El Salvador is Central America’s smallest country—just 12,596 sq. miles. Here, there are jungle-peaks that brush the sky and the Pacific coast waves attract world-class surfers in search of the perfect break. Its assortment of off-the-beaten-path travel pleasures—all surprisingly accessible along an excellent road system—includes traditional craft villages, volcanic landscapes and ruins from a Mayan past. Perhaps that is why the Maya called it Cuscatlan: land of precious things.
SAN SALVADOR
Without doubt, this capital city is the country’s commercial and cultural heart. On the economic side, it’s business travelers who spend the most time here, drawn to a country that dollarized its economy in 2001 and is rated the second freest in Latin America after Chile. Located at 2,230 ft., it sits in a large bowl with steep hills and volcanoes on several sides. Some of the best views are from the city’s best hotels in the Zona Rosa: Hilton Princess San Salvador with its Old World elegant style, but thoroughly modern amenities; and the more contemporary Radisson Hotel, with the best views. The Zona Rosa offers many eclectic restaurant choices, but some of the capital’s most interesting dining and night spots are in its malls, particularly La Gran Via and Multi Plaza. By day, visitors enjoy touring in the historic heart of San Salvador, which was founded by the Spaniards in 1539. Its Plaza Barrios is home to important buildings, including the National Palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral, recently renovated with colorful tile on the facade and painted cupola within the National Theater, with its red velvet trimmings and ceiling murals. The city also offers fine museums, including the David J. Guzman National Anthropology Museum with excellent exhibits on the ancient Maya, the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Popular Art. Small galleries, such as the Pinacoteca and La Luna, have ongoing exhibits by national and foreign artists.
SUCHITOTO
Just a 30-mile drive north from the capital, Suchitoto is a picturesque and charming town whose cobblestone streets are bordered by colonial-style buildings, cafes, and arts and crafts galleries. Two of the most attractive buildings are also the best inns: Los Almendros de San Lorenzo, a former sugar-cane hacienda with a fine courtyard restaurant, and Posada de Suchitlan whose restaurant overlooks Lake Suchitlan. Every weekend, the town hosts the arts festival with live music, food stands, art exhibits and stands selling crafts, natural medicines, hammocks and more, and the nightlife swings around a welcoming bevy of bars and restaurants. By day, take a boat ride on Lake Suchitlan, El Salvador’s largest lake—including a slow drift around Bird Island—or go hiking or horseback riding around Guazapa Mountain.
MAYAN MARVELS
The country’s most important Mayan discovery is Joya de Ceren, 20 miles northwest of San Salvador. The village thrived 1,400 years ago before being buried intact around A.D. 600 by the ashes of the lava eruption from Caldera Lomo. On view are adobe houses, unearthed with household goods and utensils in place. There is also an excellent museum on site. At the ruins of San Andres, abandoned around A.D. 250, you find small pyramids and ongoing excavations of the site. Not far away is El Salvador’s most recent discovery, Cihuatan, whose ball court and other Mayan structures have been beautifully excavated, and the pastoral site also has a fine little museum. Farther west is Tazamul, whose important remains are a step pyramid, ball courts and temples. Ruins in this archaeological zone lie beneath the surrounding town of Chalchupa.
CERRO VERDE NATIONAL PARK
Just a day trip away from the capital is the Cerro Verde National Park, famous for its orchid garden and trails for hiking in the company of English-speaking guides. From different points in the park, visitors have majestic views of Coatepeque Lake, a favorite with scuba divers, sailors and water skiers. Cerro Verde is the departure point for hikers who want to climb to the peak of Izalco Volcano, with its perfectly shaped, 6,183-ft-high, black lava cone and splendid crater.
COSTA DEL SOL
El Salvador’s best beaches with an accompanying bevy of resort accommodations are in the western half of the roughly 175-mile-long coast and easily accessible from San Salvador. The lovely coastal road leads to some lovely hotels. Nothing beats the little and just-opened La Cocotera, although the surfi ng-oriented but charming Tekuani Kal and Casa de Mar are good places to be, as is the 552-room, all-inclusive Royal Decameron Salinitas. Expert surfers, for whom the country is a sporting Mecca, flock here with their boards to ride the glassy, consistent swells along the beaches west of La Libertad. The top pick is world-class Punta Roca, the best wave in the country and Central
America.
It Would Be a Shame to Miss...
One of the top pleasures in visiting El Salvador is the special interest circuits offered. Ruta Artesanal, for example, highlights the country’s amazing treasury of folk arts and craftsmanship. Highlights along this folk art path include Ilobasco (specialty: clay miniatures), San Sebastian (specialty: weavings), and La Palma, full of handicraft stores selling paintings, ceramics, wooden boxes, and more—all inspired by Salvador’s most famous artist, Fernando Llort. Even the village buildings are decorated with his bright, primary-color designs. Ruta de las Flores, or Route of the Flowers, follows a scenic road northwest of the capital through a mountainous coffee-producing area, with visits to Laguna Verde, Nualhuizalco, Juaya (the weekend food festivals here are tops), Apaneca, and Concepcion de Ataco. There are lovely lodges along the way, offering guests horseback riding, hiking, birdwatching, canopy touring and mountain biking.
Celebrations For All Seasons
Feb.: Weekends are the times to be in Suchitoto for a 2-day International Festival of Arts and Culture, gathering top national and international art work and celebrating with parades, expositions, and live performances.
Mar.-Nov.: Prime months for Pacifi c coast surfing.
Apr.: Holy Week procession in Sonsonate.
July: The colonial town of Santa Ana, near Tazumal, celebrates its patron saint with parades, live music and church masses.
Aug.: Sochitoto holds a Corn Festival, whose roots date back to pre- Columbian rituals at corn harvest time. Corn is blessed and donated, followed by a mass, and stands sell traditional corn-based foods.
Nov.: In the eastern town of San Miguel, come for Fiesta Patronal in honor of the Virgen de la Paz, celebrated with a religious procession and the creation of grand and colorful sawdust carpets. Buy a hammock in Quetzaltepeque during the annual Festival de Hamacas.
Dec.: Feria de Inovacion Artesanal, the national crafts fair, is held during the fi rst week of December, drawing artisans from all over the country.
SAN SALVADOR
Without doubt, this capital city is the country’s commercial and cultural heart. On the economic side, it’s business travelers who spend the most time here, drawn to a country that dollarized its economy in 2001 and is rated the second freest in Latin America after Chile. Located at 2,230 ft., it sits in a large bowl with steep hills and volcanoes on several sides. Some of the best views are from the city’s best hotels in the Zona Rosa: Hilton Princess San Salvador with its Old World elegant style, but thoroughly modern amenities; and the more contemporary Radisson Hotel, with the best views. The Zona Rosa offers many eclectic restaurant choices, but some of the capital’s most interesting dining and night spots are in its malls, particularly La Gran Via and Multi Plaza. By day, visitors enjoy touring in the historic heart of San Salvador, which was founded by the Spaniards in 1539. Its Plaza Barrios is home to important buildings, including the National Palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral, recently renovated with colorful tile on the facade and painted cupola within the National Theater, with its red velvet trimmings and ceiling murals. The city also offers fine museums, including the David J. Guzman National Anthropology Museum with excellent exhibits on the ancient Maya, the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Popular Art. Small galleries, such as the Pinacoteca and La Luna, have ongoing exhibits by national and foreign artists.
SUCHITOTO
Just a 30-mile drive north from the capital, Suchitoto is a picturesque and charming town whose cobblestone streets are bordered by colonial-style buildings, cafes, and arts and crafts galleries. Two of the most attractive buildings are also the best inns: Los Almendros de San Lorenzo, a former sugar-cane hacienda with a fine courtyard restaurant, and Posada de Suchitlan whose restaurant overlooks Lake Suchitlan. Every weekend, the town hosts the arts festival with live music, food stands, art exhibits and stands selling crafts, natural medicines, hammocks and more, and the nightlife swings around a welcoming bevy of bars and restaurants. By day, take a boat ride on Lake Suchitlan, El Salvador’s largest lake—including a slow drift around Bird Island—or go hiking or horseback riding around Guazapa Mountain.
MAYAN MARVELS
The country’s most important Mayan discovery is Joya de Ceren, 20 miles northwest of San Salvador. The village thrived 1,400 years ago before being buried intact around A.D. 600 by the ashes of the lava eruption from Caldera Lomo. On view are adobe houses, unearthed with household goods and utensils in place. There is also an excellent museum on site. At the ruins of San Andres, abandoned around A.D. 250, you find small pyramids and ongoing excavations of the site. Not far away is El Salvador’s most recent discovery, Cihuatan, whose ball court and other Mayan structures have been beautifully excavated, and the pastoral site also has a fine little museum. Farther west is Tazamul, whose important remains are a step pyramid, ball courts and temples. Ruins in this archaeological zone lie beneath the surrounding town of Chalchupa.
CERRO VERDE NATIONAL PARK
Just a day trip away from the capital is the Cerro Verde National Park, famous for its orchid garden and trails for hiking in the company of English-speaking guides. From different points in the park, visitors have majestic views of Coatepeque Lake, a favorite with scuba divers, sailors and water skiers. Cerro Verde is the departure point for hikers who want to climb to the peak of Izalco Volcano, with its perfectly shaped, 6,183-ft-high, black lava cone and splendid crater.
COSTA DEL SOL
El Salvador’s best beaches with an accompanying bevy of resort accommodations are in the western half of the roughly 175-mile-long coast and easily accessible from San Salvador. The lovely coastal road leads to some lovely hotels. Nothing beats the little and just-opened La Cocotera, although the surfi ng-oriented but charming Tekuani Kal and Casa de Mar are good places to be, as is the 552-room, all-inclusive Royal Decameron Salinitas. Expert surfers, for whom the country is a sporting Mecca, flock here with their boards to ride the glassy, consistent swells along the beaches west of La Libertad. The top pick is world-class Punta Roca, the best wave in the country and Central
America.
It Would Be a Shame to Miss...
One of the top pleasures in visiting El Salvador is the special interest circuits offered. Ruta Artesanal, for example, highlights the country’s amazing treasury of folk arts and craftsmanship. Highlights along this folk art path include Ilobasco (specialty: clay miniatures), San Sebastian (specialty: weavings), and La Palma, full of handicraft stores selling paintings, ceramics, wooden boxes, and more—all inspired by Salvador’s most famous artist, Fernando Llort. Even the village buildings are decorated with his bright, primary-color designs. Ruta de las Flores, or Route of the Flowers, follows a scenic road northwest of the capital through a mountainous coffee-producing area, with visits to Laguna Verde, Nualhuizalco, Juaya (the weekend food festivals here are tops), Apaneca, and Concepcion de Ataco. There are lovely lodges along the way, offering guests horseback riding, hiking, birdwatching, canopy touring and mountain biking.
Celebrations For All Seasons
Feb.: Weekends are the times to be in Suchitoto for a 2-day International Festival of Arts and Culture, gathering top national and international art work and celebrating with parades, expositions, and live performances.
Mar.-Nov.: Prime months for Pacifi c coast surfing.
Apr.: Holy Week procession in Sonsonate.
July: The colonial town of Santa Ana, near Tazumal, celebrates its patron saint with parades, live music and church masses.
Aug.: Sochitoto holds a Corn Festival, whose roots date back to pre- Columbian rituals at corn harvest time. Corn is blessed and donated, followed by a mass, and stands sell traditional corn-based foods.
Nov.: In the eastern town of San Miguel, come for Fiesta Patronal in honor of the Virgen de la Paz, celebrated with a religious procession and the creation of grand and colorful sawdust carpets. Buy a hammock in Quetzaltepeque during the annual Festival de Hamacas.
Dec.: Feria de Inovacion Artesanal, the national crafts fair, is held during the fi rst week of December, drawing artisans from all over the country.
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