Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
has by and large deterred tourism, and its
poorly developed infrastructure has made it a
destination largely for the adventurous traveller.
Those that do visit, however, are treated to lush
lowlands, rugged mountain chains, cloud forests,
towering volcanoes and 320km of uncrowded
Pacific Coast coastline - with beaches, coves and
bays as fine as anywhere in Central America.
Tours arranged by EcoExperiencias El
Salvador are led by local guides in the
departments of Sonsonate and Ahuachapán in
the west of the country, and are designed to take
visitors to see the best of El Salvador's cultural
and natural heritage, from colonial markets
and indigenous villages to birdwatching and
hiking up to the summit of volcanoes. Itineraries
include a 2hr walking tour of the streets of
Nahuizalco (US$3), a 3hr jungle trek to the
40m-high Golondrinera waterfall (US$15) and
a 2hr interpretative trip to the beaches of Los
Cóbanos Protected Area, where you'll learn how
to identify the shore's marine life - its crabs,
shellfish, coral and seashells (US$7).
EcoExperiencias El Salvador is run by an
informal group of travel agencies and businesses
and was initially supported by USAID, though
the aim is to hand it over to a local host to
develop the network of trips throughout the
country. It represents the green shoots of the
kind of tourism that will benefit this struggling
country: experiences focused on its plentiful
natural assets and its people.
Need to know
The best time to visit is the dry
season from November to March. There are regular
buses from other Central American countries to El
Salvador, such as Guatemala (18 daily; 5hr) and
Honduras (5 daily; 6hr); for prices and timetables
see
W
www.ticabus.com. For prices, duration of
tours, information on how to reach tour sites by bus
and local contact details for EcoExperiencias El
Salvador see
W
www.elsalvadorexperience.com. A
useful resource for information on travelling around
El Salvador is
W
www.elsalvador.travel.
(From top) Pituba Beach, El Salvador; Eating frijoles in San Miguel; Volcan de Izalco
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