Description

OPERATES
Package may start any day.

SERVICE
Private services
(vehicle, driver and guide).

DIFFICULTY
Easy. (If selected, Volcano Hiking is medium to medium high difficulty)
LODGING
•    3 Nights in San Salvador City.

DETAILED ITINERARY:
DAY 1: Transfer airport – San Salvador Hotel
Arrival to El Salvador International Airport. Transfer to San Salvador hotel.

Lodging at San Salvador hotel.

DAY 2: TOUR Selection – San Salvador Hotel (B) Choose 1 of the following 4 tours:
Lodging at San Salvador hotel.

A)    SUCHITOTO TOUR WITH INDIGO WORKSHOP:
In this tour we will visit Suchitoto, one of El Salvador's colonial towns. Its name means the place of the Flower Bird. Walk along the charming cobblestone streets surrounded by lovely old colonial homes. Suchitoto is home to Santa Lucia Church, built in 1853, majestically situated in the town's central square.

We will also enjoy an Indigo Workshop. Indigo is a natural colorant extracted from the Xiquilite plant. It was a very important element for the Mayans since they used it for magic/religious rituals, as a medical plant, for pottery, and for painting. When the Spanish “Conquistadores” arrived to El Salvador in 1524, Indigo became the new source of wealth in the region. Pedro de Alvarado noticed how the Indians used several shades of blue in their clothes. In 1558, the Habsburg King Charles I ordered the territories of Guatemala and Cuscatlán (El Salvador), to produce indigo for Spain. In the XVII century, the ounce of indigo was as valuable as gold. El Salvador’s indigo, has always been recognized as top quality worldwide. We will learn the process of indigo as well as art techniques used on clothing as we experiment in designing our own scarf.

B)    VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK:
El Salvador is the country with more volcanoes per square kilometers in the world. This is because there are many volcanoes in a very small country, (20,000 square kilometers). From San Salvador we have easy access to visit some of these beautiful volcanoes. In this trip, we will visit Volcanoes National Park which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Here, three amazing volcanoes (Izalco Volcano, Santa Ana Volcano and Cerro Verde) embrace beautiful Coatepeque Lake which fills a crater of another volcano.

Izalco Volcano is one of the youngest volcanoes in America because it was born in the 1700's, whereas Santa Ana Volcano is thousands of years old. Izalco Volcano was known as the “Lighthouse of the Pacific” since its lava guided the ships on the Pacific Ocean Coast. No lava is currently flowing, but both volcanoes are still active since constant fumaroles are present. In Cerro Verde, located in the middle of the other two volcanoes, we will walk around its extinct crater providing breathtaking views of Izalco and Santa Ana and Coatepeque Lake. If desired by pax, they can hike one of the two volcanoes and reach to edge of the crater.

C)    FLOWER ROUTE WITH COFFEE TOUR:
The Flower Route is a coffee plantation area in the Western side  of El Salvador. It includes 4 main towns and it has a comfortable weather due to the altitude. The towns are Nahuizalco, Juayua, Apaneca, and Ataco. The region offers amazing views of mountains and volcanoes, crafts, coffee tours, charming towns, markets, and adventure options.

We will visit a coffee plantation and if the tour takes place within coffee season (DEC-MAR), travelers will be able to collect coffee themselves along with the locals. After this experience, a guided tour will explain each step of the coffee process. Travelers will be able to buy coffee products and crafts as souvenirs.
 
D)    CITY TOUR SAN SALVADOR- SAN SALVADOR VOLCANO AND JOYA DE CEREN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE:

San Salvador is the  second  largest  city  of  Central America with  a population of about 1.8 million people. We will visit the main landmarks of the city including downtown where we will see the National Palace, a neoclassic building built in 1905. It has a beautiful central patio as well as more than 100 rooms. We will also visit the Metropolitan Cathedral which substitutes the previous edifications destroyed by earthquakes or fires. The Cathedral is surprisingly wide and large (Neo-Romanesque and Byzantine) and celestial drawings are painted on its cupola. Inside stand a wooden figure of the Divine Savior of the World and the tomb of Archbishop Romero, a martyr and an important figure for El Salvador. Rosario church is also an interesting stop. With its bizarre building, it holds the grave of Father José Matías Delgado, a very important figure of the Central America independence. Then we will also drive by the main avenues and streets until we arrive to a local crafts market where you will be able to buy some souvenirs.

Then we will visit San Salvador Volcano (Boquerón). El Salvador is the country with more volcanoes per square kilometers in the world. El Boquerón is the name of the crater of San Salvador’s Volcano. Locals say that it has this name given that the crater resembles a big mouth (Boquerón = Big Mouth). At approximately 1,700 meters above sea level, it provides a cool climate in between 15 - 23 ºC. We will be able to walk to the edge of the crater and admire its beauty.
 
In the afternoon, we will visit Joya de Cerén archaeological site, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993, and it is known as the “Pompeii of the Americas”. This agricultural community was buried by the ashes of Caldera Volcano back in 600 AD. Thanks to the excellent preservation, this site allows us to witness the everyday lives of the Mesoamerican agricultures of such time period. There is also a comprehensive museum on site.

DAY 3: Free day hotel (B)
Lodging in San Salvador hotel.

DAY 4: Transfer to airport for departure flight (B)
End of services.