crystal clear water. We will definitely swim in this beautiful lake, if we have another opportunity to do so. We hope so.
We decided to explore the towns, and pueblos along the Ruta de las Flores in 2 days. After day one we returned once again to Santa Ana, before embarking on the second half of this marvelous journey.
The Ruta de las Flores is one of the most magical regions in El Salvador. Located in the western highlands, its winding road traverse along green hillsides, vibrant flowers, and of course, coffee plantations This scenic road connects the colorful and quaint towns through volcanic and lush green valleys.
Day 1 of Ruta de las Flores:
Our first stop was at Conception de Ataco, which in the Nahuatl dialect, means “place of high springs”. A beautiful town with aesthetic wall murals and a myriad of nice coffee shops to stop and enjoy the local blends. Just right outside of the town of Ataco, we drove to the El Carmen Estate, an active coffee plantation, that also offers guided tours. Unfortunately we could make it this time. Hopefully we will next time.
Our second stop was the town of Apeneca. It’s Nahuatl meaning is “where gusts of winds and rivers abound”. Another beautiful town, that we meandered about along its cobblestone streets, soaking in the beauty, and of course the aroma of fresh coffee brewing in its many cafes.
Our third stop for day 1, was the town of Ahuachapan. Its Nahuatl name means “city of the house of the oaks”
Just outside of Ahuachapan, there is a very interesting ‘touristy’ site called Ausoles. It is only a small home, with a large field behind it, with steam escaping from the grounds below and water boiling in various places. You most definitely feel the temperature rise as you approach this rocky field, where geothermal emissions swirl around your feet, and experience the distinct and strong odors of sulfur and other minerals wafting up through the air. Definitely needed to ‘Watch your step’ here!
After days of walking and the thrilling, but lengthy climb up Santa Ana Volcano, we ended our day at the Alicante Thermal Park, with heated underground springs, that fill 13 pools of different temperatures. It was a blast!!! It reminded me of that old movie “Some Like it Hot”! But it was so so refreshing and relaxing. We would love to do this more often!
Day 2 of Ruta de las Flores:
Our very first stop of day 2, was the town of Izalco, named after the Volcano Izalco. From its birth in 1770 till 1966 it was almost always in continuous eruption, and thus it had been called the lighthouse of the Pacific.
Izalco was the center of the 1932 Salvadoran peasant uprising. La Matanza (The Massacre) refers to a communist indigenous rebellion of 1932, which resulted in the deaths of 10,000 to 40,000 people.
“Most of the people who were killed during La Matanza, which has sadly been described as an ethnocide, were Pipil peasants and non-combatants, that caused the extermination of the majority of the Pipil-speaking population, which led to a near total loss of this spoken language in El Salvador.”
Our second stop was the town of Nahuizalco, famous with its markets and handcrafts. It was originally inhabited by the indigenous Pipiles. The Pipil Memorial Museum is a cultural landmark, where you can learn about the indigenous settlements, their history, and details of the 1932 massacre. Nahuizalco is one of the last places where people(only a few) still speak the Pipil language (Nahuatl). At the museum, they actively teach the Nahuatl language to local kids. One amazing experience we had was at he local open air fruit and veg, and food market, in the center of town. WE were amazed at the varety of fruits and vegetables that were there, and more mazed at the size of the fruit and vegetables. Some of the ones that we are used to seeing and that we commonly use, were gargantuan!
Our third stop on day 2, was the enchanting town by the name of Salcoatitan, which in the native tongue means “place between snakes and quetzals’. Quetzals are strikingly colorful birds, that are found in forests and especially in humid highlands. Another charming town with famous gastronomy and arts and crafts.
We were quite surprised to suddenly come upon a PRINT Museum, just upon entering the town, and seemingly in the middle of the road. This museum had an amazing collection of original print machines that were so huge, we wondered how they ever ended up in a museum in a small town, along the Ruta las Flores. Another wonder of this colorful journey in El Salvador.
Our final destination on our second day, was the town of Juayua. In the Nahuatl language, it means “river of purple orchids”. Juayua is the most popular town along the Ruta de las Flores. One thing that it is famous for, is its food festival, and waterfalls. Although we did not have a chance to visit the waterfalls, we had an amazing lunch to confirm one of its ‘claims to fame’. Food stalls along the central plaza, with tables and chairs all lined up in a sort of order out of chaos arrangement, were a sight for the eyes, while the aromas of the different food stalls filled the air, our was a culinary experience to remember. A ‘must see’ on anyone’s visit to El Salvador!
Once we returned to San Salvador, from Santa Ana, we rented a car to visit two more places that we wanted to see, before our departure. We travelled first to Suchitoto in the morning, and also visited lake Suchitlan. Suchitoto in the Nahuatl language means “the place of the birds and flowers”. Suchitoto is a very historical town, (Suchitoto and the areas around it, was one of the centers of civil war in El Salvador) Presently it’s a very picturesque and quaint town, with its cobblestones streets, colored houses and flower and tree lined roads.
Lake Suchitlan
Lake Suchitlán, a man-made lake, was formed in the mid-1970s as a result of the construction of the Cerron Grande Hydroelectric Dam. It was a project initiated by the central federal government of El Salvador to produce hydro electricity for the country. Now it is touristic destination for fishing, boat rides, and kayaking.
Alejandro Cotto House Museum
We almost passed this gem, situated between the town and the lake, but a helpful message from a fellow traveler, insisted that we should not miss it. We arrived at 12:15 to a closed museum, as it was closed for lunch break, from 12 to 1PM. We were the only ones in the building, and a kind and helpful staff member, allowed us to enter. We were then left alone to visit this truly beautiful and historic building and its magnificently maintained outer gardens. .We were so happy we stopped, as it did take us some time to locate the house, GPS being what it is in smaller towns! Alejandro Cotto, was a pioneer Salvadorian film maker, writer and poet, who played an important role in the town’s culture. He was later named the “Son of Suchitoto” for his great labor.
From Alejandro Cotto museum we set our destination to what is known as La Puerta Del Diablo or, the Devil’s door. It was indeed a surprisingly interesting and beautiful place to see.
The Devils Door, gets its name from the two giant stones that have formed what appears to be a door, between the canyon and cliffs. The mountain’s highest viewpoint is 1131 meters, and on a clear day you can see Lake Ilopango, the San Vicente volcano and the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, it was not a clear day for us, and we could not see the Pacific Ocean from that vantage point.
It still was quite a clear evening and the views were still amazing. We hiked almost to the top of the rock/cliff for the best view possible. According to some local stories, during the civil war, tortures were committed at this location and bodies dumped over the rocks.
From Devil’s Door you can see the village of Panchimalco, in Nahuatl language means “The Place of Flags and Shields”. This village is just below the Devil’s Door, so of course we set out to visit this lovely place, before returning to our hotel in San Salvador. The inhabitants of this town, are descendants of Pipil Indians fleeing the Spanish takeover of San Salvador during the 16th century, into areas that were originally inhabited by Mayan and Nahuatl peoples.
Oh the allure of El Zonte, or otherwise known as Bitcoin Beach. From pictures and articles about Bitcoin Beach, we were determined to visit here, and one of the reasons we chose to visit El Salvador. It is a beautiful and unspoiled beach, like a small paradise town (at least right now).
It’s a very small beach town, that is world famous in the surfing community with large waves, black sand from the volcanic soil, with good food, and cheap accommodations, along with great sunrises and also sunsets. It has a very laid back vibe, with many doing yoga on the beach at sunrise, watching the surfers ride the early morning waves, waiting for the sun to come up, and for the cafes to open in order to grab that morning cup of coffee!
We spent one week in El Zonte, which is a Surfers paradise. At certain times of the year, you can both watch sunrise and sunset in on the very same beach in El Zonte. Happy for us, we were there at such a time in February.
“El Zonte has been described as a “world surfing mecca”, and we had never been to a surfing beach before. Different styles but a genuine love for nature, and the sea is a uniting factor for sure. El Zonte became one of the first locales in El Salvador to begin the bitcoin Experiment that took root there and grew until it became legal tender in all of El Salvador. Seeing ”Bitcoin accepted here “ signs was rather unusual at first until we became used to it. You can pay for your hotels, your meals, your coffee, and even your Pupusas with a Bitcoin wallet.
Pupusa is a thick griddle cake or flatbread from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala made with cornmeal or rice flour, similar to the Colombian and Venezuelan arepa. In El Salvador, it has been declared the national dish and has a specific day to celebrate it. It is usually stuffed with one or more ingredients, which may include cheese (such as quesillo or cheese with loroco buds), chicharrón, squash, or refried beans. It is typically accompanied by curtido (a spicy fermented cabbage slaw) and tomato salsa, and is traditionally eaten by hand.
La Libertad
We took a public bus(affectionally called Chicken Buses by some travelers) to visit the nearby, and larger city of La Libertad, a port city on the Pacific coast. We had time to visit the famous La Libertad fish market, and of course had fresh fish for lunch.