Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
rooms and an on-site restaurant. The new bus terminal is on the outskirts of town, but
tuk-
tuks
will take you anywhere you want to go for Q4.
The other option for getting to El Salvador is to turn north from Chiquimulilla and take
local buses through Cuilapa to the border at Valle Nuevo-Las Chinamas, traveling inland
before veering south to La Libertad.
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Cuilapa
POP 25,400
Surrounded by citrus and coffee plantations, the capital of Santa Rosa department isn't
much of a tourist attraction in its own right, although the area's fame for woodcarvings,
pottery and leather goods may turn up a couple of decent souvenirs.
People coming this way are usually headed for the border with El Salvador, but there
are a couple of volcanoes just out of town that are easily climbed and afford some excel-
lent views.
Dormant
Volcán Cruz Quemada
towers 1700m over the tiny village of Santa María Ixhuatán
at its base. Coffee plantations reach about one third of the way up its slopes. The summit,
littered with radio towers, offers excellent views of the land running down to the coast, the
Cerro la Consulta mountain range and the nearby Tecuamburro volcanic complex. From
Santa María it's an easy-to-moderate climb to the top that should take about three hours.
The 12km hike is possible to do on your own, asking plenty of directions along the way.
Alternatively, guides can be hired in Santa María - ask at the taxi stand on the main
square. To get to Santa María, catch a minibus (Q5, 25 minutes) from Cuilapa.
The
Tecuamburro
volcanic complex comprises various peaks, including
Cerro de Miraflores
(1950m),
Cerro la Soledad
(1850m) and
Cerro Peña Blanca
(1850m). This last, which has several
small vents releasing steam and sulfur, provides the most interesting climb, although its
forested slopes mean no views until you're almost at the top. Buses and minibuses (Q15,
1½ hours) leave regularly for the village of Tecuamburro from Cuilapa. From there it's a
two- to three-hour hike (14km) to the summit.
Cuilapa is connected by a good road with Guatemala City. Buses (Q25, 2½ hours) leave
from the Centra Sur bus terminal in Guatemala City.
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