Essential El Salvador

Upon awaking in Suchitoto, you will enjoy a guided walk in the lakeside village, visiting the church, market and corn mill. Next, you will participate in a special workshop. Indigo is a natural dye, which is extracted from the Xiquilite plant. It was a very important element for the Maya people since they used it for magical and religious rituals, for medicinal use, for pottery and for painting. During an Indigo workshop, you will learn all about the process and enjoy designing your own scarf!

In the afternoon you will visit the archeological site of Joya de Ceren, which was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1993 for being the only location in the whole Mayan World where you can appreciate the day to day living styles of the popular pre-Columbian inhabitants. After this you will travel to San Andres Maya site, which was inhabited by Mayans between AD 600 and 900 where you will visit a small onsite museum.

Finally you will transfer to Ataco where you stay the night.

You will visit the ‘flower route’, famous, as its name implies, for its dramatic abundance of wild flowers. This region has beautiful panoramic views of the mountainside coffee plantations, lagoons and dense cloud forests.

First you will visit Juayúa, the charming city that is famous for its permanent food festival during the weekend or the waterfalls of Don Juan, during the week days. You travel to Nahuizalco, one of the most traditional towns in the area. The people here are famous for their handicrafts and furniture made from tulle and willow. Learn about the famous market at dusk, illuminated, quite romantically, only by candle-light. Head up the mountain to Salcoatitán, located at a little over 3,412 feet (1,040 meters). This was the place where the first coffee plantations in the country were planted in the 1860s. The area is also famous for the large number of craft shops. There is an optional visit to the thermal waters of Santa Teresa. You will stay another night in Ataco.

In the morning you will have the opportunity to learn about coffee shrubs, coffee growing, coffee production and agro-forestry at Finca El Carmen. El Carmen produces “Designer” coffee, also known as “Gourmet, High Altitude” coffee (4,000 to 5,700 feet / 1,219 to 1,737 meters altitude). Your guide will describe each stage of coffee production and explain how the “cherry” coffee bean is transformed into a premium coffee for export to companies like Starbucks, American Airlines and Holiday Inn, among many others.

Then you drive to National park El Boquerón to visit a vast and sheer walled volcanic crater. The Boquerón edifice was formed between 40,000 and 1,580 years ago. The crater of the Boquerón Volcano is 1,640 feet / 500 meters deep and 4,921 feet / 1.5 km in diameter. The North-West fissure has been the most active recently, with significant eruptive events, such as the Loma Caldera eruption which buried the ancient village of Joya de Ceren.

In the afternoon you travel to San Salvador where you visit the historical center with the National Palace, Theater and churches. Stay overnight in San Salvador.

This day is left free to accomodate time for you to make your flight in time. If you have time you can explore El Salvador’s capital, if not you will be transfered to the airport in time for your flight.